I think the worst example of colour blind casting I have seen Neil was Anne Bolyne being played by a black woman. Historical facts should be adhered to, I am sure blacks would be up in arms if a white man was to play Nelson Mandela on stage 🇳🇿
Colour Blind Casting really bothers me. I know 100% that I am not racist and I am thrilled that people of all races can work in theatre. But is boggles my mind when casting it is not historically correct. In the production of the musical, "Hamilton" that I saw, George Washington was Asian and Thomas Jefferson was black. We all know that these men were white. In fact in American governments back in that era, all politicians were white...that was no necessarily a good thing, but it was the reality of the times. If there was a stage play about Martin Luther King Jr., played by a white man, people would be outraged and Colour Blind Casting would not work out then.
If a white man played Martin Luther King, I as a Caucasian, would be horrified! Stick to history and respect the actor playing the part! MLK was a black man, there are many talented black actors, to play the part. Keep it real!
It shouldn't really matter what colour a person's skin is as long as they're a good actor. However, in historical re-enactments, I think you should stick to whatever race of people they were, otherwuse it is a misrepresentation of history. Casting should not be too woke or afraid.
Generally I don’t care about the colour of the actor - only if they can act! However in historical dramas I think the character should be represented by an actor of the same colour!
As Americans, my wife and I watch a lot of British detective/crime shows like Shetland and Endeavor. It's almost a joke that we can rule out the murderer if the suspect is Black. I guess the studios or networks consider a Black villain as being racist or type casting.
I took two kids to Moana 2 last week and while the film makers couldn't quite tick-box race, they certainly got their gender issues expressed. It was all unrealistically strong women and weak men, except for the demi-god oaf, and peppered with gay hints. Because kids are not sufficiently sophisticated to realise what they are being brainwashed with, I think parents should watch these kids' movies first before allowing their kids to see any of the woke trash.
Yul Brynner was diagnosed with lung cancer. Regardless, he continued to perform on stage. His last performance was in "The King and I" on Broadway in NYC. He was ill, taking Chemo/radiation and whilst on the stage trying hard to say his lines, a man in front row was doing something disruptive, and Brynner stopped the performance, telling the man to let him know when he's finished so that he can resume. I still love Cinderella - and I'm so sick of adhering to the demands of the few - THE WOKE!
The world has gone crazy..will we have someone cast an asian actor to play the queen in a few years? Stick to the script and produce as it was meant to be...If people are offended that it is an all white cast then don't go to see it...its that simple.
I'm usually rather flexible, BUT, some time ago, we watched a BBC costume drama by Shakespeare. It really confused us that Anne Boleyn was played by a black actress. On the other hand, I know that, in Shakespeare's time, female roles were played by men.When I was in highschool, I saw 'Anthony and Cleopatra' by the RSC where all female roles were actually played by men. Then again, nobody played 'Fiddler on the Roof' better than Topol. Let's say that a bit of historical accuracy goes a long way.
Do you remember that guy who "had a dream" during the 60s on the steps of the Lincoln memorial. I wish that dream would not have turned into the bad dream that companies are currently dreaming.
I believe characters from real life in any story should be portrayed as closely as possible to how they were/are in life. Fantasy is simply fiction and if your imagination stretches enough to believe that calling someone with black skin "Snow White" is not a nasty irony, then by all means have at it and enjoy. I would follow the best actor/actress for the job every time in a work of fiction, but I believe real people should not be misrepresented. Thank you, Neil.
I’m sick of social media and TV advertising commercials who portray a family….a white woman with negro/or .Indian partner and their kids. ……Assuming every second person in Australia is married or partner to Indian/negro….and then adds depicting male and female gays with their black partners …. trying to suggest the white married couple with white kids should not be seen as a normal family..
There was a black character in the tv Only Fools. I can see him now but don't know his character name as I very rarely watched it. He was also in The Full Monty I think.
I agree that it should go both ways. However, I also think there are some iconic characters that were written for a certain type of person and usually should remain that way. I mean if some decided to do a play or musical out of Roots, it really wouldn’t work with whites in the main characters. I think James Bond should remain the sort of character he was written. There has to be some sense used in how it is done.
