Theatre director accuses able-bodied actors of 'creeping up' and playing disabled roles amid backlash to Richard III casting at Shakespeare's Globe

A leading theatre director has accused able-bodied actors of 'creeping up' and playing disabled characters.

Jenny Sealey, who co-directed the opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games in 2012, said deaf and disabled people should get to play those roles instead.

The 61-year-old is artistic director of Graeae Theatre Company, which is composed of deaf and disabled artists. 

Her comments follow the recent backlash over Shakespeare's Globe casting a non-disabled actor to play Richard III, who suffered from the spinal condition scoliosis.

Able-bodied stars who have played the king in the past include Laurence Olivier, Ian McKellen, Kevin Spacey and Kenneth Branagh. 

Ms Sealey, who has been deaf since the age of seven, told Desert Island Discs: 'It's a whole series of a few steps, or wheels, forward and a hundred back.

'We have been making some fantastic in-roads.

'But at the same time, there are people who are creeping up, saying I could play Richard III, and it's like hang on a minute.'

In January it emerged that Michelle Terry, artistic director of the Globe Theatre, will play Richard III during a performance of the play at the London theatre this summer.

Ms Sealey continued: 'The world out there thinks that acting should be about playing anybody, absolutely, I get that.

'And people say ''Oh Jenny, you want your cake and you can eat it''.

'I said too right, I do, because we actually have not had a full cake yet, we've been given slivers.

'I want the full cake and I want more, so I do want, for my artists, and the deaf and disabled community, to play the roles that are for deaf and disabled characters.

'But also, a whole plethora of roles, until we have absolute priority.'

She continued: 'Best practise? Have deaf and disabled people in the room when you're casting.

'I always cast the best person for the job.

'Their physicality, their disability, their impairment, that is part of who they are.

'Can they act? Yes, brilliant. And if they're rubbish then they don't get the job.'

The Globe's decision to cast Michelle Terry as Richard III caused a row when the news broke in January. 

Brittanie Pallet, a professionally trained disabled performer, wrote on X at the time: 'Why is an artistic director of any theatre firing themselves to play the lead when it's not their casting or lived experience?

'The misrepresentation and misinformation causes actual daily harm to the lives of real disabled people.

'The work we make is, in varying degrees, a reflection of our society and our beliefs about the people we share the world with. Most people's only experience of disabled life is through the stories we tell so it's bloody dangerous when we get that wrong.'

In response to the criticism, Ms Terry said that the Globe 'hoped to provide an opportunity for all people to engage and participate in stories, told carefully and with beautiful imperfection and hopefully inspire us all to engage in the conversation,' of what it means to be human.

The theatre itself said: 'We recognise the barriers to access in our industry and to our organisation and we are working hard to address that.

'We believe the Shakespearean canon is based on a foundation of anti-literalism and therefore all artists should have the right to play all parts in, and the casting across all our work year-round is no different.'

But its response only added fuel to the fire, with one person writing: 'The Globe is making it clear that they don't care when it comes to disabled representation and refuse to listen.'

Ben Wilson, a blind actor who was in Pirates of the Caribbean, said: 'Thought the battle for Richard III was starting to be won, but this feels like we're taking about 10 steps backwards.'

Arthur Hughes in 2022 became the first disabled actor to play Richard III in the Royal Shakespeare Company's history.

He has been previously played by disabled actors in major productions such as Kate Mulvany for Australia's Bell Shakespeare Company in 2017.

Controversy has also raged about whether it is legitimate for straight actors to play gay characters. 

Andrew Scott weighed in on the debate late last year, insisting he did not want a 'totalitarian' approach. 

He told Screen Daily: 'I remember growing up and reading Empire magazine and thinking I would never get a chance to play leading roles in the cinema. And I am thrilled that has changed.

'As much as I feel like representation is important, so is transformation. I don't love the idea of being cast for something purely for my own sexuality — you're not just playing 'gay', you're playing the attributes of the character.

'I don't want a totalitarian regime - we have to look at each individual story we're telling and what's right for that.'

Meanwhile, director Andrew Haigh said he did not believe only gay actors should play gay characters.

He said: 'I'm not one of those people who thinks you have to cast a queer actor in a queer role.

'But for this role, I did want to because I was trying to unpick some nuances of a certain generation of gay people.'