Arts Club’s latest show highlights a pivotal and groundbreaking moment in theatre from over 140 years ago—one that still carries weight within today’s political and cultural climate. Red Velvet tells the story of Ira Aldridge, a real-life African American performer, and the first black actor to play the titular role in Shakespeare’s Othello. Set in 1833, London, we follow the lead-up to, and the eventual repercussions of Aldridge’s boundary-pushing performance.
Red Velvet immaculately plays with the tensions surrounding the racial norms of the time and the stir of dialogue that Aldridge’s presence provoked. In a particularly boisterous discussion scene between the Shakespearean cast and its director, the audience sees a glimmer of their empathy only to be snuffed out by aggressive naysayers. Remember that at this time, slavery was still a year away from ending in the UK and a full 30 years before being abolished in the US. So, while Aldridge takes the stage with an open mind, it’s hard not to sense the real-world dangers facing him in the wings.
It’s an unfortunate and tragic routine that countless black artists of this period faced, and what’s more, is that we still feel the echoes of the ignorance they met. It isn’t a stretch to say that the opposition an artist like Aldridge encountered could easily be swapped for today’s “freedom of speech” fighters who push against anything they deem to be “woke” (like a black person existing on stage).
It’s this predominantly white frame that Aldridge existed as an artist, and watching Quincy Armorer boldly navigate the role is a pleasure to watch. Armorer brings a natural empathy to the scenes of collaboration and a fierce edge when his creative efforts can only go so far.
Director Omari Newton never asks the audience for sympathy for the lead character, and watching Aldridge play against the other actors in a rehearsal scene, it’s clear the character doesn’t expect it either. To cast pity on Aldrige would be to rob him of the creative power he so yearns to play with.
Alongside Armorer’s performance, Lindsay Angel similarly shines as his castmate, and Desdemona, Ellen Tree. Their tactile chemistry together is a high point as they work out intimate blocking while others anxiously look on. It’s that chemistry that lends realism to critics of the time being aghast at the spectacle of a black man taking a white woman in his arms.
Despite the sinister intentions of those going against Othello’s staging, Newton again, doesn’t have the naysayers spiral into an angry mob. Their ignorance and prejudices are represented in realism and are almost scary in terms of how subdued they can be. I’m thinking particularly of Sebastien Archibald’s role as Charles Kean (Ellen’s fiance) in how his anguish simmers beneath the surface until he can’t take it any longer. The whole cast is stellar, and they adeptly maneuver a tricky subject matter, all while honouring a pioneer of the art form.
Without being too heavy-handed in the parallels of the 1880s and the current day, Newton’s production lets the audience form their own opinions about Aldridge, the advice he didn’t follow before playing a culture-shifting role and the fallout from that choice.
Red Velvet is a fascinating look at how different perspectives always give the collaborative process a far more enriching product. If only we could say that the world had learned this lesson by now.
Red Velvet is playing at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage until April 21, 2024.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: artsclub.com/shows
Feature image: Quincy Armorer in Red Velvet. Photo by Moonrider Productions