Being Black and British: Before, During and After Drama School is about being Black, being British and being an actor before, during and after training. Written by Black writers working in and around the British performative industries, this book offers practical and theoretical tools to take into the classroom, studio, rehearsal room, mind, body and heart, focalised unapologetically through being Black in Britain. Structured across three acts, it covers themes present on the road to drama school such as youth theatre, the texts studied and early experiences in theatre spaces; drama school training with practical suggestions to encourage and embolden Black actors; and the world of the profession, ensuring that mental health, making work and a sense of what can be offered by Black actors is made clear. This book is a call to action and a challenge to all those who teach, lecture, direct, parent, produce, cast and/or train Black performers in Britain – and those performers themselves, to listen more, ask more, feel more and be more.
