A Worsley-based actress has shared her struggles of being a Black actress in the UK.
Nicola Gardner finished touring her original play ‘Windrush Warriors’, back in October. The play, which was recently performed at Salford’s The Kings Arms, follows four Afro-Caribbean pensioners in the 2017 Windrush Scandal follow-up.
Gardner has been acting for more than 20 years and has played a range of roles. She believes that her race and location have limited what she’s offered.
Nicola said: “People don’t know this story, but this story needs to be shared.
“I think it’s really important they [Salford Community] realise that they are a part of a larger community [the black Community], and that larger community has a voice and we’re going to speak up.”
Throughout her career she feels she has been type cast and stereotyped, being given “peripheral characters” to play.
“I noticed they were brining me on to be a nurse,” she said. “If you’re not gonna put me in your stories, and make me part of the story, but you’re always going to make me character that doesn’t count for anything, I’ll make my own story.”
This strive for inclusivity and diversity isn’t exclusively for her gain, the writer continued: “We’re underrepresented, and everybody can see that.
“Each time I put something on, I’m giving opportunities to other actors who wouldn’t have that platform or roles of this depth.”
The Windrush scandal was devastating to many and worked as a reminder of this country’s racist past and unstable present. Nicola decided to turn this on its head and made the play a comedy-drama.
When asked why Gardner made her play a ‘dramady’, she said: “We are resilient, within a challenging situation under fire, we find courage, and we have a laugh.”
Windrush Warriors has begun touring universities in the north of England such as Uclan in Preston, MMU and is set to take the University of Manchester stage in 2023.
One Comment