Black on stage: Celebrating Black contributions to theatre

From Born With Teeth to Hadestown, see some of the best theatre performances by Black actors this Black History Month

Elphaba Thropp grew up green, and with her distinct appearance, she experienced prejudice and discrimination that followed her throughout her life. But with that hardship came a deep empathy for others who were also marginalised under the Wizard’s corrupt regime. And by the end of Wicked, Elphaba overcomes the prejudiced and sexist language that labelled her “The Wicked Witch of the West”. Elphaba Thropp’s story is not unfamiliar to women of colour, particularly Black women, whose bodies, hair and general being are often politicised and weaponised against them. Yet it wasn’t until 2024 that both on stage and screen, Elphaba was played by Black women – Cynthia Erivo in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked: Part 1 and Alexia Khadime on the West End.

It was Khadime’s second time playing the role, the first time being in 2008, when the actor received a lot of hateful and racist rhetoric. In a 2020 interview with Marie Claire, Khadime expressed how “a lot of racism came with [the role] because I was a Black girl playing the role that was predominantly played by a white girl”. Somehow, a fictional green witch was not a role that Black people were allowed to play, despite the similarities in stories. Although Alexia Khadime is a trained theatrical performer with plenty of West End experience, including a stint as Nala in Disney’s The Lion King, people attributed her casting to the political climate. “At the time I played Elphaba, Obama was president. Then the comments were ‘Just because we’ve got a Black president doesn’t mean we have to have a Black Elphaba'” (2020).

In 2024, actor Francesca Amewudah-Rivers was cast as Juliet opposite Tom Holland’s Romeo in the Sam Gold-directed production of Romeo + Juliet. Her casting was met with extreme vitriol – with a barrage of racial abuse online from her casting announcement through to the final day of the show – despite her performance earning rave reviews and an Ian Charleson Award. But Black people’s contribution to theatre goes beyond the prejudice and exclusion faced by the countless talented performers, writers and directors in the industry.

In the late 19th century, one of the most prominent Shakespearean actors was Ira Aldridge. Born in New York City, Aldridge migrated to the UK in the 1820s after finding early success as an actor with the African Grove theatre troupe. African Grove was founded in 1816 by William Alexander Brown (a free Black man who was a playwright and producer) with the aim of putting on productions played by entirely Black casts, and catering to the community of free Black people living in New York at the time. Aldridge went on to debut with the Royal Coburg Theatre (now known as The Old Vic), before going on to perform at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle and Coventry – eventually being promoted to managing the Coventry Theatre Royal. He was the first Black actor to play principal characters in Shakespeare plays – mainly Othello. Although Othello is a canonically Black character, Aldridge’s casting was met with racist backlash. Not very different to what many Black actors face today.

But as we make our way through Black History Month, let us make room to celebrate Aldridge’s legacy, and the legacies of the actors who’ve proceeded him. This Black History Month, take the time to go to the theatre and be part of the audiences who support and uplift theatrical performances by actors of all backgrounds. Challenge yourself when you question why a Black performer can’t take on a certain role; ask yourself why you don’t believe that they are just as qualified to tell human stories. After all, Black history is human history. And we should all be able to face and confront that. Start by seeing these productions.

The Plays

Born With Teeth

Booking until 1 Nov

Ncuti Gatwa plays Kit Marlowe opposite Edward Bluemel’s Will Shakespeare in a thrilling tale where the two writers are forced to collaborate creatively. Set across three secret meetings in the backroom of a pub, Born With Teeth is a seductive and fiery tale of the relationship between two playwrights written by Liz Duffy Adams. See Ncuti Gatwa’s acclaimed performance as Christopher Marlowe, a once revered English poet and playwright, as he breathes new life into Marlowe, and offers the audience a look into the life of a complex historical figure.

All My Sons

Booking from 14 Nov 2025 – 7 Mar 2026

Directed by Ivo Van Hove, the Arthur Miller classic All My Sons heads to the Wyndham’s Theatre with a star-studded cast that includes I May Destroy You‘s Paapa Essiedu and Hard Truths‘ Marianne Jean-Baptiste. For those unfamiliar with Miller’s plays, All My Sons follows the Keller family as they navigate grief, criminal charges and the disillusion of the American Dream after the Second World War. Baptiste steps into the role of Kate Keller, the play’s matriarch opposite Bryan Cranston’s Joe Keller. Whilst Paapa Essiedu plays Chris Keller, the couple’s surviving son navigating the collective grief of his family after the disappearance of his brother Larry.

Othello

Booking until 17 Jan 2026

Fitting that this list includes a production of Othello while honouring the legacy of Ira Aldridge’s performance – see Tom Morris’ Othello at the Theatre Royal Haymarket this winter. Starring David Harewood in the titular role, the Shakespeare classic explores racial tensions, homosocial jealousy and scheming, and the strain that all takes on Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. David Harewood is a juggernaut in British theatre, film and TV, with credits that include Homeland, The Mountaintop, and even voice roles in the video games Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

The Musicals

Hadestown

Booking through to 2026

A contemporary retelling of the Greek myth about Orpheus and Eurydice, where Orpheus travels to the underworld to rescue his beloved fiancée from Hades. Hadestown is a future classic, having originally debuted in Barre, Vermont in 2006 before undergoing redevelopment and recomposition for years, ultimately debuting on Broadway in 2019. Its musical style blends New Orleans-inspired jazz with contemporary rock, indie folk and blues music. Boasting a diverse cast, you can see Chris Jarman as Hades, Cedric Neal as Hermes and Lauren Rae as Fate, alongside fellow talented performers in Hadestown this Black History Month.

Disney’s Hercules

Booking until 28 Mar

Another Greek myth reimagining, albeit vastly different from the darker tones of Hadestown (even though both productions include a Hades). It’s the 90s Disney classic, Hercules, adapted for the glitzy West End stage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. And yes, while Hercules goes from ‘Zero To Hero’, the real stars of the movie were the five muses who narrate and sing throughout the story. They will be played by Candace Furbert (Thalia), Sharlene Hector (Clio), Brianna Ogunbawo (Melpomene), Malinda Parris (Calliope), and Robyn Rose-Li (Terpsichore). See the fabulous muses and hear your favourite songs from Hercules this Black History Month, as the musical is booking now through to March 2026.

Les Misérables

Booking through to 2026

See Boublil and Schönberg’s classic – and the longest-running musical on the West End – this Black History Month, as Shan Ako plays the role of Éponine, Lila Falce Bass plays Madame and Beatrice Penny-Touré plays Cosette. Shan Ako follows in the footsteps of history-making Alexia Khadime, who previously held the role of Éponine on the West End, and 90s R&B singer Shanice – who was the first Black woman to play the role on Broadway in 1997. While Beatrice Penny-Touré follows Amara Okereke, who was made history as the first Black woman to play Cosette and to play Eliza Doolittle on the West End.