Black Actors Decry ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Abuse

Outstanding Black actors together with No Time to Die star Lashana Lynch and Enola Holmes’ Susan Wokoma have signed an open letter decrying the abuse confronted by Francesca Amewudah-Rivers after she was solid in a West Finish theatre manufacturing of Romeo & Juliet.

The Jamie Lloyd Firm introduced final month that Amewudah-Rivers will play Juliet alongside Tom Holland‘s Romeo within the staging of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, which opens on the Duke of York’s Theatre on Could 23.

The Guardian newspaper reported that 883 individuals had supported the open letter, which was organized by Wokoma and author Somalia Nonyé Seaton. Signatories embody Sheila Atim (The Girl King), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets and techniques & Lies), Lolly Adefope (Ghosts), Freema Agyeman (Physician Who), Wunmi Mosaku (Damilola, Our Liked Boy), and Tamara Lawrance (Time).

“Too many occasions, Black performers – notably Black actresses – are left to face the storm of on-line abuse after committing the crime of getting a job on their very own,” the letter stated.

“The racist and misogynistic abuse directed at such a candy soul has been an excessive amount of to bear. For a casting announcement of a play to ignite such twisted ugly abuse is really embarrassing for these so empty and barren in their very own lives that they have to meddle in hateful abuse.”

It added: “Too many occasions theatre firms, broadcasters, producers and streamers have failed to supply any assist or assist when their Black artists face racist or misogynistic abuse. Reporting is just too typically left on the shoulders of the abused, who’re additionally then anticipated to advertise stated present.

“We wish to ship a transparent message to Francesca and all Black girls performers who face this sort of abuse – we see you. We see the artwork you handle to provide with not solely the pressures that your white colleagues face however with the added traumatic hurdle of misogynoir.”

The Jamie Lloyd Firm has spoken out in regards to the difficulty, publishing a press release that stated there had been a “barrage of deplorable racial abuse directed in direction of a member of firm.” It added: “This should cease. We’re working with a exceptional group of artists. We insist that they’re free to create work with out going through on-line harassment.”

Amewudah-Rivers beforehand appeared in two seasons of BBC sequence Unhealthy Training and three quick movies. She has stage expertise in productions on the Globe and Lyric Hammersmith amongst different venues. Amewudah-Rivers is repped by Curtis Brown.