Shakespeare's Globe in London has been the target of community outcry following the theatre's announcement of its "Richard III" summer production's casting, particularly that of the titular character being played by an able-bodied actress.
Why Michelle Terry's 'Able-Bodiedness' as a Point of Contention
As the theatre has announced on its website and social media pages, the Globe's Artistic Director Michelle Terry will be taking on the "monstrous" character of "Richard III," which was famously described by the legendary bard as someone "deformed, unfinish'd."
In the past, numerous major productions have opted to cast disabled actors to play the part, including Mat Fraser in the 2017 play by the Northern Broadsides and Hull Truck; Kate Mulvany in the Australian Bell Shakespeare Theatre during the same year; and Arthur Hughes, who joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2022.
These casting choices have "reinstated" the character as someone who was disabled, and it is been proven to be as such for the real-life counterpart of the character in a momentous discovery made in a Leicester car park in 2012.
According to Reuters, the findings revealed that "Richard III" did indeed suffer from scoliosis, giving his spine a sideways curvature.
That said, the character has also been portrayed by able-bodied actors like Benedict Cumberbatch and Ralph Fiennes in the past, be it on stage or in film adaptations.
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Outcry Over the Shakespeare's Globe Announcement
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Brittanie Pallett, a professional actor with a disability, which she made as a reaction to the Globe's announcement, she asked: "Why is an artistic director of any theatre hiring themselves to play the lead when it's not their casting or lived experience?"
Continuing with: "Before anyone says it doesn't matter, every time this happens more harm than good is done to disabled communities through misrepresentation."
She explained her stance further by saying that there's an argument to be made for "any actor to play a disabled or non-disabled character" but only in an ideal world, saying, "The work we make, whether we like it or not, is in varying degrees a reflection of our society and our beliefs about the people we share this world with."
"Most people's only experience of disabled life is through the stories we tell, so yeah it's bloody dangerous when we get that wrong," she concluded.
In response, the theatre replied with a statement of its own, writing, "We recognize the barriers to access in our industry and to our organization and are working hard to address that."
"We believe the Shakespearean canon is based on a foundation of anti-literalism and therefore all artists should have the right to play all parts in, and the casting across all our work year-round is no different."
Ending its statement, the Globe explained that its upcoming "Richard III" production was still at "the beginning of a research and development process" and will announce the "full company" once everything has been addressed, including the "bespoke needs of each project."
