The Duke of York Theatre in London’s West End has shared a statement challenging what it described as the “deplorable” racist abuse it has clocked online following the reveal of the cast for its forthcoming production of Romeo & Juliet.
In the production, newcomer Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, a woman of color, has been cast as Juliet opposite Tom Holland, who will be Romeo. We reported on the production last week.
Today’s statement shared by The Duke of York on X, but attributed to The Jamie Lloyd Company, said the company has since received a “barrage” of online racist abuse directed towards members of its company.
“This must stop,” the statement read.
“We are working with a remarkable group of artists. We insist that they are free to create work without facing online harassment. We will continue to support and protect everyone in our company at all costs. Any abuse will not be tolerated and will be reported.”
The statement continued: “Bullying and harassment have no place online, in our industry or in our wider communities. Our rehearsal room is full of joy, compassion, and kindness. We celebrate the extraordinary talent of our incredible collaborators.”
Romeo & Juliet opens at the Duke of York’s Theatre on Thursday, May 23, with previews from Saturday, May 11, and runs until Saturday, August 3. Amewudah-Rivers previously appeared in two seasons of BBC series Bad Education and three short films. She has stage experience in productions at the Globe and Lyric Hammersmith among other venues.
Also starring in the anticipated production will be Freema Agyeman (Nurse), Michael Balogun (Friar), Tomiwa Edun (Capulet), Mia Jerome (Montague), Daniel Quinn-Toye (Paris), Ray Sesay (Tybalt), Nima Taleghani (Benvolio), Joshua-Alexander Williams (Mercutio) and Callum Heinrich and Kody Mortimer (Camera Operators).