Leading UK Theatres Pledge to Only Cast Trans Actors in Trans Roles

The Royal Court, Oxford Playhouse, Contact Theatre, the Royal Exchange in Manchester, and more of the UK's biggest theatres have promised to only cast trans, non-binary or gender non-conforming actors in roles for characters who are trans, non-binary or gender non-conforming, as reported by The Guardian.

The statement made by these theatres was brought on by the recent controversy over Fra Free, a cisgender actor, being cast as a trans character in Breakfast on Pluto in the West End.

Read the full statement below:

This statement is a first step in our commitment to better support trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming (GNC)* artists.

We will never cast, or endorse a production that casts, a cisgender person in a trans, nonbinary or GNC role.
We will actively seek casting opportunities for trans, nonbinary and GNC people in any role regardless of gender, acknowledging that they are currently underrepresented on our stages and screens.
We recognise that trans, nonbinary and GNC people have intersecting identities (including and not limited to ethnicity, disability, sexuality, class, faith, migrant status) that affect their access to opportunities.
We recognise that white voices are often centred.
We recognise that Black trans, nonbinary and GNC people face the toughest barriers due to anti-Black racism**. We are also aware that colourism is a huge issue***. We commit to challenging these issues through our casting.

We recognise that representation is just one part of a bigger conversation. In our commitment to this we understand we must invest time and resources to better our understanding of the imbalance faced in the arts by trans, nonbinary and GNC artists.

For more information visit: http://www.transcastingstatement.com/