Sunday Feature: Looking for the Moor

In preparing to take on the role of Othello for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Hugh Quarshie goes in search of the wisdom of others about the ethical conundrums of a black actor playing Othello. Hugh is not convinced that Shakespeare actually knew any black people and wonders if the persona of Othello is simply derived from literary and theatrical convention. He also suspects that if Shakespeare had little or no awareness of black people, his characterisation of Othello could be regarded as lazy. If he did, then Hugh believes his approach borders on bigotry and that the role should be seen as a stereotype about which black actors should think twice