Deep Are the Roots: Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre

The first book to explore in detail how intelligence agencies the world over have used sex as a way to acquire sensitive information. Recent years have seen a boom for Black British playwrights, actors and creative talents. The apparent breakthrough, however, is the latest stage in a long and varied history. In Deep Are the Roots, Stephen Bourne introduces us to the pioneers of Black theatre, beginning in 1825, when Ira Aldridge made history as the first Black actor to play Shakespeare’s Othello, and ending in 1975 with the success of Britain’s first Black-led theatre company. Drawing on original research and interviews with leading lights, here is everything you always wanted to know about the trailblazers of Black theatre in Britain and their profound influence on the theatre of today. AUTHOR: Stephen Bourne is the author of Black Poppies, Under Fire and several other books on the subject of black history. He is a graduate of the London College of Printing and received a MPhil from De Montfort University. He has been the recipient of research grants for black British theatre from the Society of Theatre Research (1999) and the Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation (2011). 44 b/w illustrations