BBC News Online: Entertainment

Black actor cast as English king

David Oyelowo, whose family are originally from Nigeria, will play the title role in the company's production of Henry VI Parts I, II and III, due to open this autumn.

The production will open at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in November and will move to the Young Vic in London next April.

The production's director, Michael Boyd, said the casting had not been about colour but had been conducted on merit.

He said: "David really is a bit of a genius. It is colour blind casting, his son will be white and there is no hint of illegitimacy."

A spokesman for the RSC added: "We like to get the best actors for the part and that is what David is."

The 24-year-old actor, who joined the RSC last year, expressed his delight at landing the role.

The actor told The Times: "A lot of my friends in the industry have found it very difficult.

"They are constantly offered 'drug dealers on The Bill'. You can imagine how demoralising that is."

Earlier in the year, actor Ray Fearon became the first black person to play Othello at the RSC theatre in Stratford since a US actor played the part in 1959.