This white actor has caused outrage for darkening his skin colour to play the Genie in a theatre production of Aladdin.

Maximilian Mann, 34, plays the Genie in an upcoming Aladdin musical in the city of Stuttgart, which is located in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, in south-western Germany.

In promotional images, Mann can be seen wearing a blue costume, and sporting a dark beard. But his face is also apparently darker than in real life.

The ‘Black Community Foundation Stuttgart’, however, has slammed the move, calling it “wrong”, “offensive” and “problematic”, according to local media outlets BW24 and German daily Bild.

The organisation said: “It is incomprehensible to us why you don’t choose a cast that matches the characters. Instead of proceeding in a racist manner and painting the ‘colour’ for which other people are discriminated against, you should cast suitable actors.”

The Black Community Foundation Stuttgart also said: “Blackfacing and cultural appropriation are unfortunately a big part of our society. The awareness of this needs to be changed. Borders have to be built up and respected more strongly and we are working on that.”

They added: “There have to be limits.”

The organisers of the Aladdin musical have not yet commented on the allegations, according to Bild.