Culture ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Play Starring Tom Holland and Francesca Amewaduh-Rivers Faces ‘Barrage of Racial Abuse,’ Producer Says ‘This Must Stop’ - Romeo and the Hoodrat

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The Jamie Lloyd Company has hit back after its production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” has been the subject of what they call a “barrage of deplorable racial abuse” aimed at an unnamed cast member.

The play, directed by Jamie Lloyd (“Sunset Boulevard”), stars “Spider-Man: No Way Home” star Tom Holland as Romeo and Francesca Amewaduh-Rivers (“Sex Education”) as Juliet.

On Friday, the Jamie Lloyd Company issued a statement, saying: “Following the announcement of our ‘Romeo & Juliet’ cast, there has been a barrage of deplorable racial abuse online directed towards a member of our company. This must stop.”




“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. 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. The ‘Romeo & Juliet’ community will continue to rehearse with generosity and love, and focus on the creation of our production.”



“Romeo & Juliet” is due to play at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre May 23 through Aug. 3. The run is already sold out.

In 2021, a landmark survey titled “Race Between the Lines: Actors’ Experience of Race and Racism in Britain’s Audition and Casting Process and on Set” found that 64% of respondents experienced racist stereotyping in an audition and 55% experienced racist behavior in the workplace.

In March this year, two proposed “Black Out” London West End performances of Jeremy O. Harris‘ “Slave Play” came under fire from U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s office.

 

[Alaric the Visigoth]

Otherwise, what was reason for these castings decisions beyond "diversity"?

Rage bait to get people to talk about a play nobody would care about

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

the terrible jukebox musical that's been playing in the West End for a while -

That summary horrified me. They are desperate for another successful adaptation of Shakespeare's stuff aren't they?

 

[isalaide]

All of your examples are of white people playing white characters, sure they might not be the same nationality but most won't notice since it's just cultural difference. They casted the most ugly she-boon in the world to play an Italian women in the renaissance.

Sophie Okonedo isn't white, and Cleopatra is traditionally cast as a white woman. Sope Dirisu was the RSC's last Coriolanus. and Paapa Essidedu their last Hamlet.

Patrick Stewart's Othello was white in an all-black cast.

As for gender and not race-coding, aside from Shaw's Richard II, Alex Kingston was Prospero last year for the RSC.

Perhaps this is a cultural thing, but in a UK Shakespeare production, the presence of non-white actors on the stage is not considered remarkable. This "Juliet is blaaaaack omg" reaction is unusual for a UK production for UK (well, London) audiences.

It's the reason I suspect it's being astroturfed for someone's goals, somewhere. It's so far from the usual behaviour of London audiences for Shakespeare productions. It's either an attempt to drive ticket sales, as they must have assumed Tom Holland would move seats the way Hiddleston and Tennant do, or there's a sudden rush of interest in this production from outwith the wider audience who would normally be interested in it.

Either way smells of culture war bullshit, and I don't want any culture war bullshit in my Shakespeare productions, thanks, the same way I don't want any shit about race-and-age-appropriate casting in my opera productions. I just want to enjoy the good performances of the things I like. I really, really do not care who gives them.

 

[CarlosDanger]

View attachment 5887976

She looks like a racist caricature

Could you imagine killing and committing suicide for that?

 

[RodgerDodger]

The most artificially astroturfed outrage to drum up publicity ever. This was the only way anyone would notice their Groomio and Trooniette play

 

[AssignedEva]

I mean what is the context and setting for this?

Is it set modern time? Set in NYC? During the Civil Rights Movements? Otherwise, what was reason for these castings decisions beyond "diversity"?

Diversity, but not really in a negative way. It's a stage production of Shakespeare in London, there's never not Shakespeare and the Globe theatre is dedicated to Shakespeare plays (although they do other things). It's not film or TV, you're sat back from the actors (or stood back from the actors, in The Globe).
Consequently you do get stunt casting a bit in Shakespeare productions because simply put: If you want to go to the theatre to see Romeo and Juliet, why go see this version in this theatre, when there'll be another one along in a few months? Usually it's because you're a Shakespeare fan and you think this particular actor will bring something interesting to the role.
Hence you get Kathryn Hunter as King Lear

or Michael Elcock as Antipholus of Syracuse and Matthew Broome as Antipholus of Ephesus in A Comedy of Errors (they're twins who get mixed up)

or Ony Uhiara as Hero in Much Ado About Nothing

They'll also switch things up so you get Much Ado About Nothing but it's the 1940s, or it's Mexico, or Coriolanus but it's Japan

But for the most part? If it's a bog standard traditional performance in Tudor clothes of one of Shakespeare's more popular plays, the Royal Shakespeare Company doesn't care too much about the races of the actors involved (although for ease of the audience, they'll usually try and match characters who are supposed to be related).
This is very different from making a film or TV show where the characters are diversified "because that's more historically accurate" or "we need to deconstruct whiteness as default" or "it's a fantasy so if there's dragons, why can't you accept black people in the fantasy" (depends on the fantasy, anyway, I didn't mind Bridgerton because it was so clearly not trying to be accurate to Regency England). But theatre's a different beast.

It's the reason I suspect it's being astroturfed for someone's goals, somewhere. It's so far from the usual behaviour of London audiences for Shakespeare productions. It's either an attempt to drive ticket sales, as they must have assumed Tom Holland would move seats the way Hiddleston and Tennant do, or there's a sudden rush of interest in this production from outwith the wider audience who would normally be interested in it.

I think it has to be that. A black Juliet (or a black Romeo) was ground breaking 40 years ago but it's pretty normal now, and The Globe's currently doing a black Romeo and Juliet for their summer season (albeit a shitty 90 minute version). Personally I'm thinking of going to go see this season's Much Ado About Nothing.

