This is the third time you’ve played Martin Luther King, after productions of The Mountaintop in 2016 and 2018. How have your feelings about him and his legacy changed over the years?
My feelings towards him and his legacy haven’t changed. If anything they have strengthened in pursuit of his efforts and aspirations for a more united, respectful and equitable society. His assassination was heartbreaking and was a deliberate act to silence civil rights progress and the wider rallying condemnation of social injustice and racial inequality. He led marches and in 2020 many new people are stepping up to inspire our generation to be counted and make their voices heard. Black Lives Matter. Equality Matters. Racism has no place in our world today or in the future.
You first played King at the Young Vic in 2016, directed by Roy Alexander Weise. The Young Vic is now run by Kwame Kwei-Armah, and Roy is co-artistic director at the Royal Exchange. How must theatre change to ensure continued diversity?
Perpetuating whiteness across institutions and organisations can no longer be the norm. Many people from black and ethic minority backgrounds are brilliant and for years have been specialising in roles across the sector. We need to be given room, trust and support where necessary to continue to excel, in order to impact the collective identity, non-biased culture and social impact of inclusivity across the sector. Members of the board and senior management need to be from diverse backgrounds with complementary skills and have regular reviews of progressive thinking as part of the operating model of organisations.
The play takes place after King has given his mountaintop speech. How closely did you study King’s speeches, and what is it about that one that makes it so resonant?
I’ve listened to that speech and watched it several times on YouTube, but I still can’t quote it word for word. I do remember him saying it’s all right to tell a man to lift himself up by his own bootstrap but it’s a cruel jest to tell a bootless man to lift himself up by his bootstrap. Our destinies are all tied up together, and it’s all our concern that fairness and prosperity are principles we all need to subscribe to for the sake of all humanity.
The Mountaintop explores different styles of civil rights protest in the US in 1968. Fifty years later, in the UK, how do you view those contrasting approaches?
I heard someone say that white people are lucky black people just want equality not revenge. It’s all relevant.
Katori Hall explores the reality behind King as a mythical figure and also uses elements of the supernatural. What makes her writing so special?
Katori’s writing is special because it dares to acknowledge that different plains of belief exist in our understanding of culture and where we draw strength. King is a black man of God. I don’t know of Katori’s spiritual beliefs, but in The Mountaintop she generously explores how the weight and fatigue of the struggle can enhance insight and the inspiration of conviction.
The play is a two-hander. Camae, the young woman who visits King, is brilliantly drawn and feels like an under-represented character in theatre. Do you think there are certain stories that UK theatre has largely failed to represent?
A character like Camae is certainly a good example, but I would say that UK theatre needs to not relegate those stories to small theatre spaces, regional theatres or small organisations. Many under-represented stories and experiences exist, and those stories need to be seen on big stages and should be part of the narratives of international exports and given wider visibility.
How does theatre’s lockdown pose a risk to diversity?
Many people of colour do not trust the sector or the institutions. The feeling is that unconscious biases will mean that only the roles that white people occupy will be retained. Many already disenfranchised creatives of colour and freelance artists will be even more under-represented and pushed out; meaning moving away from the industry completely. The social economics of people being priced out of buildings and shows will persist, and audiences and auditoriums will become devastatingly whitewashed.
You’re an actor, director and writer – which brings you the greatest satisfaction?
They also speak to each other and are very much about the journey I’m on. I have maintained that to a certain extent. I have tried to express myself in all disciplines to maintain my visibility and to inspire others to express their creative talents in a multitude of ways. In my current role as artistic director of Brixton House, I’m very excited by how we can satisfy the support artists want us to offer in order to secure their involvement in the success of our theatre and their journey in a polarising industry and the current perilous artistic environment.
The Mountaintop began its 2018 tour at the Nuffield in Southampton, which has now gone into administration. At this moment of crisis, how can the industry be protected?
That’s a huge question and many people are working very hard to find solutions, and it’s important for people that look like me with better understanding of actionable plans to be a part of those discussions, in order to maintain a diverse pool of narratives and financial contributions for the security of our industry.
Your reading of the play comes amid global protests about the killing of George Floyd. What in particular can this play do at this moment?
I believe Katori wrote the play as a reflection piece on the sacrifices of our ancestors and great leaders; using MLK as a principled pioneer of collective thinking that inspired generations to stand up against racial injustice and inequality in society. In order for us all to see what he saw on that mountaintop we need to still walk together because the summit is yet to be reached.
The Mountaintop will be streamed for free on the Royal Exchange’s YouTube channel from 10 June until 15 June.
