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

An award-winning theatre director has accused able-bodied actors of 'creeping up' and playing disabled characters.

Jenny Sealey, who co-directed the opening ceremony for the London Paralympics in 2012, said performers from the deaf and disabled community should get to play those roles instead.

The 61-year-old artistic director of Graeae Theatre Company's 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.

Graeae Theatre Company is a British organisation composed of deaf and disabled artists. 

 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.'

It was revealed in January that Michelle Terry, the Globe's artistic director, will play the role in a summer production of Richard III at the London theatre.

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.'

In January, Shakespeare's The Globe Theatre was embroiled in an ableism row after a non-disabled actor was cast as Richard III who is believed to have suffered from scoliosis.

It was announced that the Olivier Award-winning actress and Artistic Director at The Globe, Michelle Terry, would play the titular role this May in the Globe's summer production.

Richard III, Shakespeare's 'bunch-backed' scheming King describes himself as 'deformed, unfinish'd' and the decision to cast an able-bodied actress has received a torrent of backlash.

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.'

She continued: '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.'

The Globe issued a statement in response to the backlash and 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 the response from the 500-year-old establishment only fuelled the fire of fury further as one person wrote: '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.'

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

The Globe statement continued to insist that their production of Richard III was 'at the beginning' of a research and development process and that further cast for the show, directed by Elle While, has not been announced.

Ms Terry said, at the time of the announcement, 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.

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

But the part has also continued to be played on stage and screen by able-bodied actors including Benedict Cumberbatch and Ralph Fiennes.