Adjoa Andoh has shared the heartwarming reason why her new theatre show had to premiere in Liverpool.
The 60-year-old star is renowned for her roles in Hollywood film, Invictus, and as Lady Danbury in the Netflix smash hit Bridgerton. The acclaimed actor has taken on an exciting new challenge for her latest project as she is directing and starring in an adaptation of Richard III, which arrived at the Liverpool Playhouse this week.
The titular character is regarded as one of Shakespeare's most iconic villains - but Adjoa told the ECHO she is determined to tackle the play with a fresh approach to deliver an important message. She said: "Have you heard about the way they talk about Richard III? They describe him in the most vile terms because of his physical appearance.
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"I want to explore what happens if someone is demonised because of what they look like, rather than who they are. If you punch down on someone hard enough then what happens when they punch back up?"
The adaptation is infused with a personal touch as Adjoa first fell in love with the story at nine years old when she was told it by her history teacher mum. She explained to the ECHO how Richard's experience as a victim of prejudice struck a chord with her as a black girl growing up in rural England.
She said: "I knew what it meant to live somewhere when you couldn't hide your differences. You couldn't blend in and you had to live with that. You had to live with how some people wouldn't let you play with their kids because what would the neighbours say?
"So, my little girl's heart really resonated with feeling that Richard was not being treated fairly because of what he looked like and I understood that. This play for me is a love letter to all those Richards who have been judged on their appearance and not the content of their heart."
Adjoa said it was extra special to open such a personal show in Liverpool as her mum, Jacky, grew up in the city. She said: "The opportunity to do the play of my heart that my mum introduced me to in her hometown is a beautiful thing.
"The play is a love letter to all the little Richards but it's also a love letter to my mum." Adjoa shared her incredible family history with the ECHO as her grandad ran away to sea as a teenager before he forged a new life for himself in Liverpool working on the docks for Cunard.
Adjoa's accommodation in the city overlooks the waterfront and she said it is an emotional reminder of the sacrifices her grandad made. She said: "I get up every morning and I look at those Liners and I think about the courage of my grandad, having ran away at 16, arriving at the docks and thinking what he was going to do with his life."
Adjoa's mum grew up in Woolton before moving to Bristol in her late teens. The former Casualty star speaks about her projects with a fiery passion that is unmistakably Liverpudlian and credited her mum's Scouse traits for helping her achieve success in showbiz.
She added: "I've got my mum's ability to keep at it, stoicism. You don't just make the best of things grumbling, you make the best of things and laugh about it. You find ways to be positive and you just keep going.
"My stepdad and mum came up for a week's holiday in Liverpool. After a week of being in Liverpool, he understood my mum. He understood that person that will talk to anybody, that will have your life story out of you in five minutes, that will laugh with you, cry with you, commiserate with you."
It is Adjoa's first time performing in front of a crowd in Liverpool and she is "beyond excited" to see everything Merseyside has to offer during her stay. She said: "Of course my favourite band is The Beatles so we will be going to visit the Cavern Club, I am also going up the Radio City tower. This city is full of culture and tradition, a spirit of survival and surviving with joy and generosity."
Adjoa is well versed in the city's rich history and can't wait to perform on stage at what she describes as Ken Dodd's favourite theatre, the Liverpool Playhouse. She explained how she wants the play to avoid the pitfalls of a "bad Shakespeare adaptation" as it should appeal to everyone and truly embody the spirit of variety.
She said: "What I hate about a Shakespeare production is when they use Shakespeare to beat people over the head with. So it's like you're not educated enough or you're not academic enough. If people come out thinking they haven't understood what went on, then that's our fault.
"This has got drama, rage, ambition, love, sex, death, plotting, songs, jokes and dancing. I mean, what else do you need for a good night out?"
Richard III is on at the Playhouse until April 22. You can find out more information here
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