This Cinderella can't even lift my foot to try on the shoe.🤔👠 I loved live theater when I was younger. The best I saw was The Lion King in Toronto, Canada.🇨🇦 It was absolutely incredible!
👋👋 We can ALWAYS rely on you Neil for genuine thoughtful reporting, there is no one finer. I absolutely agree with you, live theatre is brilliant and should be fair to all, relying on equality and talent not a tick box exercise. Thank you Neil, your words were perfect. Stay safe and well. Hxx👋🙏🏴❤️🌟
As I remember Neil, one of Rodney's friends was black and so was one of Del's. Anyone remember Denzel and his wife? Only Fools is still being shown on television, I sometimes watch it.
I have gone to some events where we put phones in a case that cannot be opened. It makes plays and concerts much more enjoyable. And, yes, it should go both ways to be fair.
Two ways, there is the talent! We need theatre, especially nowadays when we most need the diversion from what is happening, then see a black Henry 8th. We cease to see the character and see only a political point being made!
Our family went to see our local panto Sleeping Beauty by The Dennis Lowe theatre company at the Spa pavilion at Felixstowe. We always support our local one. No big stars . Just great fun, family fun.
I am sick and tired of all sorts of people in the entertainment world adhereing to the DEI ideology to excess with 'positive discrimination'. Time and again I am confused with people who bear no relation to each in terms of colour supposedly being from the same family in the story, being historically inaccurate. Indeed it has got to the point on many occasions now that there are very few white actors in a production. Thousands of white actors, who are the majority in this country, know that their future in entertainment is limited at best, non existent for most of the time. Whereas the small pool of ethnic actors will always find work just because they tick a box. This is even happening at the amateur level.
Remember the furore over the black Anne Boleyn a while ago? That was 'taking the mick'! Was that casting supposedly to do with 'pushing boundaries'? I'm sure there were plenty of white actors (actresses - as Dame Judy Dench insists) who could have played the part just as well, if not better. Imo it was simply a way of getting publicity for an old subject matter that has been portrayed so many times before.
I'm with you Neil casting should go both ways except... one of the few shows I have seen in the West End was Ipi Tombi. I loved it. I even bought the album. But white actors? I don't think so. I think it needs to be done subtly. Odd that in Shakespeare the colour border has been breeched successfully in both directions. I think white actors can play lead black roles in plays and musicals but maybe the public needs to be gradually introduced with subtlety.
Aawww id love to meet them especially david jason hes a great guy ❤. Yes my brother&his wife went to see it when first air. I don't think u can ever replace the original. An yes wel said 👏 ❤
Whatever is happening to the simple and obvious approach to casting ‘appropriate’ actors/actresses in the roles that are true to the historical events!
I used to love Pantomimes when I lived in UK, didn't have a favourite one but I did enjoy Freddie & The Dreamers in one, the early days of Ken Dodd's career, but the one I enjoyed the most must be the one with Cannon & Ball, as my daughter and I were big fans. I don't blame David Tennant for walking off, Shakespeare in a series play and I always found, I needed to concentrate. It seems nowadays that non-white people have to be included otherwise 'some people' get upset. Hope you had a great Christmas Neil, and all the best for 2025.
The problem is the woke replacing of sex/race /religion of characters only goes one way . Many of the people cheering the replacements would be offended if we were to replay films , people , historical events from their history be it real or from film or tv . There would be uproar. The hypocrisy is astounding.
