Red Velvet (2022)
Produced by
Director: Cherissa Richards
Playwright: Lolita Chakrabarti
Venue
Streetcar Crowsnest – The Guloien Theatre
Run
November 22nd, 2022 – December 18th, 2022
Synopsis
London, 1833. A Black man has never starred on a major London stage—not even as Othello—until tonight.
An imagined version of true events, RED VELVET transports audiences to the turbulent backstage world of London’s Theatre Royal in Covent Garden to tell the little-known story of Ira Aldridge, an African-American stage actor. As British Parliament debates the abolition of slavery, Aldridge prepares to make his entrance as Othello. His groundbreaking performance upends centuries of British stage tradition and changes the lives of everyone involved.
The audience is enamoured but the critics are not amused and the Theatre Royal is temporarily shut down. Despite this, Aldridge went on to build a stellar career with an impeccable reputation throughout Europe, but he never returned to a London stage again. (crowstheatre.com)
Cast
| Kyle Blair | Pierre Laporte |
| Ellen Denny | Ellen Tree |
| Starr Domingue | Connie |
| Nathan Howe | Casimir / Henry Forrester |
| Jeff Lillico | Charles Kean |
| Patrick McManus | Terrence / Bernard Warde |
| Amelia Sargisson | Halina Wozniak / Betty Lovell / Margaret Aldridge |
Creative Team
| Cherissa Richards | Director |
| Lolita Chakrabarti | Playwright |
| Rais Clarke-Mendes | Assistant Director |
| Julie Fox | Set Designer |
| Julie Fox | Prop Designer |
| Ming Wong | Costume Designer |
| Arun Srinivasan | Lighting Designer |
| Thomas Ryder Payne | Sound Designer |
| Siobhan Richardson | Fight Director |
Production
| Chris Faris | Head of Wardrobe |
| Lisa Nighswander | Head of Properties |
| Eric Armstrong | French and British Dialect Coach |
| Jutta Brendemuehl | German Dialect Coach |
| Halina von dem Hagen | Polish Dialect Coach |
| Jennifer Parr | Stage Manager |
| Farnoosh Talebpour | Assistant Stage Manager |
Staff
| Heather Landon | Producer |
| Renée Wong | Assistant Producer |
| LJ Savage | Production Manager |
| Ryan Borshuk | Technical Director |
| Jay Hines | Guloien House Technician |
