A man for all seasons: Ashley Zhangazha.
Ashley Zhangazha could be called a renaissance man. Despite still being in his twenties, he has performed in some of the classic plays with big name directors, such as Hamlet (Manchester Royal Exchange), Venice Preserv’d (The Spectators Guild), Henry V with Jude Law (Michael Grandage Company) and Macbeth (Sheffield Crucible). He can sing (tenor), dance (tap and ballet) and direct (Young Vic).
When he was 11, he performed in the Sam Mendes production of Oliver and played a young Lenny Henry on TV. Awards aren’t in short supply and include the Lilian Baylis Prize 2009, BBC Carleton Hobbs Radio Finalist 2010 and the 2013 Ian Charleson Award for his performance as Ross in Macbeth. Somehow, he managed to find time to complete a degree in economics and politics.
Zhangazha is appearing in the acclaimed play Image of an Unknown Young Woman at the Gate Theatre, Notting Hill. He tells Joy Francis about the need to be multi-skilled as an actor, why a lack of roles for actors of colour on TV and in film may lead him to America, and the reasons why Adrian Lester and Chiwetel Ejiofor inspire him.
How did it feel being described as the “One to Watch” by the Independent when you were 27? Any pressure?
A little bit, but it’s very nice. It says that I’m doing something right – so far. Also I put more pressure on myself than anyone else, so it’s nice to have those words said about you, but I still feel I have a lot of work to do.
You are performing in Image of an Unknown Young Woman at the Gate Theatre, Notting Hill. Can you tell me a bit about your role and why you said yes?
The character I play is called Ali. He is a student who is at a protest in this unnamed country where the play is set. A revolution is taking place. A young woman is shot at this protest and my character captures this event on his phone and then puts it online. The play is about the aftermath, when an image goes viral, and what happens to the people in the country. It’s quite relevant in the wake of the Arab Spring in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria. Although our play is not set anywhere specific, it has echoes of what happened in those countries. It’s also great writing. Elinor Cook [the playwright] is extremely talented. I have done classic plays so I’m keen to mix things up.
When did you first know acting was for you as you studied Economics and Politics in Manchester?
I started acting when I was quite young. I went to a local youth theatre from the age of seven and started off in musicals in the West End. I did Sam Mendes’s Oliver at the London Palladium in 1997 and Whistle Down the Wind in 1999. I also played a young Lenny Henry on TV. I had these early experiences as there was an agency attached to my school. I had strict African parents who have always been very supportive of my acting, but they were keen for me to go to university. Not to fall back on, but for me to have a broader range of knowledge, to learn about something else and expand my mind. I was keen to study, but from the age of 16 I knew I wanted to act. When I graduated I went to drama school and then I thought I had a chance at an acting career.
You seem to be quite a chameleon, covering different centuries, locations and accents, from Nigerian in Bola Agbaje’s Belong to speaking American in the Paulette Randall directed Fences. And you can sing and dance. Aren’t you just being greedy?
I’m really keen to have diversity in the things that I do. I think it’s really important for longevity to have lots of strings to your bow. And it’s a way to keep things interesting. I enjoy doing Shakespeare using RP [received pronunciation] and then doing an American or an African accent. If the industry can see that you have lots of skills, it’s a good way of ensuring that you can keep working, and shows that you are versatile. I would hate to play the same roles continuously. It’s important to me to be better at what I do. Sometimes I fail, but it’s always good to stretch yourself.
You have largely worked in the theatre. By design or default?
When I was at drama school my big ambition was to play challenging roles in the theatre. It was encouraging to see black actors doing brilliant things. I saw Chiwetel [Ejiofor] doing Othello at the Donmar Warehouse. It was one of the best things I’ve seen on stage. Adrian Lester as Henry V at the National is another. I was incredibly excited at the opportunities of being on stage, and what it afforded you performing in front of a live audience. When I left drama school I wanted to work on the great stages in the country, which is happening. Now I have a desire to go into film and TV, but in terms of the opportunities, the progress is slower. For actors of colour to get meaty, challenging roles on TV is still a work in progress. We are much further ahead in terms of opportunities on stage than on screen.
Do you think you will go to US?
It’s in my thoughts, and in a few years it is something that I may have to do. I would love to stay here and have the opportunities to work in TV and do British films, but as I’ve said, we are making quite slow progress in that sphere. When you look at America, and I know it’s a bigger country, you see aspirational black characters. You see black actors playing lawyers, doctors and people in positions of authority. There is less of that here. The fantastic Act for Change project is trying to affect change in the industry. Guys like Danny [Lee Wynter] and Kobna [Holdbrook-Smith] are sticking their heads above the parapet for this cause. I hope we don’t just hear hollow words from the powers that be as it’s not just a black thing, but about people of colour, women and disabled performers. You want the stage and TV to reflect the world that you see when you open your front door. I was born and bred in London and I see a rich and diverse pool of people around me.
What advice do you have for young actors of colour?
You need to be interested in the career you are about to go into. I’d advise people to go out and see as much theatre as you can. Watch performers and see what you like and don’t like. Watch lots of film and TV. Even when you are young, have opinions and know what you like. The only way you can do that is to be inquisitive about what’s going on what’s on at the National, Gate Theatre, Donmar, Young Vic. Also I would always recommend people do some form of training, especially for actors of colour. It is important that you hone your craft and be twice as good as the next man, whether that’s drama school or classes. Actors make it look easy, but behind what you see there are a lot of cogs turning, and a lot of work which has been done to show an apparent ease in what they do. Hard work will reap the rewards.
Read our review of Image of an Uknown Young Woman here.