Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, 1883. Edmund Kean, the greatest actor of his generation, has collapsed on stage whilst playing Othello. A young black American actor has been asked to take over the role. But as the public riot in the streets over the abolition of slavery, how will the cast, critics and the audience react to the revolution taking place in the public theatre?

About the Playwright

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Lolita Chakrabarti

Lolita Chakrabarti OBE is an award-winning playwright and actress. She trained at RADA and has been working as an actor on stage and screen for over thirty years.

Her debut play Red Velvet opened at the Tricycle Theatre before transferring to New York and then London’s West End. It earned her the Evening Standard Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright 2012; The Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright 2013; AWA for Arts and Culture 2013 and an Olivier Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre 2012. Red Velvet is now on the Drama syllabus for A level and is studied at universities in the UK and USA. Red Velvet has had over forty productions worldwide to date.