Paapa Essiedu urges continued funding for theatre access for disadvantaged

Olivier Award winner Paapa Essiedu has urged the continued funding of organisations which help the “next generation” who have limited access to theatre.

The 35-year-old won the award for best actor in a supporting role for his role as Chris Keller in All My Sons at the Wyndham’s theatre.

Essiedu, who will star as Professor Severus Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter series remake, said he only had access to the theatre growing up because of theatre production company Frantic Assembly, which helps young people who have limited theatre exposure.

During his acceptance speech at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, Essiedu said: “I remember being in that room, and even though I didn’t have the language, I didn’t have the vocabulary, hadn’t been to the theatres, my creativity was still celebrated, nurtured, and valued. And that gave me access to being in this room with people like you today.

“And they are amazing organisations all over the country, like the Ignition, like Intermission, New Theatre, like the National Youth Theatre, like Open Door Theatre, which are doing such brilliant work, but as we all know, their funding has been cut year on year on year.”

The actor added: “I urge everyone in this room, everyone watching at home, and everyone at governmental level, to continue funding these organisations to make sure that the next generation of theatre makers had the opportunities that I had.”

Essiedu is best known for his roles on both stage and screen including in Hamlet, and TV series Gangs Of London and I May Destroy You.

In his speech, Essiedu added: “Growing up I never really went to the theatre, I didn’t go to youth theatre, to be honest I hadn’t heard of the Oliviers and I didn’t have access to it.

“I only got access to the theatre because of the Frantic Assembly and their Ignition which is specifically aimed towards young people from backgrounds who do not have previous acting or theatre experience.”

He later trained at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.