ACTOR Ken Stott has launched an attack on the late Lord Reith, saying the historical dominance of received pronunciation (known as RP) added to an “English culture of a feeling of superiority and entitlement”.
Lord Reith, the Scots-born founder of the BBC, once told a journalist that he pushed for broadcasters to speak in the “Queen’s English” or in what was considered a “posh” accent to lend credibility to the corporation’s content.
Edinburgh-born Stott told The Stage he initially went to London to train because “Scottish actors were still seen as people who wore kilts – they suffered from the Gordon Jackson syndrome”.
The Rebus and Hobbit actor added: “But something we never really got out of is the Lord [John] Reith rubbish that there should be a standard English spoken and that the BBC should lead the way.”
“Reith did more damage to our society than I think anyone gives him the credit for. It reinforced, if not invented, the idea that if you speak with an accent, you cannot play leading roles.
“RP is one voice I cannot stand, because of its slipperiness: it hides where you’ve come from and who you are.”
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