Josette Bushell-Mingo

OBE
Born (1964-02-16) February 16, 1964
Lewisham, London, England
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Stage actress, theatre director
Years active1989–present
SpouseStefan Karsberg
Children2
AwardsOBE, H. M. The King's Medal
Websitejosettebushellmingo.com

Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE (born 16 February 1964) is a Sweden-based English theatre actress and director of African descent, who was born in London and has been living and working in Sweden for many years.[1] In February 2021, the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama announced she had been appointed as the incoming Principal of the School.[2][3] She is the first person of African descent, the first woman since 1942, and the third woman overall to hold this role.[3] Previously, she served as artistic director for the National Touring Swedish Deaf Theatre ensemble TystTeater for 13 years before accepting a position as the Head of the theatre department at the Stockholm University of the Arts in 2019.[2]

Background

Josette Bushell-Mingo was born in 1964 in the Lewisham area of London to Guyanese parents – her father was a bus driver, her mother a nurse – and grew up in Plaistow.[4] She has three sisters.[5] At 17, she auditioned for and was admitted to Barking College, where she did her A levels in Drama, Theatre Design, and Performing Arts.[6][7][5] During her last two weeks at Barking, she received two offers: one from Breton University to pursue a BA in theatre and the other from Kaboodle Theatre Company.[5][8] She chose Kaboodle because "a black girl [was] in it as well".[8] After Kaboodle, she acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre.[5]

Career

In 1999, she appeared as Solveig in the Royal Exchange Manchester production of Peer Gynt and she returned in 2005 to play Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra.[8][9][10][11] Both productions were directed by Braham Murray.[7] She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award in 1999 for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Rafiki in the London production of The Lion King.[6][9] She has also worked with Doppleganger Theatre Company, Kiss Theatre Company (Holland), Black Mime, Half Moon Young People's Theatre, Lumiere & Son Theatre Company, and Rainmaker Theatre for the Deaf.[12]

In 2001, she founded the Push Arts Festival with the Young Vic Theatre, an event that aims both to empower Black creators as well as to normalize their presence and leadership within major institutions within the theatre community and beyond.[4][9][11][5] She also served as its artistic director.[2] It was because of her efforts with Push that she was awarded an OBE in 2006.[2][13] In 2010, she was one of several Afro-Swede actors to found TRYCK, a community for Black actors in Sweden.[5][14]

In 2016, she wrote and performed Nina - A Story About Me and Nina Simone, a "deeply personal and often searing show inspired by the singer and activist Nina Simone, at the Unity Theatre.[15] The show ran at the Young Vic Theatre in July 2017 before moving to the Traverse Theatre in August.[16]

From 2005-2018, she was the Artistic Director for the National Touring Swedish Deaf Theatre ensemble TystTeater.[13][17] The company's 2008 signed production of The Odyssey received huge critical acclaim in Scandinavia.[13][18][19]

After leaving the National Touring Swedish Deaf Theatre, she became the Head of Acting at the Stockholm University of the Arts.[3] She is the first woman to hold this position.[20]

Bushell-Mingo has served as the Chairwoman for CinemAfrica and as a board member for the Swedish Film Institute, Women in Film and Television Sweden, and the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts.[3][21] She has also given lectures and taught at a number of theatre schools such as London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Coventry University, London College of Fashion, and Malmö Theatre Academy.[2]

Though she primarily works in theatre, Bushell-Mingo has also appeared in the Swedish show Nudlar och 08:or as Martha in 1997 and in a 2015 episode of Bröllop, begravning och dop as Xamina.[22] She has also starred in the films Girls & Boys (dir. Ninja Thyberg, 2015); Flickan, mamman och demonerna (dir. Suzanne Osten, 2016).[22] She also headlined as Kandia in Dani Kouyaté's award-winning film While We Live.[23][22]

Personal life

Bushell-Mingo has lived in Sweden for nearly 20 years.[7] She is married to Swedish producer Stefan Karsberg; they have two sons, Ruben and Joshua.[4][7] She is fluent in Swedish sign language.[5]

