Another wave of racist harassment for a black actress. In London the new theatrical adaptation of Romeo and Julietdirected by Jamie Lloydhad great success due to its casting.
Self Tom Holland will play the role of Romeo, she is the actress Francesca Amewudah-Rivers who will take on the features of Juliette. Which doesn’t please many Internet users, for whom this character “ must be white », then giving way to a wave of hateful comments aimed at the actress.
To defend her, on April 5, Jamie Lloyd’s theater company denounced the racist and hateful comments made against the actress. “ This has to stop. We work with an amazing group of artists. We will continue to support and protect all our company personnel. No abuse will be tolerated and will be automatically reported “, they wrote.
A letter of support signed by almost 900 artists
Many others have shown him support, as evidenced by a letter published on Wednesday 10 April, signed by 883 artists. “Too often, Black artists – especially Black actresses – find themselves facing the storm of online abuse after committing the crime of finding work on their own,” we can read there, this story which recalls the wave of harassment that Halle Bailey had suffered when she was announced as Ariel in The little Mermaid in live action.
This initiative was proposed by the actress Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes) and the author Somalia Nonye Seaton. The letter was signed primarily by black comedians such as Lashana Lynch (seen in No Time to Die or The Woman King), Lolly Adefope (Salt burner) OR Wunmi Mosaku (Loki, I am a slave).
“When the casting announcement of Francesca Amewudah-Rivers in Jamie Lloyd’s production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was announced, so many people celebrated and welcomed the news (…) it’s a huge deal for anyone so young in his career » Start by specifying the letter.
“ But what followed was an all-too-familiar horror that many of us dark-skinned visible black artists experienced. The racist and misogynistic abuse directed at such a kind soul was too much to bear. Because a casting announcement for a play that triggers such twisted and horrible abuse is truly embarrassing to those who are so empty and sterile in their own lives that they have to engage in hateful abuse. »
The show will premiere at the Duke of York’s Theater in London on May 23, for a residency until August.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