Hello, Neil. I have never heard of there being pantomimes around here. Personally, the time from Christmas to New Year is my very least favorite part of the year. I hate the absence of structure. If I don't have a purpose, I become bored and agitated. I know some people regard it as an insult to call someone puritanical, but I think it is a wonderful compliment. I not only agree with most of their theology, I also like that the puritans always wanted to be doing something useful. I would enjoy large gatherings to build a barn or sew a quilt far better than everything just shutting down. I don't especially like spending time with most of my local family either. Basically, I really don't want to be around my dad. Just being in his presence puts me in a foul mood. Having to be civil and put forth the false impression that we get along, is just about more than I can stand. I also don't like it that I have relatives who pester me about showing up to such events. I had a feeling that Christmas day was not going to be any fun, and I was right. It was my fault for letting the busybodies cajole me into going, though. Every possible thing that could go wrong did. I have certain relatives who seem to believe that being alone is the worst thing that could happen to anyone. Naturally, there are times when I don't want to be alone, but where local relatives are concerned, I think being alone is a great improvement. I have this one cousin who has made a point to question me about all of my holiday plans ever since mom died. That really gets off with me. It is like these people want to believe that me blowing them off is a manifestation of grief. It is as though they cannot remember that I have been blowing most of the family functions off for years, long before mama died. I simply don't find being in those situations enjoyable, even if I have absolutely nothing else to do. I can tell you, Neil, with absolute certainty that I would have enjoyed my own company far more than I enjoyed being with them. It's going to be interesting to see how I handle things things when dad dies. I've been thinking about it a lot since mama died. Had she outlived him, I would have tried to do whatever she wanted for him. However, she is not here, and this scenario makes me think of my great hero, George Washington. He didn't like his mom any better than I like my dad. He didn't even go to his mom's funeral. I have no desire to pay for his send off and if I could get out of doing anything without everybody making a stink over it, I certainly would. Anything I do will be very minimal, unless things take a drastic turn for the better, which I don't expect. I guess such topics are a bit morbid to some. I hope you don't mind too much, I'm really just venting more than complaining. I know most people like this time of year, and I would never want to put a damper on that. Regardless of all that your company is never boring, Neil, and I show up here everyday no matter what. You always make me happy, even this time of year. Much love, from Amber in Alabama.
It is more "historical" to me when history depicts the race of the person. Otherwise, it distracts my attention. There is a feeling of lack of authenticity.
I'm not sure if this is exactly a pantomime but I saw a stage production, here in the U.S., of The Little Shop of Horrors. In this production, the cannibal plant spoke with a southern U.S. African-American woman's accent. Had I known, I might not have gone to see the play. I was stunned at how the play was presented. This might be a cultural nuance which the British might not full understand. But, so far as I know, nobody complained. Was the play good? Honestly, I never cared for Shop of Horrors and I didn't care for the live stage play. Acting, music, stage design, etc. was good. It just didn't appeal to me. I will add that the following year, that same company did a production of Crowns. It was wonderful. It is a story about strong southern, black women, here in the U.S., and their Sunday hats. I know the Royals can come up with beautiful hats but, back in the day, Black women from the south could put them to shame with their Sunday hats. Hats seems to have become less popular, in more recent years, here in the U.S.
We understand just fine about the Deep South sweetie; in the UK we learn a huge amount about World History altogether. We are Part of the 56💗 Country Commonwealth though; & there are lots of different actual African Nationalities that we grow up with; Nigerians Ghanaians Ugandans & Caribbean People from Jamaica Grenada etc etc.🙏🏼🇬🇧✝️✝️🎅🎄
Hello Neil! An excellent point, the talent of the actor should be what matters, not the colour. The same goes for books, authors seem to add diverse characters just to tick a box, not to add to the story. I just have to vent a bit, my family saw Beauty and the Beast on stage for Christmas, the young people next to us were chomping on candy and giggling about things on their phones the whole time. What ever happened to theatre etiquette?
Neil you are right if people stopped looking at skin and took people on ability things would be less them and us. My own family is like a bag of dolly mixtures but we all fit.
The same people who say it doesn't matter what colour and actor is and the same people who would throw an absolute hissy fit if a famous black person was played by a white actor, it only ok in the one direction and we know what direction that is.
