RSC 2019

[Deleted]

I like the idea of a rep company for the three shows (although Neil's alternative explanation may be the reason for this!). But good luck selling out the Barbican for a few months with no big names.

[Jan]

Dec 10, 2018 12:45:57 GMT NeilVHughes said:

Will be interesting to see the casting for Midsummer at The Bridge for a comparison.

Yes. Simon Russell-Beale ? Just a guess.

[oxfordsimon]

The rep company is the same as what happened with the What Country Friend Is This season of Twelfth Night, Tempest and Comedy of Errors - so it is hardly an innovative step

But it does seem as if Stratford is trapped in a cycle of mediocrity with Doran in charge. Going through the motions, at best.

[Jan]

I find it somewhat self-satisfied of Doran to explicitly highlight in his press release the diversity of the cast - it would be better to just cast it in that way but not to mention it, the aim should be to make it literally unremarkable.

[David J]

Dec 10, 2018 13:47:33 GMT Jan said:

I find it somewhat self-satisfied of Doran to explicitly highlight in his press release the diversity of the cast - it would be better to just cast it in that way but not to mention it, the aim should be to make it literally unremarkable.

It’s just the same old virtue signalling bandwagon everyone’s jumping onto these days

I just hope these actors were casted for their talent and not just to tick a box

[oxfordsimon]

I have a primary consideration whilst casting - is this person capable of playing the role within my interpretation of the piece? A secondary consideration is whether or not they are a positive, team player - someone who won't disrupt the rehearsal process with attitude.

Trying to appear to be special by championing how diverse they are being can be perceived as rather patronising. Just focus on good work with good actors. Leave it to others to play the numbers.

[samuelwhiskers]

Oh goody I hadn't seen enough racism today.

[cirque]

I dont really see that points re the 2019 RSC 27 casting is racist at all. There is a movement-perhaps you have noticed-to create fully diverse companies to reflect the nation.The belief being if you dont see yourself on stage then why bother......I ve always been pleased not to see myself and certainly doesnt seem to harm the movies. I think the point is the danger of the casting as 'look at us we are diverse'rather than the creation of companies able to make stunning work in theatre-which I suggest we lack.Suddenly everyone is saying....the mantra of reflecting the nation.Let's look at the work and consider the ideal cast...seems strange that last year Shakespeares Globe made a decision to cast diverse and non gender role specific.Now Greg makes the statements we have heard as if its RSC invention and leading the way.

Not really excited at all by the trio of plays moving into newly configured RSC or the casting......but who knows,maybe a gem waiting to be discovered.

Its getting a depressing slog now heading down to Stratford for more lectures.

[zahidf]

I think the point of diverse casting is because diversity and equal opportunities has been rather lacking over the last few centuries of theatre, and more pro-active measures are being taken to re-address the issue.

I prefer the way of just doing it without mention, but after that horrific Quentin Letts bullsh*t from earlier this year, they may want to put an exclamation point on it ( and to get younger audiences in)

[Deleted]

Diverse casting isn't just about representing you, it's about also representing people who aren't you. If it seems a little heavy-handed at the moment, then it's simply because it's going to take a while to redress historical imbalances.

And the idea of "I don't see why they have to aim for a purposefully diverse cast, they should just cast the best people for the roles" will always carry a certain undertone of "the best person for the role is going to be the closest to what has historically been considered 'default' (that is, straight white man)", whether the person saying it secretly does mean that, or would be genuinely horrified to hear that their opinion does quietly carry that connotation.

Is it a little gauche or unnecessary to trumpet that this is what the RSC are doing? Maybe. But it doesn't make it a *bad* practice just because a handful of grumps and a sprinkling of genuine racists don't like it.

[oxfordsimon]

If this RSC casting had been announced without the additional commentary from Doran then it could well have been applauded on the basis of the quality of the acting talent.

By putting the focus on diversity, it will always provoke a reaction.

The reaction works in a number of ways. There are those who will react and say that anyone who utters a word of criticism is racist/sexist/able-ist. And there is always the risk that highlighting the casting in this way could lead to the impression that people were cast to meet a tick box exercise about inclusion rather than on talent alone.

I want the RSC and any other company that receives public money to do the best possible work with the best possible actors. I do not believe that this means it has to be traditional casting. I never have and I never will. I do say it has to be appropriate for the production and consistent in the approach.

My own work has always been as inclusive as I could manage within a relatively non-diverse pool of auditionees. Something that is very much the case here in the local non professional scene. But I have always cast on merit.

I am currently working to try to broaden access to Oxford theatre from all the communities in the city and surrounding areas. But there are no easy solutions and, indeed, it is hard to identify the right questions to ask.

I believe in a representative and diverse theatrical world. But I also believe that making a lot of noise saying look how diverse we are is not necessarily the best way to achieve that.

[lynette]

I mentioned on the books discussion thread how the new Rosenthal edited NT letters shows the iron grip of the white male over the last few decades. I think we should applaud Doran's attempt to break open the writing, direction and casting in as many ways as he can. Is the making an omelette metaphor appropriate here?

[Deleted]

Definitely worth shouting about I think - puts pressure on other organisations to follow suit, presumably attracts a more diverse range of auditionees if they know this is the casting policy, possibly attracts a more diverse audience if people know they will see themselves reflected on stage. Particularly worth the RSC shouting about it as I suspect given their name and remit people who aren't familiar with their work over the past few years would assume they are a Stale White Male organisation.

