Call the Midwife and Silent Witness actress Lucy Sheen talks diversity and inclusion, and promoting East and Southeast Asian talent
- Lucy Sheen, who was born in Hong Kong and grew up in the UK, is an actress, producer, writer and poet, and an advocate for diversity
- She talks about co-founding Beats, which was set up to promote East and Southeast Asian talent in British film and television
“To be, or not to be?” was never much of a question. The answer was already obvious.
In 2012 and 2013, Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company staged a production of The Orphan of Zhao at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. Otherwise known as “the Chinese Hamlet”, it had “a 17-strong cast, only three of whom were of East or Southeast Asian heritage”, says actress Lucy Sheen.
If the casting of The Orphan of Zhao meant opportunity was not to be for many actors of colour, it was hardly the first example of, at best, underrepresentation.
“For me and others – artists, academics – it was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” says Sheen during a video call from her London home. “We’re in the 21st century and no East or Southeast Asian actors were in a major role. [Being cast at all] was in itself a huge achievement for those three.”
“So a bunch of us came together and took advantage of one of social media’s upsides to say, ‘This is not right’. We led a campaign that became a global talking point and was picked up in America, where the inclusion and diversity angle is taken more seriously.”
