Press star Paapa Essiedu: ‘The word diversity doesn’t mean anything’

The rising British actor on representation, the elitism of theatre and the role of newspapers in 2018

It has been a few weeks since he returned from a trip to the Edinburgh fringe and actor Paapa Essiedu is talking about how “amazing” it was to “see certain stories celebrated in what has been a huge arts festival, but not necessarily a representative one”. He sighs. “As is always the case when we have this conversation, it does feel like there’s steps being made, but there are so many steps still to go.”

For many black British actors, particularly those from lower income backgrounds, the so-called “diversity debate” is one they’re often pulled into – whether they want to be or not. Instead of talk, Essiedu seems to prefer action, speaking in glowing terms about his work with Open Door, a charitable organisation that aims to widen access to drama schools for young people from working-class backgrounds. In the wake of his Ian Charleson-award winning turn as Hamlet in 2016, the first time a black actor played the role for the RSC, Essiedu admits frustrations with the way calls for a more representative arts industry can be framed, adding: “I try not to use the word ‘diversity’. It doesn’t mean anything.” So, sitting in a restaurant one night after his rehearsals for a new series of short Pinter plays, we don’t talk about diversity. Instead, we talk about his name.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2MXNvqd