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The early termination of last week’s theme was caused by the torpedoing of my intentions by an avalanche of work and illness. I’m taking this week off, as I didn’t have the energy to prepare at the weekend (see: work and illness). My apologies.
I hope, however, that this entry might keep some of you amused for a little while. Remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned the three-part BBC television series called Mixed Race Britannia? It traced the evolution of the profile of mixed race people in modern Britain. I watched all of them and wrote them up. The series put a rather rosy spin on the acceptance of mixed race couples and mixed race people in the UK today that I didn’t think was entirely justified, but it did provide rich historical coverage from the early 1900s to the present, focusing primarily on London and Liverpool.
Mixed Race Britannia: 1 of 3
Mixed Race Britannia: 2 of 3
Mixed Race Britannia: 3 of 3
Paul Robeson was an American singer, actor and early civil rights activist. In 1930, he played Othello opposite actress Peggy Ashcroft (Desdemona), a role which required him to kiss her on stage. It was not a performance he could have made at home. Robeson and Ashcroft took their liaisons off-stage as well - a romance that would flame periodically for decades.
I hope, however, that this entry might keep some of you amused for a little while. Remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned the three-part BBC television series called Mixed Race Britannia? It traced the evolution of the profile of mixed race people in modern Britain. I watched all of them and wrote them up. The series put a rather rosy spin on the acceptance of mixed race couples and mixed race people in the UK today that I didn’t think was entirely justified, but it did provide rich historical coverage from the early 1900s to the present, focusing primarily on London and Liverpool.
Mixed Race Britannia: 1 of 3
Mixed Race Britannia: 2 of 3
Mixed Race Britannia: 3 of 3
Paul Robeson was an American singer, actor and early civil rights activist. In 1930, he played Othello opposite actress Peggy Ashcroft (Desdemona), a role which required him to kiss her on stage. It was not a performance he could have made at home. Robeson and Ashcroft took their liaisons off-stage as well - a romance that would flame periodically for decades.
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ETA: I've been proven wrong by Wikipedia, and am very glad to have found out about Ira Aldridge who played Othello in New York with an all African American cast in the 1820s, and who then went to Britain where he played a variety of lead roles including Othello and Richard III.
And in keeping with the theme of this post, he had an English wife, Margaret Gill, and they were married for 40 years. After her death, he married Amanda von Brandt, who claimed to be a Swedish countess, and they had four children. Their two daughters became opera signers.
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From:
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