Red Velvet

"It's like being at a crossroads - a point of absolute, unequivocal change. It makes the blood rush."Olivier-award winning actor Adrian Lester plays Ira Alridge in the world premiere of Lolita Chakrabarti's new play, Red Velvet, which launches Indhu Rubasingham's reign as the Tricycle Theatre's new Artistic Director. The play is set in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, in 1833. Edmund Kean, the greatest actor of his generation, has collapsed on stage whilst playing Othello. A young black American actor, Ira Aldridge, has been asked to take over the role. But, as the public riot in the streets, how will the cast, critics and audience react to the revolution taking place in the theatre?Imagined experiences based on the often-forgotten, but true, story of Ira Aldridge, an African-American actor who, in the nineteenth century, built an incredible reputation on the stages of London and Europe.

Lolita Chakrabarti is a British actress and writer who has worked extensively on stage and screen. Her most recent theatre credits include The Great Game, Afghanistan for The Tricycle and John Gabriel Borkman for the Donmar Warehouse. Her screen credits include Vera, Outnumbered, Hustle, Extras and The Bill. Writing credits include The Goddess for Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4, Faith, Hope and Blue Charity, also on BBC Radio 4 and Last Seen - Joy for Slung Low and the Almeida. In 2012, her Red Velvet was the first play performed under the Tricycle's new artistic director Indhu Rubasingham.