Hi Neil hi all 👋👋👋I’m all for theatre and I’m definitely not racist. I have beautiful niece whome I love dearly but history is history. It’s like the film Queen of Scots well we all know that she was very pale skinned and she had red hair (ginger) so when they brought the film out even though the woman was beautiful, she didn’t look nothing like Queen Scots in the advert so therefore I didn’t watch it. Keep history to history and keep programs as they was or were going to lose all the fun things that we used to like to watch. I just think certain things should be preserved. Have a nice day Neil
Is the performer talented? Did they change the part to make it more something to go with the actor, not the part? If it's a Yes, then a No, I'm good with it.
I don’t care what colour the actor is as long as they can act! I also don’t care if males are doing female roles and vice versa as long as the actor can portray the part, who cares?
Stick to the ORIGINAL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN some white people can't play black actors and some black actors can't play white actors Stick to the scripts or people will be less interested imo
In my experience, pantomime is comedy theatre that interacts with the audience, sometimes making the audience part of the story. Traditionally it's a Christmas thing.
It's called "Acting" for a reason. The actor doesn't need to look like the written part, IMO, if, as you said, they bring something special to the performance. We tend to look past the features and focus on the feelings, don't we? I get annoyed when people say that a straight person can't play a gay man or woman or vice versa, just as the color of sking is irrelevant in most stories, unless it is a definite feature of the story.
At the time was written display was just one kind of people playing it how they wanna mix it up choice I don’t care about it doesn’t make any sense to me, but whatever
There were Black actors in the TV series i remember Denzil who was a friend of Rodney's and there were people who would come and go, but it wasn't a totally white show on tv, if the play is only using main characters you cant suddenly have a black Del Boy
A 'Les Miserables' I saw had a big problem in that Cosette changed colour between childhood and adulthood. Voices ok but ruins the belief in the production.
Hmmm could it be the two audience members were deliberate plants to cause problems? I cant imagine any genuine theatre lover paying an exorbitant sum for tickets and then acting like a yob and trying to sabotage the event. After all, it's not as if the producers of Only Fools and Horses cast a black actress as Cleopatra or a white actor as Malcolm X. 😉😉😉
Sick of pushing skin color and wokeism.
I am weary, too!
I think the worst example of colour blind casting I have seen Neil was Anne Bolyne being played by a black woman. Historical facts should be adhered to, I am sure blacks would be up in arms if a white man was to play Nelson Mandela on stage 🇳🇿
Thats why it bombed
Best actor and make up should be used. Easily offended racists should stay home.
That's why nobody watched it
Colour Blind Casting really bothers me. I know 100% that I am not racist and I am thrilled that people of all races can work in theatre. But is boggles my mind when casting it is not historically correct. In the production of the musical, "Hamilton" that I saw, George Washington was Asian and Thomas Jefferson was black. We all know that these men were white. In fact in American governments back in that era, all politicians were white...that was no necessarily a good thing, but it was the reality of the times. If there was a stage play about Martin Luther King Jr., played by a white man, people would be outraged and Colour Blind Casting would not work out then.
Amen!
I feel the same.
Cultural appropriation-if the situation were reversed -we would never hear the end of it, allegedly.
Can you imagine the outrage if the likes of Brad Pitt or Russel Crowe were cast in the role of Malcolm X?
You do not have to apologise for your views, because they support the truth.
Imagine living inNigeria and expecting to see white faces in a traditional folk story. Of course not it would be ridiculous
I wonder if the Various
Nigerian Royalty have a
"Terribly whyte Balcony?"
What do u think?🙄🤭
🙏🏼🇬🇧✝️✝️🎅🎄
The Nigerian government will not even allow white actors in tv ads.
If a white man played Martin Luther King, I as a Caucasian, would be horrified! Stick to history and respect the actor playing the part! MLK was a black man, there are many talented black actors, to play the part. Keep it real!
It shouldn't really matter what colour a person's skin is as long as they're a good actor. However, in historical re-enactments, I think you should stick to whatever race of people they were, otherwuse it is a misrepresentation of history. Casting should not be too woke or afraid.
Exactly.
Generally I don’t care about the colour of the actor - only if they can act! However in historical dramas I think the character should be represented by an actor of the same colour!
100% right.
Yes, definitely it should go both ways.
