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STATESIDE TALENT: British actress Thandie Newton

I'M NOT just saying this because it's Valentine's and there is romance in the air. But I now know why leading men fall in love with leading ladies, on stage on the box and in the movies.

Don't tell my wife, but I seem to be the latest in a long line of leading men who can't keep my eye on the job, opposite a stunningly beautiful but also incredibly talented actress that I star opposite in my hit production which has been getting rave reviews all over the shop.

“Play of the year,” says The Voice newspaper.
“Sexy and deadly,” says BEN TV
“It’s hilarious,” says Colourful Radio.

My return to the stage on Monday (18th February-20th of February) for three nights, to star in a play that I have written (Skinteeth) is the theatrical highlight (so far) of 2013. I say this, not just because I am fantastic in the role of Sunshine Charlie, who was the most famous black entertainer in Britain back in the day. But also because my co-star Ms Stephanie Charles puts on what must be one of the greatest performances ever by a black actress on a London stage. It is absolutely incredible.

And, no, I'm not just saying that because it's Valentine's.

You see, we have many great actors of the male variety - Chiwetel Ejiofor (currently starring in the fantastic BBC drama Dancing On The Edge), Idris Elba (Luther, The Wire) and Rudolph Walker (Eastenders). However when it comes to really supreme actors of the female variety, we struggle to think of one. Thandie Newton perhaps but she's as good as American now.
The problem isn't that we don't have extremely talented black women actresses. Of course we do. But a talented actress is only as good as the great role that's written for her. And there just aren't great roles for our finest black actresses to get their teeth into. So they are always playing roles that are either beneath them or are at best supporting roles.

REVELATION

That is what is so different about Skinteeth. I have worked with Stephanie for weeks now on getting the production just right and it has been an absolute revelation. When I wrote it, I didn't think that I was writing a great part for a black actress. But that's what it's turned out to be. In the starring role of Rose De Freitas, Stephanie is the Cleopatra to my Antony. She is Stella Dubois on A Streetcar Named Desire to my Stanley Kowalski, and she is triumphant in the part.

ELECTRIFYING: Stephanie Charles starring along side Dotun Adebayo in Skinteeth

And I'm not just saying that because it's Valentine's. Come along and see what I’m talking about. I mean, I love my wife, you know I do, and no woman shall ever come between us. But you can't argue with the chemistry between a man and a woman on stage. It's electrifying and that's why Stephanie Charles is one of the best black actresses in Britain. She can turn on those fireworks without even fancying me. You need to see it to believe it.

If there were any justice she'd be walking home with an Evening Standard Theatre Award next time around.

But who would have known that Stephanie Charles was the fabulous actress that she is? After her role in the original production of The Lion King theatre directors haven't exactly been falling over themselves to give her the roles that she deserves. But I don't blame them. It's not about the directors, it's about the playwrights.

This thought was brought home to me when me and the missus took our daughters to the excellent production of Great Expectations currently in the West End (I know, I didn't think they could pull off a decent dramatisation of Dickens' greatest novel either, but they did).

Of course there were no parts for black actors in the production. Fair enough. But because so much of British theatre is dominated by white actors, black actors have bemoaned the fact and eventually one or two have been allowed to play Henry V in Shakespeare's history play or even take over every role in Julius Caesar, also written by the bard.

CAMPAIGN

Whereas the campaign for more black actors in the West End has benefited a lot of male actors like Adrian Lester (my junior at the National Youth Theatre) and even Lenny Henry, it hasn't really helped the women actors whose talents are wasting away as they wait for the roles to come along.

Well, the roles ain’t going to come along unless we write them ourselves.
Now that Kwame Kwei-Armah has gone Stateside and Roy Williams (the best of us) seems to be cooling out, it's down to me and other playwrights like me to write those roles for our great black British actresses.

Skinteeth is only the beginning. If you didn't see it when it opened last October then here is your final chance to see it before it goes on tour. Come and see one of the best British actresses ply her trade in the theatre and have a great night out.

But I am committing myself here and now that all the plays I write from now on will be great black women's plays for great black British actresses to star in.

And no, I'm not just saying that because it's Valentine's.

Skinteeth is on at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre Theatre, London N15 from Monday February 18th to Wednesday February 20th.