Stage credits

Directing credits

Year Title Company Venue
1989-1990 The School for Wives (with Kathryn Hunter and Neil Bartlett) Derby Playhouse
1991 Dreamhouse Aspects Theatre Company Oval House Theatre
1992-1993 Trickster's Payback Black Theatre Co-operative Warehouse Theatre
1993 Edwina Aspect Theatre Productions and Barking College Battersea Arts Centre
1995 The House of Bernarda Alba Aspect Theatre Productions Brixton Shaw Theatre and Greenwich Theatre
1996 Fire Battersea Arts Centre
1998 King Lear (co-director: Lee Beagley) Kaboodle Theatre Company Teatro Municipal (Almagro) and UK
1998 The Tango Room Aspect Theatre Productions Loughborough Hotel
2004 Mother Courage and Her Children New Wolsey Theatre, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse
2004 Simply Heavenly Young Vic Theatre Trafalgar Studios and West End theatre
2004 Two Step PUSH 04 Almeida Theatre
2007 The Penelopiad National Arts Centre and Royal Shakespeare Theatre Swan Theatre and National Arts Centre
2008 The Odyssey National Touring Swedish Deaf Theatre TystTeater
2008 When We Dead Awaken Unity Theatre, National Swedish Touring Theatre, and Västerbottensteatern Västerbottensteatern, Stora Scenen, Unity Theatre, Stadsteatern, Pustervik, Teater 1, Sagateatern (Linköping), Kristianstads Teater, and Bredgatan 3 (Lund)
2008 The Ghost Sonata People Show, Merseyside Dance Initiative, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, and Hope Street Sefton Park Palm House
2009 A Midsummer Night's Dream Toi Whakaari Te Whaea
2009-2010 Oliver Twist Octagon Theatre Octagon Theatre
2010 GLO Volcano Theatre Fleck Dance Theatre
2011 Zémire et Azor Royal Swedish Opera and the University College of Opera Tensta Träff
2011 The Wiz Birmingham Repertory Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse New Alexandra Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse
2011 King Lear Kaboodle Theatre Company Unity Theatre and Watermans Arts Centre
2016 A Raisin in the Sun National Theatre of Sweden National Swedish Touring Theatre
2017 The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin Theatre Royal Stratford East and Belgrade Theatre Theatre Royal Stratford East
2019 Woza Albert! The National Black Theatre of Sweden Kulturhuset Stadsteatern (Vällingby)
2019 The Tempest Citadel/Banff Centre Professional Theatre Citadel Theatre

Acting credits

Year Title Role Director Venue
1987 PANIC Hilary Westlake Chapter Arts Centre
1988 Under the Moon Institute of Contemporary Arts
1990 Woza Albert! Alby James
1990 The Dramatic Attitudes of Fanny Kemble An Actress, Psyche Patrick Sandford Nuffield Theatre
1991-1992 Antigone Chorus Adrian Noble Swan Theatre, West End theatre, Barbican Theatre, and Newcastle Playhouse
1991-1992 The Two Gentlemen of Verona Silvia, Lucetta David Thacker Swan Theatre, Barbican Theatre and Newcastle Playhouse
1991-1992 Oedipus at Colonus Chorus Adrian Noble Swan Theatre, Barbican Theatre and Newcastle Playhouse
1991-1992 Oedipus Tyrannos Chorus Adrian Noble Swan TheatreBarbican Theatre and Newcastle Playhouse
1991-1992 The Virtuoso Clarinda Phyllida Lloyd Swan Theatre, The Pit and Newcastle Playhouse
1992 Metropolis Kabarett Special Guest Henry Goodman National Theatre Terrace Cafe
1993 From the Mississippi Delta Annie Castledine Cochrane Theatre
1993 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Gwenda Hughes Birmingham Repertory Theatre
1994 The Threepenny Opera Annie Castledine
1995 Women of Troy Cassandra Annie Castledine The National Theatre
1995 A Midsummer Night's Dream Titania Karin Beier Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus
1996 Fire Josette Bushell-Mingo Battersea Arts Centre
1996 Everyman Charlatan Priest, Death, Kindred, Knowledge Kathryn Hunter and Marcello Magni The Other Place
1997 The Creation Eve, Japheth's wife, Mother Mary Katie Mitchell The Other Place
1997 The Passion Adulterous woman, Esther, Mother Mary Katie Mitchell The Other Place
1998 The Mysteries Bathsheba, Eve, Lot's 2nd daughter, Mary, Noah's daughter Katie Mitchell The Pit
1998 Everyman Charlatan Priest, Death, Kindred, Knowledge Marcello Magni Brooklyn Academy of Music Majestic Theater and The Pit
1999 Peer Gynt Solveig Braham Murray Royal Exchange
1999 The Lion King Rafiki Julie Taymor Barbican Theatre
1999 Teenage Elvis Elvis Presley Young Vic Theatre and Royal Exchange
2002 The Birds Hoopoe, Poseidon Kathryn Hunter Lyttelton Theatre
2002 The Vagina Monologues Ambassadors Theatre, Arts Theatre, and Wyndham's Theatre
2005 Antony and Cleopatra Cleopatra Braham Murray Royal Exchange
2011 The Iron Man Star Spirit Pete Townshend Young Vic Theatre
2016 Nina - A Story About Me and Nina Simone Nina Simone Josette Bushell-Mingo Unity Theatre

