Anne Boleyn as a black woman

[Frustratedbeyondbelief]

Am anyone explain why ? I know this question raises the issue of race which is highly controversial. It is not meant to be goady.. just perplexed by what they are trying to achieve. To me like playing GHandi and Martin Luther King as while men..

For context I hope my non racial credentials as a mother of mixed race children assist in not seeing this as an 'anti black' thread ... I genuinely would like to be educated as to why this is thought to be a 'good thing' when simply factually incorrect . ? Her home at Hever is less than a mile away, I have never had any idea she was black or mixed race. Just seems a bit 'trendy' ...

Middling. Autocorrect.
Ah, I see!

Or do it with the whole cast being black. Just switching the race of one person seems a bit weird.

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams

Or do it with the whole cast being black. Just switching the race of one person seems a bit weird.

It's not just one person though. There are several non white actors in the main cast.

I don't understand why it needs to be all white or all black. There have been countless version of the Anna Boleyn story. I don't see how having one that experiments with a diverse cast does any real harm.

It does seem to be for PC points, though. Just like every other advert on TV features an interracial couple, usually a black woman with a white man, but you never see a disabled person with an able bodied person, or an obese person with a thin partner, and only rarely non-black/white interracial couples.

Just like every other advert on TV features an interracial couple, usually a black woman with a white man, but you never see a disabled person with an able bodied person, or an obese person with a thin partner, and only rarely non-black/white interracial couples.

I seem to recall there is a current or recent ad with couples fitting at least two of these descriptions. Maybe a food/supermarket ad? I think it takes place in people's kitchens, anyway.

Downton Abbey does portray itself as trying to be accurate to the time period

Downton Abbey is fictional and offers a very sanitised view of the period, with the aristocrats spending their days fretting over the well-being of their servants, even though in reality they'd never have given them a thought.

So I think all she is saying is that this show is not trying to portray itself that way.

It's not a good comparison though, as it's a show focussed on actual historical figures and events. And other than casting a few black actors, in what way is the series actively intended not to be historically accurate?

I don't understand why it needs to be all white or all black. There have been countless version of the Anna Boleyn story. I don't see how having one that experiments with a diverse cast does any real harm.

I don't think it does any harm. I just think that by casting them as a mixed race couple, it changes how people will respond to the story. People aren't going to believe that in the Tudor courts marrying somebody of a different race wouldn't have been remarked upon — if you'd cast somebody black as Henry I'd make the same argument.

So you're either asking the audience to ignore the fact they're different races (effectively pretend she's white, or he's black, but more likely the first because he's closer to the historical person), or people are going to believe some of the behaviour shown to her was linked to her race. If everybody in the cast was black, then there's be no difference between their races, so you've removed that.

It probably depends where it's falling on the historical vs drama line of historical drama!

" you may know the history " the trailer claims

So, why are you rewriting it BBC

@woodhill

" you may know the history " the trailer claims

So, why are you rewriting it BBC

While I agree with the sentiment, I think it's actually Channel 5 and not the BBC.

Ahh ok😊

Colourblind casting has been pretty standard in the theatre for a long time, so as a theatre buff this isn't even remarkable to me. I guess because theatre is generally much more non-naturalistic than TV it's one of many suspensions of disbelief. Doesn't bother me at all.

Interestingly, it wouldn't bother me in theatre either. I think the level of suspension of disbelief is so much higher for a live performance that it is just a part of that. But in a TV or film adaptation, I find it jarring, and the fact we are supposed to not notice it bizarre.

@SirSamuelVimes

Interestingly, it wouldn't bother me in theatre either. I think the level of suspension of disbelief is so much higher for a live performance that it is just a part of that. But in a TV or film adaptation, I find it jarring, and the fact we are supposed to not notice it bizarre.

Not that it's tit for tart, but do people now realise how absurd it was that they just got anyone to play black or Asian characters? Also, without offering any other role and we all hard to sit and enjoy like nothing was off. People who feel ofended, I hope they now also, understand the reverse.