The christmas pantomimes in the UK were very famous , prewoke . Big wave 👋
FACT: If the parents of Axel Rudakubana had NOT been
allowed into Britain those 3 children in Southport would still be ALIVE
Hamilton was Caucasian. Tired of virtue signaling.
As Americans, my wife and I watch a lot of British detective/crime shows like Shetland and Endeavor. It's almost a joke that we can rule out the murderer if the suspect is Black. I guess the studios or networks consider a Black villain as being racist or type casting.
The arrogant doing black face over everyone else's culture and history.
Good day Neil 🎭 Of course I agree with you Neil!
It should be fair down the line.
I took two kids to Moana 2 last week and while the film makers couldn't quite tick-box race, they certainly got their gender issues expressed. It was all unrealistically strong women and weak men, except for the demi-god oaf, and peppered with gay hints. Because kids are not sufficiently sophisticated to realise what they are being brainwashed with, I think parents should watch these kids' movies first before allowing their kids to see any of the woke trash.
With selective racial castings Neil, how can that be seen to be "colour. blind ?"
Yul Brynner was diagnosed with lung cancer. Regardless, he continued to perform on stage. His last performance was in "The King and I" on Broadway in NYC. He was ill, taking Chemo/radiation and whilst on the stage trying hard to say his lines, a man in front row was doing something disruptive, and Brynner stopped the performance, telling the man to let him know when he's finished so that he can resume. I still love Cinderella - and I'm so sick of adhering to the demands of the few - THE WOKE!
Seriously I don’t care what colour, race or religion they are, I’m there for a good time and to come out thinking WOW that was great!!!
The world has gone crazy..will we have someone cast an asian actor to play the queen in a few years? Stick to the script and produce as it was meant to be...If people are offended that it is an all white cast then don't go to see it...its that simple.
Equality and talent should come first.
But would you shout murder and mayhem if an Asian or white person played Mandela or Chaka Zulu?
Hi Neil ! I love live theater and concerts but when things get woke. I get uncomfortable. Thanks for sharing. xx
I'm usually rather flexible, BUT, some time ago, we watched a BBC costume drama by Shakespeare. It really confused us that Anne Boleyn was played by a black actress. On the other hand, I know that, in Shakespeare's time, female roles were played by men.When I was in highschool, I saw 'Anthony and Cleopatra' by the RSC where all female roles were actually played by men. Then again, nobody played 'Fiddler on the Roof' better than Topol. Let's say that a bit of historical accuracy goes a long way.
Do you remember that guy who "had a dream" during the 60s on the steps of the Lincoln memorial. I wish that dream would not have turned into the bad dream that companies are currently dreaming.
I remember his words, pity so many appear to ignore them.
🎯👍
Bravo Mr Neil Sean 😊
I believe characters from real life in any story should be portrayed as closely as possible to how they were/are in life. Fantasy is simply fiction and if your imagination stretches enough to believe that calling someone with black skin "Snow White" is not a nasty irony, then by all means have at it and enjoy. I would follow the best actor/actress for the job every time in a work of fiction, but I believe real people should not be misrepresented. Thank you, Neil.
I wonder if white people would be allowed to play a Zulu if they remake the film, sounds silly, but a Blake actor played Ann Boleyn.
Totally agree, it should go both ways. Fed up of all this virtual signalling tbh
I’m sick of social media and TV advertising commercials who portray a family….a white woman with negro/or .Indian partner and their kids. ……Assuming every second person in Australia is married or partner to Indian/negro….and then adds depicting male and female gays with their black partners …. trying to suggest the white married couple with white kids should not be seen as a normal family..
The ‘sha a dow’ was one of my favourite moments in OFAH.. plus Denzil was brill.
Denzil was a character of colour
That was my first thought as well.
The only one in OFAH…
WHY are they pushing these ppl sooooooo hard???? WHY?
There was a black character in the tv Only Fools. I can see him now but don't know his character name as I very rarely watched it. He was also in The Full Monty I think.
Denzil.
