Developing Diversity Opens Up The Future Of Female Theatre

Left: Desmond Cathabel, Right: Cynthia Erivo

Recent casting announcements have revealed that Desmonda Cathabel will be joining the West End cast of Hadestown as, leading lady, Eurydice, from March 11th, immediately following the upcoming run which will see the original Broadway cast grace London’s Lyric Theatre stage.

People took to social media, following the news, in a rush of caps lock and tearful emojis, expressing the meaningful impact of witnessing the first Indonesian in a leading role, a huge step that has been building since she first stepped into the spotlight.

In an introductory talking head interview during her time on ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream, where she competed for the role of Sophie in Mamma Mia! The Musical at the Novello Theatre, Cathabel, along with multiple other MM!IHAD contestants, spoke on not necessarily meeting what had become the stereotypical look for a Sophie but still taking a chance and making a subtle but shining statement on casting based solely on the talent a performer can lend to the text and the songbook.

In the case of Desmonda, the conversation of diverse casting and visibility was intrinsically linked as she discussed the frank lack of roles written specifically for her as an Indonesian actress. She cites the character of Kim in Miss Saigon as one of the few instances - a young Vietnamese girl who falls in love with an American marine during the Vietnam War, to which Cathabel acted as alternate in a 2023 revival in Sheffield.

The part of Kim was originated on Broadway and the West End, and repeatedly revisited, by, Filipina singer and actress, Lea Salonga, beginning from 1989 in Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Amongst her exploration of the character for US audiences, was the little dropped pin of acting as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in the original Aladdin, a role Cathabel herself brought to the stage on a tour of the UK and Ireland following MM!IHAD.

Beloved for her performance originating the role of Eurydice in Hadestown on Broadway, Eva Noblezada made her professional debut playing Kim in the 25th anniversary London revival of Miss Saigon in 2014, to then reprise it in the Broadway revival in 2017. Now Noblezada will quite literally be passing the torch to Cathabel, in the form of that epic role – Eurydice. Not only does this journey have meant to be written all over it but it is a textbook depiction of the development happening in the industry today, no matter how small or slowly.

Unfortunately other steps forward have not been so simply received. Cynthia Erivo currently stands faced with a final chance to become the youngest ever recipient of the EGOT title, following her nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards, for her epic performance of Elphaba in the Wicked movie last year, starring alongside Ariana Grande’s G(a)linda, also nominated, and directed by Jon M. Chu, Critics’ Choice Best Director.

Erivo has left a glistening trail of credits in her stride during her time in the industry, earning iconic status amongst singers, encompassed brilliantly in her tearful conversation with Renee Rapp for Rolling Stone last year, alongside her powerful standing as a queer role model in the public eye.

In recent news, it has been revealed that Erivo will play Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl this August, an announcement met with, unfortunately inevitable, controversy from the likes of critics, catholic pastors and Elon Musk to quote a few of the headlines currently pouring from online publications on the topic of this brief three-day run. Skimming over the undeniable fact of an official audition process, a shallow dig into the history of the role immediately proves this casting anything but unprecedented.

Jesus Christ has previously been played by Declan Bennett, who is gay, musician John Legend, who is black, and critically-acclaimed female soul singer Morgan James, in a one-night-only performance at New York City's Highline Ballroom prior to the Women's March in 2017, which then, inspired by it’s wonderful reception, was preserved in the studio recording, She Is Risen, with an all-female team including the orchestra, chorus, musicians, and engineers, in which Cynthia Erivo even featured as Mary Magdalene.