Episodes
BBC Two Doco “David Harewood on Blackface” Explores The Hidden History of Minstrelsy 27 July
During its heyday, over 20 million people tuned in to BBC TV on Saturday nights to watch The Black and White Minstrel Show.
In his latest documentary, David Harewood explores the hidden history of minstrelsy and seeks to answer the questions, “Where did this show come from, and what made it popular for so long?”
During the era of slavery in the southern United States, a musical tradition with African-American roots was transformed into a form of racist mockery known as minstrelsy.
The cast of stereotypical characters in Blackface minstrelsy was consciously created by American performer Thomas D. Rice and brought to the UK in the 1830s, as David Harewood demonstrates with the assistance of historians, actors, and musicians.
It became widely popular and remained so for decades, making appearances on stages, in the streets, and on both the big and small screens.
David analyses how The Black and White Minstrel Show affected his and other actors’ careers and, more importantly, how it may have affected their sense of self.
Who has made the documentary
An Uplands Television Production for the BBC, David Harewood On Blackface is directed by Eric Haynes. The executive producers are Dominic Ozanne and Mike Smith. It was produced by Alexandra Mason, Nia Campbell and David Harewood, and the Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Mark Bell.
When can we see David Harewood on Blackface
We can see David Harewood on Blackface on Thursday 27 July 2023 at 9.00pm on BBC Two.
Featured image credit: BBC / Features David and fellow actor Adrian Lester (left) who also contributes to the documentary.
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