I agree that it should go both ways. However, I also think there are some iconic characters that were written for a certain type of person and usually should remain that way. I mean if some decided to do a play or musical out of Roots, it really wouldn’t work with whites in the main characters. I think James Bond should remain the sort of character he was written. There has to be some sense used in how it is done.
Common sense seems to be sadly lacking these days.
Tick boxes and emprty theatres Dr's surgeries etc
This Cinderella can't even lift my foot to try on the shoe.🤔👠
I loved live theater when I was younger. The best I saw was The Lion King in Toronto, Canada.🇨🇦 It was absolutely incredible!
👋👋 We can ALWAYS rely on you Neil for genuine thoughtful reporting, there is no one finer. I absolutely agree with you, live theatre is brilliant and should be fair to all, relying on equality and talent not a tick box exercise. Thank you Neil, your words were perfect. Stay safe and well. Hxx👋🙏🏴❤️🌟
Pantomimes sound like a lot of great fun.
As I remember Neil, one of Rodney's friends was black and so was one of Del's. Anyone remember Denzel and his wife? Only Fools is still being shown on television, I sometimes watch it.
I have gone to some events where we put phones in a case that cannot be opened. It makes plays and concerts much more enjoyable.
And, yes, it should go both ways to be fair.
Two ways, there is the talent! We need theatre, especially nowadays when we most need the diversion from what is happening, then see a black Henry 8th. We cease to see the character and see only a political point being made!
I hear the new Robin Hood play a black guy is playing the lead, it's called Robin in da Hood 😂
I went to see Only fools and horses I really enjoyed it 😅
Our family went to see our local panto Sleeping Beauty by The Dennis Lowe theatre company at the Spa pavilion at Felixstowe. We always support our local one. No big stars . Just great fun, family fun.
I am sick and tired of all sorts of people in the entertainment world adhereing to the DEI ideology to excess with 'positive discrimination'. Time and again I am confused with people who bear no relation to each in terms of colour supposedly being from the same family in the story, being historically inaccurate. Indeed it has got to the point on many occasions now that there are very few white actors in a production. Thousands of white actors, who are the majority in this country, know that their future in entertainment is limited at best, non existent for most of the time. Whereas the small pool of ethnic actors will always find work just because they tick a box. This is even happening at the amateur level.
👋👋👋
Remember the furore over the black Anne Boleyn a while ago? That was 'taking the mick'! Was that casting supposedly to do with 'pushing boundaries'? I'm sure there were plenty of white actors (actresses - as Dame Judy Dench insists) who could have played the part just as well, if not better. Imo it was simply a way of getting publicity for an old subject matter that has been portrayed so many times before.
👋👋
I'm with you Neil casting should go both ways except... one of the few shows I have seen in the West End was Ipi Tombi. I loved it. I even bought the album. But white actors? I don't think so. I think it needs to be done subtly. Odd that in Shakespeare the colour border has been breeched successfully in both directions. I think white actors can play lead black roles in plays and musicals but maybe the public needs to be gradually introduced with subtlety.
Aawww id love to meet them especially david jason hes a great guy ❤. Yes my brother&his wife went to see it when first air. I don't think u can ever replace the original. An yes wel said 👏 ❤
Whatever is happening to the simple and obvious approach to casting ‘appropriate’ actors/actresses in the roles that are true to the historical events!
Both ways
What about Denzel?
I used to love Pantomimes when I lived in UK, didn't have a favourite one but I did enjoy Freddie & The Dreamers in one, the early days of Ken Dodd's career, but the one I enjoyed the most must be the one with Cannon & Ball, as my daughter and I were big fans. I don't blame David Tennant for walking off, Shakespeare in a series play and I always found, I needed to concentrate. It seems nowadays that non-white people have to be included otherwise 'some people' get upset. Hope you had a great Christmas Neil, and all the best for 2025.
Never mind if the majority are upset.
The problem is the woke replacing of sex/race /religion of characters only goes one way . Many of the people cheering the replacements would be offended if we were to replay films , people , historical events from their history be it real or from film or tv . There would be uproar. The hypocrisy is astounding.
