The $30 million musical licence revoked

A local theatre school's production of Dreamgirls has been cancelled after the rights holder revoked the license due to the cast being predominantly white.

The Gillian Banks Theatre School in Maltby, South Yorkshire, had planned to stage the musical at Rotherham Civic Theatre, but Concord Theatricals, the agency that controls the rights, took action after the school's casting was announced.

The agency stated that productions must feature a diverse cast that authentically reflects the historical and cultural context of the show.

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The cancellation marks the first time Concord Theatricals have taken such action for this musical since they began manaaging it in the 1980s .

The theatre school defended its casting deciions, explaining that it sought a diverse cast but was constrained by the demographics of its local area.

Maltby East has a white population exceeding 90 per cent, according to the 2021 census.

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The school emphasized that it is a small community organisation in a deprived area, aiming to provide performance opportunities for its students.

It claimed there was never any intention to whitewash the production and that all casting deisions were made in good faith based on talent.

The school stated it had actively encouraged Black actors to audition but did not receive enough applicants.

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Concord Theatricals confirmed they had tried to resolve the situation before revoking the rights, even offering the school alternative musicals to stage.

In their communication, they explained that Dreamgirls celebrates the history of Black American music and iconic groups, and therefore must be cast appropriately to represent that history.

An American blogger who specialises in Dreamgirls productions is reported to have alerted Concord to the casting.