Hopefully in 10 years or so people won't have to make a big song and dance about this. Then again I guess people were hoping that 10 years ago too.

[samuelwhiskers]

I’d bet good money 99% of the people saying “I don’t expect to see people who look like me onscreen/onstage” are white and able-bodied.

Suggesting or questioning people’s suitability and ability to do their job purely because they are not white is monstrously racist. Anyone who thinks the RSC casting department (who I have worked closely with over the course of the past decade) don’t cast on the basis of talent and ability first and foremost, simply knows nothing about the theatre industry.

The fact a non-white person getting a job still incites such howls of outrage proves how desperately needed these things still are.

[Jan]

Dec 12, 2018 17:42:43 GMT samuelwhiskers said:

I’d bet good money 99% of the people saying “I don’t expect to see people who look like me onscreen/onstage” are white and able-bodied.

Suggesting or questioning people’s suitability and ability to do their job purely because they are not white is monstrously racist. Anyone who thinks the RSC casting department (who I have worked closely with over the course of the past decade) don’t cast on the basis of talent and ability first and foremost, simply knows nothing about the theatre industry.

The fact a non-white person getting a job still incites such howls of outrage proves how desperately needed these things still are.

There haven’t been any howls of outrage. If the RSC cast first and foremost on quality why make a big deal of the fact that purely by chance the company looks like Britain ? He did the same when he had the season directed entirely by women, on the one hand saying it was purely by chance but then trying to take credit for it - he should just keep quiet.

[David J]

By advertising diverse casting this season I've now got this "have they cast a talented cast" mindset and I will need to make the effort and push that aside when I see these productions.

When I saw the Watermill Theatre's A Midsummer Nights Dream this summer I did not know they had a tone-deaf actress playing Hermia. They didn't advertise that casting so when I saw her I was certainly surprised but was able to look past that to see how well she worked with the others.

I have seen many productions at the RSC over the past 12 years where racial minorities are casted and it was obvious they were given the part because they had talent. If I can enjoy Chuk Iwuji and Patrice Naiambana give standout performances as Henry VI and Warwick in Michael Boyd's Histories then I can judge a diverse cast on face value.

Heck, my favourite Julius Caesar would be Gregory Doran's African production. Was that advertised on the ethnicity of its cast? No. It was clear that the casting and setting was part of Gregory Doran's vision for the play and it paid off. It almost felt as if Shakespeare set Julius Caesar in Africa all the time. All because of the efforts of Doran (before he became Artistic Director) and the cast

[Jan]

The Almeida “Wild Duck” featured colour-blind casting and over-representation of women compared with the original but they didn’t mention it at all (nor should they have) - they are obviously further down the road on this than the RSC.

[Deleted]

www.rsc.org.uk/news/rufus-hound-and-les-dennis-join-swan-company

Rufus Hound will be in The Provoked Wife. Les Dennis will be in both The Provoked Wife and Venice Preserved.

"Well I don't really know" what I think about this.

[showgirl]

Maybe that's an example of diverse casting?

[learfan]

They had Matthew Kelly in the Swan season a few years back, he was ok. Unless im missing it, noone seems cast as Pierre in VP?

[Deleted]

I've seen Matthew Kelly in a few things, and he's always been very good. He was excellent in The History Boys. Very good in The Jew of Malta. And the only bearable one in Desire Under the sodding Elms. I would laugh at the idea of Me a Dennis, but he was very funny in Extras and I bet he's got a lot of charisma on stage.

[lynette]

Feb 18, 2019 14:15:32 GMT @xanderl said:

www.rsc.org.uk/news/rufus-hound-and-les-dennis-join-swan-company

Rufus Hound will be in The Provoked Wife. Les Dennis will be in both The Provoked Wife and Venice Preserved.

"Well I don't really know" what I think about this.

Like we don’t have enough actors. People must be weeping into their cornflakes, people being young actors trying to get jobs. It is very similar to celebrities writing children's books to broaden their brand ( mostly ghost written of course) taking the place of writers who know the field and work for years at it. 

[learfan]

Feb 18, 2019 17:17:11 GMT lynette said:

Feb 18, 2019 14:15:32 GMT @xanderl said:

www.rsc.org.uk/news/rufus-hound-and-les-dennis-join-swan-company

Rufus Hound will be in The Provoked Wife. Les Dennis will be in both The Provoked Wife and Venice Preserved.

"Well I don't really know" what I think about this.

Like we don’t have enough actors. People must be weeping into their cornflakes, people being young actors trying to get jobs. It is very similar to celebrities writing children's books to broaden their brand ( mostly ghost written of course) taking the place of writers who know the field and work for years at it. 

To be fair there are a lot of young actors in the ensemble for both plays.

[Deleted]

Feb 18, 2019 17:02:53 GMT @elanor said:

I've seen Matthew Kelly in a few things, and he's always been very good. He was excellent in The History Boys. Very good in The Jew of Malta. And the only bearable one in Desire Under the sodding Elms. I would laugh at the idea of Me a Dennis, but he was very funny in Extras and I bet he's got a lot of charisma on stage.

Yes, Matthew Kelly is always good. I think he was an actor before he became a "personality"

To be fair Les Dennis has done a lot of theatre too. I guess if this kind of casting gets the punters in the door for the more obscure shows why not?

[Deleted]

Feb 18, 2019 17:17:11 GMT lynette said:

Feb 18, 2019 14:15:32 GMT @xanderl said:

 It is very similar to celebrities writing children's books to broaden their brand 

Yes, that's the Christmas show though