Sadly, 'woke' doesn't go both ways, it's their way or the highway
Hello, Neil. I have never heard of there being pantomimes around here. Personally, the time from Christmas to New Year is my very least favorite part of the year. I hate the absence of structure. If I don't have a purpose, I become bored and agitated.
I know some people regard it as an insult to call someone puritanical, but I think it is a wonderful compliment. I not only agree with most of their theology, I also like that the puritans always wanted to be doing something useful. I would enjoy large gatherings to build a barn or sew a quilt far better than everything just shutting down. I don't especially like spending time with most of my local family either. Basically, I really don't want to be around my dad. Just being in his presence puts me in a foul mood. Having to be civil and put forth the false impression that we get along, is just about more than I can stand. I also don't like it that I have relatives who pester me about showing up to such events. I had a feeling that Christmas day was not going to be any fun, and I was right. It was my fault for letting the busybodies cajole me into going, though. Every possible thing that could go wrong did.
I have certain relatives who seem to believe that being alone is the worst thing that could happen to anyone. Naturally, there are times when I don't want to be alone, but where local relatives are concerned, I think being alone is a great improvement.
I have this one cousin who has made a point to question me about all of my holiday plans ever since mom died. That really gets off with me. It is like these people want to believe that me blowing them off is a manifestation of grief. It is as though they cannot remember that I have been blowing most of the family functions off for years, long before mama died. I simply don't find being in those situations enjoyable, even if I have absolutely nothing else to do. I can tell you, Neil, with absolute certainty that I would have enjoyed my own company far more than I enjoyed being with them.
It's going to be interesting to see how I handle things things when dad dies. I've been thinking about it a lot since mama died. Had she outlived him, I would have tried to do whatever she wanted for him. However, she is not here, and this scenario makes me think of my great hero, George Washington. He didn't like his mom any better than I like my dad. He didn't even go to his mom's funeral. I have no desire to pay for his send off and if I could get out of doing anything without everybody making a stink over it, I certainly would. Anything I do will be very minimal, unless things take a drastic turn for the better, which I don't expect.
I guess such topics are a bit morbid to some. I hope you don't mind too much, I'm really just venting more than complaining. I know most people like this time of year, and I would never want to put a damper on that. Regardless of all that your company is never boring, Neil, and I show up here everyday no matter what. You always make me happy, even this time of year. Much love, from Amber in Alabama.
Good Evening Neil 🍾🇺🇲🍾👋🤚👋☺️💚❤️💚❤️
It is more "historical" to me when history depicts the race of the person. Otherwise, it distracts my attention. There is a feeling of lack of authenticity.
I'm not sure if this is exactly a pantomime but I saw a stage production, here in the U.S., of The Little Shop of Horrors. In this production, the cannibal plant spoke with a southern U.S. African-American woman's accent. Had I known, I might not have gone to see the play. I was stunned at how the play was presented. This might be a cultural nuance which the British might not full understand. But, so far as I know, nobody complained. Was the play good? Honestly, I never cared for Shop of Horrors and I didn't care for the live stage play. Acting, music, stage design, etc. was good. It just didn't appeal to me. I will add that the following year, that same company did a production of Crowns. It was wonderful. It is a story about strong southern, black women, here in the U.S., and their Sunday hats. I know the Royals can come up with beautiful hats but, back in the day, Black women from the south could put them to shame with their Sunday hats. Hats seems to have become less popular, in more recent years, here in the U.S.
We understand just fine about the Deep South sweetie; in the UK we learn a huge amount about
World History altogether.
We are Part of the 56💗
Country Commonwealth
though; & there are lots
of different actual African
Nationalities that we grow
up with; Nigerians Ghanaians
Ugandans & Caribbean
People from Jamaica
Grenada etc etc.🙏🏼🇬🇧✝️✝️🎅🎄
Its behind you ,oh no its not ,oh yes it is .ho ho
I like church panto always family fun plus ticket sales boost funds oh yes they do
Hello Neil! An excellent point, the talent of the actor should be what matters, not the colour. The same goes for books, authors seem to add diverse characters just to tick a box, not to add to the story. I just have to vent a bit, my family saw Beauty and the Beast on stage for Christmas, the young people next to us were chomping on candy and giggling about things on their phones the whole time. What ever happened to theatre etiquette?
