'Kids chased me calling me chocolate bar' - Norfolk actor shares childhood racist abuse
He's sharing his experiences as part of a one-man show
After years of racist abuse as a child, a North Norfolk actor is sharing his experiences in a show aimed at tackling racism.
Ashton Owen grew up in a predominantly white area in Norfolk, and being the only mixed race child in his primary school made him a target to bullies.
He was taunted while in primary school - and called names such as 'chocolate bar' and the N-word.
He's now turned his experiences into a one-man show, called Outskirts, in hopes of raising awareness of racism in rural places.
The show is being produced by Ashton and Sheringham Little Theatre, as part of its Rewriting Rural Racism project.
He's shared one vivid memory of the abuse:
"I used to play football and there was this time I was late to my football practice, and everyone else was on the pitch.
"I was running towards the pitch and everyone was chanting at me, I couldn't tell what they were saying at first, but then I realised they were chanting 'monkey, monkey, monkey, monkey'.
"From that moment on, I just couldn't shake it off, so I ended up quitting football and I started doing drama instead."
It wasn't just on the football field where he was teased though.
Ashton said most of the bullying happened when at primary school - something he puts down to children having no filter, adding the abuse was much more subtle when he was in secondary school.
He said:
"Kids would chase me around and call me a chocolate bar.
"There was this time, when I was in year four, and I was playing football outside my mate's house, and a year six came along to play too.
"He got really rough with me though, I remember him pushing me to the ground and he said 'this is what they do to N-words in America'."
It wasn't until Ashton left Norfolk to study at drama school in London that he realised how bad the abuse he suffered actually was.
You can stream the show until March 31, by visting Sheringham Little Theatre's website.