Cynthia Erivo: I was punished for working to support my studies at RADA

Erivo, who has been nominated for the Academy Award for best actress for her work as Elphaba in director Jon M Chu’s Wicked, said she believed she was given smaller roles in student productions as a "punishment" for her perceived tiredness.

She said: "First [time], it was because they thought I wasn’t concentrating. It was like a punishment. The second time, I can’t even remember the excuse. The third year, the excuse was [that] they thought I was ‘efficient’ and other people needed more help."

But Erivo, who was appointed vice president at RADA in February 2024 alongside president David Harewood, also said she had learned a great deal at her alma mater, and praised the since-deceased actor and educator Dee Cannon.

"Dee Cannon really understood what I was and understood that there were preconceived notions of what black women should be," Erivo said, "the strong black stereotype. And she said: ‘That actually is not where you excel. Where you excel is softness, and vulnerability.’”