 

[Quarterback Rex Grossman]

I can't wait until that tiny nigga experiences twink death so I can stop seeing him everywhere.

 

[he who has thus come/gone]

This is very different from making a film or TV show where the characters are diversified "because that's more historically accurate" or "we need to deconstruct whiteness as default" or "it's a fantasy so if there's dragons, why can't you accept black people in the fantasy" (depends on the fantasy, anyway, I didn't mind Bridgerton because it was so clearly not trying to be accurate to Regency England). But theatre's a different beast.

People are falling for bait. It has Tom Holland, a guy who got into performance from being a dancer—not even from actual drama. It's going to be nothing special, but they baited attention solely by matching up a spastic who looks like a preteen with some butch black girl.

I would unironically be more interested in a performance of Antigone set in tribal Islamic Afghanistan than I would this schlock.

 

[Alaric the Visigoth]

I just want to enjoy the good performances of the things I like. I really, really do not care who gives them.

You can enjoy your slop if you want but it's a lot like race swapping of the Alexander Hamlinton cast and thus we have niggas owning other niggas, which serves to hurt the immersion and the story. The fact that Francesca Amewaduh-Rivers is one of the most ugly looking black women they used is just the icing on the shit cake.

 

[isalaide]

Personally I'm thinking of going to go see this season's Much Ado About Nothing.

Ooh, good choice. I saw Fiennes' Macbeth in Edinburgh. Absolutely catch the cinema run next month. Tremendous.

 

[Clusterfuckk2]

I mean I think the elephant in the room is she is ugly as sin. She has more hair in her upper lip than Tom Holland.

 

[Duck & Cover]

It would be impossible for those two to have any chemistry on stage. Tom Holland has negative charisma and Homilet doesn't wear a dress in any picture for a reason.

 

[Haramburger]

They grabbed the ugliest nigger girl

I've been seeing this story on /tv/ for a week and thought it was getting outrage because it was interracial AND gay. I had no idea this was a woman

I thought of Romeo Must Die when I saw the casting as well. I could maybe be convinced to watch this new thing if Tom Holland did sick Kung Fu and wirework.

That movie was unremarkable and wholly carried by the X-ray fatality-like bone break special effect finishers in the fight scenes. Which honestly should have been stolen and used in more movies.

 

[Death of an Ego]

People have been using the bard's works in many different ways for years now. This isn't news, some britbong theater using a less than photogenic black woman as Juliet is honestly nothing more than boring at this point. I'm sure they thought casting an "ugly" black chick as Juliet would be free publicity though, and the fact it sold out kinda confirms that view. Tbh, as far as black women can go, she's average. My question would be if she can act.

 

[Jhonson the Two]

Complaining about a black Juliet is retarded. Shakespeare productions are routinely cross-cast in terms of race and gender in the UK and often it works magnificently. Fiona Shaw did a legendary Richard II. I don't remember this nonsense when Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo took the leads in Antony and Cleopatra a few years back, either.

I'll say it's the obvious forced rage bait racism trope that make people sigh. And those who thinks movies and theater are the same things.
I'm upset that hollywoodian producers are trying to invade the theater stage with their bullshit. Cosmetic casting is a thing for movies and they want it to be a thing here so they can destroy it right after for the clout.
-> I watched it initialy for Graham Crowden but Fiona Shaw was fire in Richard II
want to watch it again now, too bad we lost the dvd at home

 

[Steam Deck Verified]

Perhaps this is a cultural thing, but in a UK Shakespeare production, the presence of non-white actors on the stage is not considered remarkable.

While I'm not interested in this project for a variety of reasons, it's not remarkable in the US either and anyone claiming otherwise hasn't stepped foot in a theater in years. I recently saw a Les Miserables performance with a black Fantine and Bishop Miriel, an Asian Eponine and a Latina Cosette and not once did it feel like they were doing it for stunning and brave points, they were just talented and fit the role. 2021's The Tragedy of Macbeth
had a number of black actors (including the lead) and the casting wasn't considered noteworthy.

These stories have been around for an endless number of years, the complaints about replacing white actors or characters are better suited to conspicuous examples. While this nontroversy is being astroturfed, idk how anyone could feel genuinely demoralized when you could probably find thousands of performances with white leads because this play has been performed zillions of times.

 

[kcbbq]

Back in Shakespeare's day a little faggot like Tom Holland would have been cast as Juliet.

Back in Shakespeare's day all of the women were played by men, little faggots or not.

People say everything went wrong when women were given the vote. In actuality its probably when they were allowed to act in the 1660s.

 

[OrangeJuliusEvola]

I mean I think the elephant in the room is she is ugly as sin. She has more hair in her upper lip than Tom Holland.

Ay, there's the rub. I doubt anyone would give a shit if they used a black actress that was attractive. As others have pointed out, stage productions have been racially integrated for decades already, without anyone giving a shit. Even a chud like myself doesn't really get worked up about a black Juliet or a white Othello, so long as they fit the general mien of the character and have the acting chops to back it up.

Now an ugly Juliet, a skinny Falstaff, or a cheerful looking Hamlet? Well then, we have a problem.

 

[Grug]

There are plenty of really pretty black girls

Ok name some. You can do at least 5 right? 10?

 

[Absurdist Laughter]

Apparently the deluge of "deplorable" people were trolls on Instagram. Here's a tip to them all, focus on your acting more than your Instagram.

"After Instagram users flooded to her profile to leave hateful remarks, the official Romeo & Juliet page even had to turn off their comment section."
J-14 Article.