The Ab Fab Film has been accused of using “yellowface” after casting a white actor to play a Japanese character

The character Huki Muki, a Japanese fashion designer, will be played by Scottish comedian Janette Tough, best known for playing Wee Jimmy Krankie in various eighties TV programmes.

Last month, Tough was spotted filming scenes with Joanna Lumley, who plays magazine editor Patsy Stone. Tough was wearing over-sized sunglasses and a short black wig. The Telegraph says the style is very similar to that worn by Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese writer and artist known for her fascination with polka-dots.

Many fans are outraged at the casting.

Korean-American actress and comedian Margaret Cho, accused the film of “yellowface”, which she described as “when white people portray Asian people.”

She expressed her outrage on Twitter:

It's hard enough to get into film and TV as a person of color – and when roles written for us are played by white actors – it's an outrage.

— Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) December 14, 2015

#YELLOWFACE is racism. Sorry. It's unacceptable. Not now. I was thrilled about #abfabmovie but now I just can't be. I'm very disappointed.

— Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) December 14, 2015

I AM FUCKING SICK OF YELLOWFACE. Have some respect. Hire Asian actors 4 Asian roles. I'm not going to name the production but I'm DISGUSTED!

— Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) December 14, 2015

Many of Cho’s 400,000 twitter followers shared her outrage.

Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, the executive producers of the Ab Fab movie, and BBC Films are yet to comment.

Other celebrities who will appear in the film include Kate Moss, Emma Bunton and Jerry Hall.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie will be released on 1 July.