DIVA caught up with this stage and screen star to find out about her latest projects
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY DAVID REISS PHOTOGRAPHY
It’s been a big year for actor, writer and cultural producer Cherrelle Skeete. She starred as Brenda in the Channel 4 show Pierre, which followed the story of a solicitor investigating institutional corruption following the death of a young Black man. Alongside this, she was part of the highly anticipated production of ‘for colored girls who have considered suicide’ at The Yard Theatre. Ahead of December, she’s gearing up to play Mike in Donmar’s production of The King’s Ransom. The list could go on and on!
Alongside her many acting credits, Cherrelle is also the co-founder of Blacktress UK, a space that supports Black women and femme actors. As well as this, she co-founder The Sage Club which aims to bring Black elders into the theatre.
DIVA caught up with this star to find out more about her recent roles and why visibility is so important.
What was the biggest lesson you took away from playing Brenda in Pierre?
Life prepares you for the roles you inhabit. I feel fortunate to be able to channel some of my lived experiences into my work. When I read the script, I knew Brenda instantly. Black women like Brenda have been at the heart of so many movements for social justice. We meet her grieving her sister, but losing Michael, her sister’s only son, who was left in her care, pushes her into action. She has no choice but to fight. That love exists alongside the frustration and resentment she has felt about becoming his guardian.
In preparation, I watched Doreen Lawrence’s early interviews following her son Stephen Laurence’s murder, alongside Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s portrayal of her. I needed to understand how that fight is rooted in love and loss. Playing Brenda has been a career highlight.
You’re starring in Stuart Slade’s new play The King’s Ransom. What can you tell us about the character of Michela and what can audiences expect?
One of my favourite heist films is the 1996 classic Set It Off, starring Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith, so being in a heist play feels one step closer to that dream. We’re in 1970s Memphis. Elvis has just died, and a group of working-class guys are hired to steal his body and ransom it back to his family.
Michela, aka Mike, is an international career burglar and professional safecracker whose tool of choice is an oxyacetylene torch. When building a character, I always look for connections in real life. I’ve been researching burglars active in the ’70s and came across Doris Payne, whose career as a jewel thief spanned six decades. Audiences can expect something funny and heartfelt: think a Coen brothers film on stage.
Earlier this year you starred in ‘for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf’. What was it like working on the project, and how did that role impact you?
I first came across for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf at drama school. The title grabbed me straight away. I didn’t know whether I’d ever get to see it staged in the UK, let alone perform in it.
At its heart, the play is about how Black women and femmes heal in community with each other. I feel so fortunate to have shared that space with those incredible women and femmes. Queer Black women and femmes reopened the Yard Theatre, and we’re now part of the legacy of this 50-year-old play – one that has inspired work like For Black Boys and writers like Bernardine Evaristo.
You are the co-founder of Blacktress UK. Why is creating that space so important to you and what have you learnt since its inception?
Creating Blacktress was about making space for Black women and femme artists to connect, dream and imagine together. We love digital spaces, but nothing beats being in a room with each other.
One thing I’ve learnt is that sustaining a community also means allowing yourself to rest. I’ve balanced acting and advocacy since 2017, and this year I’ve taken a step back. I got married, I’ve been experiencing grief, and I’ve needed time to regroup and consider what’s next for Blacktress as the industry changes.
I still mentor young people and have conversations about the importance of owning our art. Our monthly meet-ups were special, and it’s beautiful to see initiatives like People Of Theatre and The Rendition creating spaces for Black and global majority artists and audiences. Blacktress is shifting, and I’m giving myself room to imagine what comes next.
The Sage Club is such a powerful initiative. What has that club meant to you, and what has been the response from Black elders?
The Sage Club began when we took my wife’s grandma to see her perform in Small Island at the National Theatre. At 95, she had never been to the theatre. As part of the mighty Windrush generation, she saw a story that reflected her own experiences, with her granddaughter on stage. She was so excited she got her clothes laid out and dressed a whole 24 hours early. She hated being late.
Through theatre trips for Black elders, we build intergenerational dialogue and nurture our oral histories. Alongside the performances, there are opportunities to join themed discussions and meet the cast and creative team. Friendships have formed, and these trips offer a day out for elders who might otherwise struggle to get out without support from family or friends. We also hope to ease the financial barriers to attending.
Our generation has a responsibility to bridge that gap and make sure our elders remain valued and included. We need their stories and wisdom to preserve our culture and heritage, alongside the imagination and innovation of young people to carry it forward.
Why is LGBTQIA+ representation so important not just in the storylines we see on stage/TV but also in the actors too?
Our queer ancestors fought for the freedoms we experience today, and I think about what it means to be my ancestors’ wildest dreams. That’s why representation matters, both in the stories we tell and in the actors telling them. We deserve to see our lives reflected on screen and stage, and to know there’s space for us within the industry too.
Seeing someone live openly as themselves can inspire others who are still finding the confidence to do the same. I love the quote: “When you light a path for yourself, you light a path for others.”
What do you think your younger self would feel if you could see yourself now?
I know my younger self would be proud that I kept believing in myself, even when so many around me didn’t understand. She’d say, “You made the impossible possible. Grandad would have loved all of this for you.”
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