Neil you are right if people stopped looking at skin and took people on ability things would be less them and us. My own family is like a bag of dolly mixtures but we all fit.
Hi Neil and chums 👋👋👋👋👋👋
👋👋👋🦋
My fav is Peter Pan Goes Wrong.
Bunions 😂😂
Hey all👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋
The same people who say it doesn't matter what colour and actor is and the same people who would throw an absolute hissy fit if a famous black person was played by a white actor, it only ok in the one direction and we know what direction that is.
How about Paul Barber?
Paul Barber played Denzil in Only Fools and he was black.
Hi Neil hi all 👋👋👋I’m all for theatre and I’m definitely not racist. I have beautiful niece whome I love dearly but history is history. It’s like the film Queen of Scots well we all know that she was very pale skinned and she had red hair (ginger) so when they brought the film out even though the woman was beautiful, she didn’t look nothing like Queen Scots in the advert so therefore I didn’t watch it. Keep history to history and keep programs as they was or were going to lose all the fun things that we used to like to watch. I just think certain things should be preserved. Have a nice day Neil
Years,ago Cliff Richsrds,and,Mary Hopkins if i remember correctly Dick Whittington
Is the performer talented? Did they change the part to make it more something to go with the actor, not the part?
If it's a Yes, then a No, I'm good with it.
👋 🎭🎭 👋
I don’t care what colour the actor is as long as they can act! I also don’t care if males are doing female roles and vice versa as long as the actor can portray the part, who cares?
The gender switch in pantos are a source of the humour.
All characters in Shakespeare’s plays were played by men.
It becomes ridiculous after awhile especially if you are portraying actual people.
Yes, Hamilton was definitely a west African freedman, its been written
Stick to the ORIGINAL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN some white people can't play black actors and some black actors can't play white actors Stick to the scripts or people will be less interested imo
What is panto? Is it different from live theater play or musical?
In my experience, pantomime is comedy theatre that interacts with the audience, sometimes making the audience part of the story. Traditionally it's a Christmas thing.
Dear Neil, it doesn’t bother me to see all people in plays. It’s the talent that counts in my opinion. From an 🇺🇸grandmother
It's called "Acting" for a reason. The actor doesn't need to look like the written part, IMO, if, as you said, they bring something special to the performance. We tend to look past the features and focus on the feelings, don't we? I get annoyed when people say that a straight person can't play a gay man or woman or vice versa, just as the color of sking is irrelevant in most stories, unless it is a definite feature of the story.
At the time was written display was just one kind of people playing it how they wanna mix it up choice I don’t care about it doesn’t make any sense to me, but whatever
Bombay Dreams was brilliant, I don't know why they haven't brought it back.
I think we're all fed up of wokery, if you're good, you're good.
End of
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There were Black actors in the TV series i remember Denzil who was a friend of Rodney's and there were people who would come and go, but it wasn't a totally white show on tv, if the play is only using main characters you cant suddenly have a black Del Boy
Oh Neil, Haven't you heard of hair dye?
Oh no we don't!
A 'Les Miserables' I saw had a big problem in that Cosette changed colour between childhood and adulthood. Voices ok but ruins the belief in the production.
Panto 2024
Hmmm could it be the two audience members were deliberate plants to cause problems? I cant imagine any genuine theatre lover paying an exorbitant sum for tickets and then acting like a yob and trying to sabotage the event. After all, it's not as if the producers of Only Fools and Horses cast a black actress as Cleopatra or a white actor as Malcolm X. 😉😉😉
Niel id love to go to a pantomime with you 😊id even buy you a Horlicks ❤😂
Sorry you're either talented or not no matter what colour
Nobody is arguing with that, but casting historical characters the wrong colour makes a mockery of history.
When I go to the theatre I turn my phone off. Not into tick boxing 🐨🇦🇺🦘