b'Monique DayEquity Association (ACE) found that minorities werein London venues were as low as 5% in 2015, highlighting under represented in the performing arts (Brown 2012: 9).the reality that although there had been a sharp rise there In response, AEC founded the Non-Traditional Castingwas still a long way to go (Masso 2018: np). Project in 1986, a nationwide forum with the purpose of exploring the theoretical and practical applicationsBlack British artists, such as comedian and actor Lenny of the more race-inclusive theatre society (Brown 2012:Henry, have publicly requested the need for colour-blind 9). During this time, colour-blind casting began to gaincasting as a solution for the lack of diversity in Britain, acceptance in Britain and according to the Black Britishstating that colour-blind casting hasnt quite caught and Asian (BBA) Shakespeare Database (2018), there wason in the UK casting and that the likes of Idris Elba, a 35% increase of people of colour cast in Shakespeareanwho has been touted as the next James Bond and actress plays between 1987 and 1988. While major changesThandie Newton are not getting the job offers they in theatre practices were not made following this firstdeserve (Matthew 2015: np). In response to the Arts foray into race and theatre politics, the idea of a theatreCouncils findings, and public calls for a more inclusive reformation was planted in the minds and conversationsindustry, 90 theatres in the UK vowed to tackle black, around colour-blind casting began to expand, leadingAsian and minority ethnic under-representation as part of to the national debate between American playwrighta new initiative led by the Broadcasting, Entertainment, August Wilson and theatre critic Robert Burstein in 1997Communications and Theatre Union (BECTU) (Masso (Brown 2012: 9). The debate examined whether colour- 2018: np). BECTU has encouraged each theatre to rethink blind casting had the potential to have a transcendentits application and recruitment processes to attract more or transgressive impact on the diversity of theatre,BAME applicants and ensure a more level playing field and questioning whether race is truly irrelevant in Americanmany believe that colour-blind casting has the potential to performance practices, or if the rhetoric of color blindnessachieve this (Masso 2018: np). only diminishes the value of non-white cultures, while leaving whiteness intact (Catanese 2011: 34). This debateFor example, the American Broadway hit musical sparked conversations in Britain about the impact and needHamilton demonstrates the success of non-traditional for colour-blind casting, many of which are still happeningcasting. Its UK arrival in December 2017 made a powerful today and which I will expand on later in my exploration.statement in the stubbornly white world of British theatre, which remains a long way off from regularly casting black Socio-political events in Britain, such as the murder ofand minority ethnic actors in roles long-played by their 18-year-old Black British Stephen Lawrence in 1993, drewwhite counterparts (Ellis-Peterson 2017: np). If East the nations attention to the issue of race relations in the15 had held colour-blind auditions and practised non-UK. Stephen Lawrence was murdered in an unprovokedtraditional casting for the plays they produced, perhaps racially motivated attack. The British polices poor handlingI would have been accepted as one of their students. of the case led to the acquittal of all five white suspectsDebra Ann Byrd was also told by a teacher that, as a and in response a public inquiry, known as the Macphersonperson of colour, she would not have a career in the report, was released in 1999. The report found the policeclassics but this did not deter her and she went on to to be institutionally racist and called for all publicbecome the founder of the Harlem Shakespeare Festival institutions to examine their policies on race relations. and an award winning theatre professional (Alberge It was probably the Lawrence murder more than any other2017: np). Although Byrd has played traditionally white event that created a national conversation about race incharacters, such as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Britain, and it is no coincidence that the sharp rise inBeing Earnest, she acknowledges that non-white actors go black and Asian actors employed in the twenty-first centuryto these casting calls that say they are non-traditional or coincides with the aftermath of the Lawrence case (Rogerscolour-blind, they act their hearts out and still dont get the 2013: 416-417). It was after the Lawrence case that manyroles. Or they get a role in the corner holding the spear institutions sought to monitor equal opportunities and(Alberge 2017: np). Byrd, along with many other BAME anti-discrimination policies, making conversations aboutactors, has shifted the debate from whether to use colour-colour-blind casting relevant to theatres in their attemptblind casting to a question of whether we can really be at become more inclusive. However, the Arts Councilblind to colour. How effective is colour-blind casting England revealed that the representation of people fromin practising what it speaks and enforcing equality into Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgroundsthe audition room? 7'