Video: David Harewood and Munya Chawawa Unite to Celebrate Black British Theatre and OTHELLO Streaming Release
The historic production streams exclusively on Marquee TV, filmed at Shakespeare's Globe.
In 1997, David Harewood made history as the first Black actor to play Othello at The National Theatre, London. Almost 30 years on, Harewood has reprised his historic role for the first time since 1997 in a new production streaming exclusively on Marquee TV now.
To celebrate Othello's global streaming release, Black British theatre – and talk about the work that still needs to be done to make theatre accessible, beloved comedian and actor Munya Chawawa and David Harewood came together for a conversation filmed at Shakespeare's Globe.
The wide-ranging conversation comes as Munya Chawawa has founded Black Boys Theatre Club – a new initiative on a mission to bring theatre to young Black teenage boys by taking hundreds of London teenagers on theatre trips with Munya. The initiative also gives the boys behind-the-scenes access to the industry.
Munya says: “It's about making theatre as a space not feel so alien. When I was 16, I saw The Lion King with my family and it was great. But then I went theatre solo at The Old Vic and it was just me. Very different audience, very different demographic. I'm thinking to myself ‘if there's none of me in the audience, there definitely shouldn't be any of me on stage.' Then of course I start seeing David Harewood playing Othello, David Oyelowo playing Coriolanus, Ncuti Gatwa in The Importance of Being Earnest… and I'm thinking hang on, Black men are the leading roles in these plays so this must be a space for them.”
On being the first Black actor to play Othello at The National Theatre, Harewood shockingly remembers: “People were kicking off. There was a lot of talk, particularly in broadsheet newspapers, we're talking about The Independent – saying ‘why is this guy playing Othello? Who the hell is David Harewood? Why should he be playing Othello? Shouldn't it be Brian Cox?... …So I knew walking in, I had this challenge already on my shoulders. I was determined to be as authentic in that role as I possibly could. And it worked - it was a huge success; we toured it around the world. It was a very emotional, powerful piece, and I'm extremely proud of it.”
Harewood continues: “For some reason in the theatre tradition, minstrelsy or blackface was accepted. Anthony Hopkins played it in blackface, Olivier played it in blackface, Paul Scofield played it in blackface. And I just wanted to get rid of that. I was determined to present as authentic a Black person as I could in that situation.”
One barrier to access Munya and David highlight is ticket prices. Harewood says: “It's expensive, and that's the unfortunate thing about the theatre... I mean, a ticket to Othello was £175. Who's got that money to spend on four tickets? I remember the National some years ago did a whole season where tickets were £10, and that changed the demographic of people that were coming into the theatre, and somehow, I think we need to do that because there's a whole new generation out there that don't know about theatre. I think theatre needs that new generation and energy. So somewhere somehow, we've got to bring the price of tickets down”
David Harewood stars in OTHELLO opposite Toby Jones (HARRY POTTER, MR BATES VS THE POST OFFICE) and Caitlin Fitzgerald (SUCCESSION), with supporting cast including Vinette Robinson (BOILING POINT) and Olivier Award-winning actor Luke Treadaway, and a new original score by alternative music icon PJ Harvey.
Othello starring David Harewood is streaming exclusively on Marquee TV now. Munya Chawawa and David Harewood's conversation is available to watch:
Photo Credit: Jeanie Jean
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