Our Story

I have been performing my award-winning play about Paul Robeson to great acclaim since 2007, and for my 50th birthday (February 12th 2012, which happens also to be Abraham Lincoln's birthday) - I have secured New York's famous Carnegie Hall as the venue for a special performance of Call Mr. Robeson.

The Impact

Paul Robeson was a major figure in the early 20th century, both as an entertainer and as a political activist. He was famous all over the world in his time - I describe him as a combination of Nelson Mandela, Denzel Washington and Michael Jackson in terms of fame and international impact. Yet, he is relatively unknown today, largely because of his criticism of racism and injustice in his country, America, and his support for socialism and the Soviet Union. I know, having performed the play a few hundred times in the last few years, that his story inspires thousands of people of all ages around the globe, and is still very relevant to us in  today's troubled times. Performing it at Carnegie Hall (the 599-seater Zankel Hall) is part of a brave attempt to bring international attention to the play, and more importantly, back to Paul Robeson.

What We Need & What You Get

The hall booking has already been secured, thanks to a loan of $5000 for the deposit from my friends at Smaller Earth, Liverpool. Additional expenses include travel to and from New York, accommodation for the performers and the core creative team, and marketing and promotion. This totals close to $52,000, of which about $28,000 goes in Carnegie Hall's rental, services and staff costs (a far cry from the venues I used to hire when I first started off!).

Whilst the potential income from ticket sales is considerable and I hope to fill the space, I am not assuming I will do so, and therefore wish to ensure that I have the Carnegie Hall costs covered before the performance. I hope to raise more than that from contributors, and if that happens, additonal amounts will be shared among a number of campaign and voluntary organisations that Paul Robeson would have supported, including the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (Spanish Civil War Volunteer Veterans) Archives, the Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee, Veterans for Peace, the Haiti and Somalia Relief Appeals, and some others.

Sponsors/contributors will be acknowledged in all sorts of ways, from a simple thank you email to being credited in a forthcoming DVD of the play that will include an extract of the day's performance, an invitation to the after-show celebration and a private recital from me, depending on the level of your contribution.

Other Ways You Can Help

I hope you will help spread the word, by word-of-mouth, email and social media and networks. You can also use this event as fundraisers for your own interest groups by purchasing bulk tickets and reselling them at a premium to your own supporters. And of course, if you can get to Carnegie Hall, buy a ticket and come and see the show! Tickets are already on sale!