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Casting is underway for the lead role in Danny and the Human Zoo.

Red Production Company and the BBC are looking to cast the lead role in Danny and the Human Zoo, a new semi-autobiographical drama written by Lenny Henry.

Danny Fearon - Lead Role

Black male teenager of Jamaican parentage, late teens, with an authentic West Midlands accent.

An excellent mimic with the ability and willingness to learn impersonations of 70s cultural icons such as Tommy Cooper, Mohammed Ali, Elvis Presley, Harold Wilson, John Lennon, Dave Allen etc.

A comedian who is constantly entertaining his school mates, with a boyish charm and an innocence to the ways of the world.

If you're interested, please email a photo of yourself along with a CV/covering letter to the casting director, Lisa Makin, at dannycasting@outlook.com no later than Tuesday 24th June 2014.

Danny And The Human Zoo is a 1x...

Kinnear wins awards for his debut play, The Herd, and his performance in Othello, while Almeida theatre comes out on top

Rory Kinnear has managed a rare double victory at this year's Critics' Circle theatre awards, winning one as an actor and another as most promising playwright (shared with Phoebe Waller-Bridge). The Almeida theatre came out on top, winning four awards including three for Chimerica, an epic cross-continental narrative that followed a photographer trying to track down the famous "Tank Man" of Tiananmen Square. Playwright Lucy Kirkwood, director Lyndsey Turner and designer Es Devlin all won awards for their work on the show, a co-production between Headlong and the Almeida.

"It's especially meaningful to have Lyndsey and Es recognised as well, because it was such a collaborative project," said Kirkwood, who downplayed rumours of a Broadway transfer for Chimerica, pointing out that the New York Times review of the show was not wholly positive.

An Afro-Caribbean Heathcliff, a Caucasian anime hero and an all-black take on Tennessee Williams. How far can such 'race-bending, or 'race-lifting', go towards redrawing racial boundaries on film and stage?

Andrea Arnold's new version of Wuthering Heights has put the stray cat among the period-drama pigeons with its earthy realism and distinct lack of social niceties, but chances are, if you know anything about this movie, it is that it has got a black Heathcliff. "Black" meaning the role is played by two actors of Afro-Caribbean descent, Solomon Glave and James Howson.

This fact above all others as been widely reported in the press, perhaps with the expectation that the nation, like a 19th-century dame, would collectively primp its petticoats at the sight of "a coloured gentleman". Arnold's decision to augment Emily Brontë's text with lines such as, "He's not my brother, he's a nigger!" only exacerbates the racial provocation.

The former England opener should stick to what he knows about

I don't know much about cricket, but I recognise a great, steaming narcissist when I see one. Told on 5 Live of Michael Yardy's decision to leave the World Cup squad, before England's quarter final against Sri Lanka, Geoffrey Boycott immediately decided it was something he'd said. "He must have been reading my comments about his bowling. It must have upset him." Yes, Geoff, it's all about you.

Boycott proceeded to criticise Yardy's playing style ("liability", "poor choice"), until the BBC reporter pointed out that Yardy was suffering from depression. Boycott replied that he didn't understand depression and didn't feel qualified to comment on it.

Boycott then said: "I've been, with respect, a better player… so I've not been in the position where my quality of play has been poor and got to me mind-wise." Boycott proceeded to muse on...