British theatre is 'hideously white' and will not survive unless it hires more black and Asian performers warns Andrew Lloyd Webber

• Composer, 68, makes stark warnings in a new stage diversity report
• He said: 'It needs to reflect diversity of the UK or it risks being sidelined'
• Reports says black and Asian actors  forced to play 'hoods and hookers'
• Plays and musical directors struggle to find non-white actors for parts 

Andrew Lloyd Webber has today blasted the 'hideously white' British theatre whose directors regularly 'downgrade' black or Asian actors to 'hoods and hookers'.

The star composer, 68, who created Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Phantom of the Opera, has said that unless plays and musicals better reflect UK diversity its survival is at risk.

He made the stark warnings in a diversity report published for the first time today, and reveals black and Asian performers are ignored or sidelined.

It says that ethnic actors who were classically trained and perfect for Shakespeare roles were told by agents to 'develop a London accent' if they are to get work.

Other actors said that they were encouraged to follow a different career because British theatre is considered 'racist' and just wants black or Asian stars if they willing to take stereotypical roles.

Lord Lloyd Webber warned today: 'I passionately believe that the stage needs to reflect the diversity of the UK population or it risks becoming sidelined.

'If the situation continues, there is real danger that, not only will as a profession, they will stay away as punters. And without them in the audience, theatres will become unsustainable, as they are forced to compete for a dwindling ageing, white, middle-class audience.' 

He describes the difficulties in finding enough Asian performers for his musical Bombay Dreams.

He said: 'When I produced Bombay Dreams over a decade ago... one of our greatest difficulties was finding enough Asian actors.'

The report also praised hit Motown the Musical and its black cast but says: 'The success of these shows has bred another problem. The failure of drama schools to take in enough BAME talent has led to a shortage of actors suitable for the roles and, as a result, touring productions have been cancelled'

British Ghanaian Emmanuel Kojo, who won a best supporting performance nomination at the UK Theatre Awards, said he just wants people to stop referring to him and others as a 'black actor'. 

He said: 'I have always just thought of myself as an actor but, since starting in this profession, I have been made aware that I am a black actor. We won't be equal until there is no prefix when people talk about us'.

Actor, producer and writer Kevin Shen, who is of Chinese origin, said: ‘My parents would have encouraged me into acting if they had seen others like me doing well, making a lot of money.’

But Kevin’s parents opposed his plans because, he says: ‘They looked at it and said it is racist.’

The report says that this was 'based upon a perceived lack of career success for Black and Asian actors, who were downgraded to secondary roles as hoods, hoodlums and hookers rather than career defining leads'.

Mr Shen said: ‘They assumed people like me didn’t belong. This was not just a question of representation but of the success of existing actors of colour.'

White actors are auditioned according to their suitability for a role, casting directors expect actors of colour to represent the perceived 'oppression' of their race – whatever the actor's background, the reports says.

One Cambridge educated actor said:  'I have been to auditions where I have felt that the director wanted to establish whether I had "suffered enough" and to prove my class credentials'.