I watch "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" at last year at theaters and it was blinding casting. It was great.

Also, for the coment about black women being in TV adverts, that's technically not true. Most of tge women are mixed race. Black women are arare. Lots of mixed race girls and mums, for TV boys can be black. People noticing such things, it's tge reason why colourism continues.

Not that it's tit for tart, but do people now realise how absurd it was that they just got anyone to play black or Asian characters?

But as you say most of the ethnic characters even now are mixed race so in terms of physical appearance it wasn’t much different.
Obviously “black” is more than just what you look like.A black Anne means her parents were black her history would have been black.

It’s works in a theatre where you have to believe a light colour change means it’s morning or the painted scenery is a town.

I loved 'Carmen Jones' film when it came out. Still watch it. I wonder why other films have not been cast in a similar way. (I'm white)

I’m a black woman and I must say I am perplexed by the casting of a black AB. Historical accuracy is so important, and while production is ‘entertainment’ it is based on real people, its a part of our history and should therefore be a true reflection. I hate to say it but some people do more harm than good with their ideas of inclusion and representation. Making moves like this only serves to irritate and anger, and as a black woman I totally understand why. Representation is important, but I also feel slightly insulted that no effort is made to bring stories to screen of African queen and kings, such as Mansa Musa , Shaka Zulu, Akhenaton etc. We must do better to unite and share our history accurately.

You cannot rewrite history for a film

The whole point of watching drama is temporarily suspending belief. If I can believe that the modern day British actress with perfect hair, makeup and teeth speaking in 21st century English in an English accent is a 16th century, French speaking, noblewoman who is eventually executed I can certainly look past her skin colour.

And for those saying what could a man play a woman's role or vice versa - certainly. It happens all the time in the theatre. Not just in panto with principal boys and dames but in straight theatre too. I saw Cush Jumbo, a black woman play Hamlet, a white male prince. Tamsin Greig was brilliant as Malvolio in Twelth Night. Jermyn St theatre did a great version of Dorian Gray where an ensemble cast switched roles and the gender of the characters from performance to performance. The upcoming production of Constellations is following a similar principle. There was a fantastic version of the 1915 classic Hobsons Choice put on in Manchester recently where every part was played by an Asian and the Leicester Curve did Wizard of Oz with a female cowardly lion and one of the other companions was black -the fact I can't remember which one shows how irrelevant it was! A recent tour of Brighton Rock had female gangsters. And they are just the productions I've seen.

Lighten up people. It's acting not rules for living. Which incidentally is another great play. I saw it with an all white cast at the Nation, but there is no reason why any or all of the roles couldn't have been played as people of colour.

Historical accuracy is so important
Why? I don't mean to goad; I'm genuinely interested as to why you feel this in this context of TV drama.

Incidentally, I absolutely agree that more and different stories from e.g. African culture need to be told.

Nowt wrong with it per se, but they lose a degree of authenticity.

Likewise modern dramas with black women in promoted professional roles in rural areas. Doesn't take away from the acting or the writing, but I no longer believe in the setting.

Representation is important, but I also feel slightly insulted that no effort is made to bring stories to screen of African queen and kings, such as Mansa Musa , Shaka Zulu, Akhenaton etc. We must do better to unite and share our history accurately.

Completely agree with this.

Queen Amina would be a good antidote to Henry VIII fatigue. She even chopped off her "husband's' heads.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-africa-44888718

[quote SunnydaleClassProtector99]Queen Amina would be a good antidote to Henry VIII fatigue. She even chopped off her "husband's' heads.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-africa-44888718[/quote]
Now THAT I would watch.

Personally, I do wonder if the longevity of the Henry and Anne story nicely props up the misogynistic "women, know your place" narrative.
Clever, not cowed by men, powerful woman.
Brought low because she was not meek enough.
And that's why figures like Amina don't get their own series.

Leicester Curve did Wizard of Oz with a female cowardly lion and one of the other companions was black -the fact I can't remember which one shows how irrelevant it was!

Could you tell under the make up anyway?