''Red Velvet'' is a 2012 play by Lolita Chakrabarti, dealing with the biography of the 19th century actor Ira Aldridge and his taking the role of '' Othello''. It premiered at the

Tricycle Theatre The Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre) is a theatre located in Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent, England. Since 1980, the theatre has presented a wide range of plays reflecting the cultural diversity of the area, as well as ...

, London (directed by its new artistic director

Indhu Rubasingham Indhu Rubasingham, , is a British theatre director and the current artistic director of the Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre) in Kilburn, London. Early life Born in Sheffield to Tamil parents from Sri Lanka in 1970, Rubasingham was ...

) from 11 October to 24 November 2012, with Aldridge played by

Adrian Lester Adrian Anthony Lester (born Anthony Harvey; 14 August 1968) is a British actor, director and writer. He is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for his work on the ...

. Lester revived his role when the Tricycle Theatre Production collaborated with Kenneth Branagh Company’s season at the West End's

Garrick theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ' ...

in 2016. It has since been produced by several theatres in the United States and Canada.

Other productions

* St. Ann’s Warehouse Theater, Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York City, April 2014 * Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA from August 6 through September 13, 2015, with Aldridge played by

John Douglas Thompson John Douglas Thompson (born 1964) is an English Americans, English-American actor. He is a Tony Awards, Tony Award nominee and the recipient of two Drama Desk Awards, two Obie Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Lucille Lortel Awards, Lu ...

. * The Junction Theatre in Los Angeles, CA from March 26 through April 30, 2016, with Aldridge played by Paul Outlaw *

San Francisco Playhouse San Francisco Playhouse (formerly SF Playhouse) is a non-profit theater company in San Francisco, California, founded in 2003 by Bill English and Susi Damilano. The theater stages nine plays yearly, including Broadway plays, musicals, and world ...

in San Francisco, CA from May 10 through June 25, 2016, with Aldridge played by

Carl Lumbly Carl Winston Lumbly (born August 14, 1951) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Dick Hallorann in '' Doctor Sleep'', NYPD detective Marcus Petrie on the CBS police drama ''Cagney & Lacey'', CIA agent Marcus Dixon on the ABC esp ...

. * San Jose Youth Shakespeare at The Historic Hoover Theatre in San Jose, CA from August 12 through August 14, 2016, with Aldridge played by Nathan Sandoval. Directed by Bob Rumsby. *

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is one of the largest professional Shakespeare companies in North America, serving over 100,000 adults and children annually. Located in Madison, New Jersey, it is the state's largest theatre company dedica ...

in Madison, NJ from September 7 through September 25, 2016, with Aldridge played by Lindsay Smiling. * Raven Theatre in Chicago, Il from September 28 through November 27, 2016, with Aldridge played by Brandon Greenhouse. * Lantern Theatre in Philadelphia, Pa from September 7 through October 8, 2017, with Aldridge played by Forrest McClendon *

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a non-profit, professional theater company located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. Its more than six hundred annual performances performed 48 weeks of the year include its critically acclaimed Shakespeare s ...

from December 1, 2017, through January 21, 2018, with Aldridge played by Dion Johnstone. *

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional equity theatre located at 1127 Vine Street in Cincinnati, Ohio that was founded in 1986. It is Greater Cincinnati’s second largest professional theatre, and until April 2012 was known as "Ensemble Thea ...

in Cincinnati, Ohio, from March 6 through March 31, 2018, with Aldridge played by Ken Early. * OWI (Office of War) Bureau of Theatre Boston, MA from May 30 to June 16, 2018, with Aldridge played by Seth Hill * Jewel Theatre in Santa Cruz, CA from January 23 through February 17, 2019, with Aldridge played by Aldo Billingslea. Directed by Bob Rumsby. *

Southern Connecticut State University Southern Connecticut State University (Southern Connecticut, Southern Connecticut State, SCSU, or simply Southern) is a public university in New Haven, Connecticut. Part of the Connecticut State University System, it was founded in 1893 and is ...

in New Haven, CT from February 28 through March 7, 2020, with Aldridge played by Gary Robinson Jr. and Malcolm Davis *

Shakespeare Theatre Company The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the Shakespeare canon, but its seasons include works by other classic playwrights such as Euripides, ...

in Washington, DC from June 16th through July 17th, 2022, with Aldridge played by Amari Cheatom. Directed by Jade King Carroll.

References

2012 plays Plays based on actual events West End plays Plays and musicals based on Othello {{2010s-play-stub