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Not all black and white

Published Tuesday 23 October 2007 at 13:05

I wonder if someone could please satisfy my curiosity as to why Tameka Empson is allowed to ‘white up’ to play the Queen in a show called The Blacks (October 11, page 3). However, white performers are not allowed to ‘black up’ to play roles in shows such as Showboat.

I am a director and choreographer of amateur musical productions in the north London area. Amateur groups are, of course, bound by exactly the same rules and regulations relating to live, onstage performances as professionals. As such, a number of potential shows are now very difficult for amateurs to undertake because they contain non-white characters and many groups do not have a high percentage of non-white members.

Annie Hertler-Smith

Tylers Close

Kings Langley

Hertfordshire

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