CASIMIR - White male, 20’s, German speaking Polish stage-hand. Inexperienced, low status and likes Halina
HALINA WOZNIAK – White female, 20’s. Polish journalist. Bright, ambitious, frustrated with her life.
TERENCE – White male, 50’s, English, Ira Aldridge’s valet and dresser. Loyal, hard working.
IRA ALDRIDGE – Black male, 60, American, a leading actor. Grand, impatient, ferocious and unwell.
CONNIE – Jamaican female, any age, experienced, servant. Older than her years and the voice of truth
BETTY LOVELL – White female, 20’s, English, actress. Self concerned, not clever but pleasant.
HENRY FORESTER – White male, 20’s, English actor. Political, self -interested, ambitious and earnest.
BERNARD WARDE - White male, 50’s, English, actor. Old school, a bit lazy, opinionated and insecure.
CHARLES KEAN – White male, 30’s, English, actor (son of Edmund Kean). Grand but without the talent to support it. Suffers from being Edmund’s son.
ELLEN TREE – White female, late 20’s, English, a leading actress. Talented, motivated, classical but progressive.
PIERRE LAPORTE – White male, mid 30’s, French, manager of the theatre. Gay, revolutionary, entrepreneurial.
IRA ALDRIDGE – Black male, 26, American, actor. Ambitious, keen, passionate and optimistic.
MARGARET ALDRIDGE – White female, 30’s, English, wife of Ira Aldridge, plain. Solid, trustworthy, Ira’s rock.
*Red Velvet is an imagined version of true events. Some of the characters are based on real people – Ira Aldridge (1807-1867), Margaret Aldridge (1798-1864), Pierre Laporte (1799-1841), Charles Kean (1811-1868), Ellen Tree (1805-1880).
In UK & US premieres of Red Velvet, the role of Ira Aldridge (at age 26 & 60) were played by the same actor; however, the play can also work with two actors playing Aldridge at these differing points in his life.
Suggested doubling:
Casimir / Henry Forester
Halina Wozniak / Betty Lovell / Margaret Aldridge
Terence / Bernard Warde
Ira Aldridge age 26 / Ira Aldridge age 60