Honours and awards

Year Award Body Award Work Notes Citation
1992 Royal Shakespeare Theatre Player of the Year Performance in Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Virtuoso, and The Thebans (dir. David Thacker) [7][24]
1993 Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards Best Actress Performance in From the Mississippi Delta (dir. Annie Castledine) Award shared with Joy Richardson and Pauline Black [7][24]
1999 Society of London Theatre Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical Performance in The Lion King (dir. Julie Taymor) Nominated [7][24][1]
2004 Women of the Year Lunch Craymer Award for Enterprise Excellence in theatre [20][25][21]
2005 Arts Council England deciBel Visual Arts Award Excellence in theatre [11][26]
2006 United Kingdom Officer of the Order of the British Empire Services to the theatre [2][13][27]
2012 Swedish Language Council Minority Language Award Promotion of Swedish sign language [28]
2012 Stockholm City Cultural Prize Performing arts Honorary award [1][28]
2013 Swedish National Association of the Deaf Minority Language Award Promotion of Swedish sign language [28]
2017 Africa Movie Academy Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Performance in While We Live Nominated [1][28][23]
2018 Gannevik Foundation/The Swedish Arts Grants Committee Artist scholarship Excellence in theatre [1][28][29]
2018 Performing Arts Inspiration Artist Excellence in theatre [21]
2018 Women of the World Festival Outstanding Achievement Award For writing and performing in Nina - A Story About Me and Nina Simone Nominee [30][31]
2019 Expressens Kulturpris Theatre Award Excellence in theatre [1][32]
2021 Sweden H. M. The King's Medal in gold of the 8th size worn on the chest suspended by the Order of the Seraphim ribbon Significant contributions in Swedish performing arts [33]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "About". Josette Bushell-Mingo. n.d. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Campbell, Joel (17 February 2021). "Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE appointed Principal of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama". The Voice. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE appointed Principal of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama". Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Kellaway, Kate (1 August 2004). "Racing Demon". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "JOSETTE BUSHELL-MINGO – a story about blackness and kick-ass theatre". Krull Magazine. 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Barking College - Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE". Association of Colleges. 2004. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Smurthwaite, Nick (26 January 2017). "CW: Josette Bushnell-Mingo". The Stage. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 "INTERVIEW: JOSETTE BUSHELL-MINGO TALKS NINA – A STORY ABOUT ME AND NINA SIMONE". Frankly My Dear UK. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 "Interview: Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE". Alt A Review. 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  10. ↑ Earp, Emily (13 February 2018). "Review: Nina – A Story About Me and Nina Simone". Razz. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 Hickling, Alfred (28 February 2005). "Push it". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "Lumiere & Son Theatre Company Presents PANIC" (PDF). Hilary Westlake. 1987. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Clifford, Harriet (17 February 2021). "Josette Bushell-Mingo appointed Central's first female principal since 1942". Drama & Theatre. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  14. ↑ Lundberg, Anna (2020). "The Grain of her Voice: Nina Simone, Josette Bushell-Mingo and the Intersections between Art, Politics and Race". Parse. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  15. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (19 October 2016). "Nina review – searing tribute restarts Simone's revolution". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  16. ↑ Trueman, Matt (25 July 2017). "Review: Nina (Young Vic)". What's On Stage. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "Performance, Politics, and Power: A Workshop with Josette Bushell-Mingo". University of Southern California. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  18. ↑ "Cast announced for European premiere of The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin". Stratford East. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  19. ↑ "Riksteatern – alltid nära dig!". Riksteater.se. 16 May 2008. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  20. 1 2 "Josette Bushell-Mingo". Why Not Theatre. 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  21. 1 2 3 "Off the Beaten Track" (PDF). International Society for the Performing Arts. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  22. 1 2 3 "Josette Bushell-Mingo". IMDb. n.d. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  23. 1 2 "AMAA 2017 nomination list announced by president of the AMAA jury for 2017 Mr. Bernie Goldblat on May 14, 2017 at 4pm at the Kigali Convention Centre, Kigali, Rwanda". Africa Movie Academy Awards. 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  24. 1 2 3 "Josette Bushell-Mingo". BBA Shakespeare. n.d. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "Judy Craymer and Josette Bushell-Mingo". Getty Images. 11 October 2004. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  26. ↑ "TV presenter June Sarpong with the Arts Council England decibel Award winner Josette Bushell Mingo during the ninth annual South Bank Show Awards. - Image ID: G7PTP4". Alamy. 27 January 2005. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  27. ↑ "Birthday honours: list in full". The Independent. 16 June 2006. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 "Josette – SKH's new professor and head of Theatre". Josette Bushell-Mingo. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  29. ↑ "2018 års konstnärsstipendier från Ganneviksstiftelsen tilldelas Örjan Andersson, Josette Bushell-Mingo, Cecilia Edefalk, Martin Fröst och Stefan Jarl". The Swedish Arts Grants Committee. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  30. ↑ "Off the Beaten Track" (PDF). International Society for the Performing Arts. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  31. ↑ "Southbank Centre announces shortlist for WOW Women in Creative Industries Awards" (PDF). Women of the World Festival. 1 February 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  32. ↑ Kyeyune Backström, Valerie (18 February 2019). ""Vi svarta måste få se oss själva, i alla våra nyanser"". Kultur. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  33. ↑ "Medaljförläningar 6 juni 2021". Sveriges Kungahus. 2021. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
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