*The Duke of York Theatre in London is defending Black actress Francesca Amewudah-Rivers after racist trolls labeled her as too “ugly” to portray Juliet in their latest production, “Romeo & Juliet.”
Amewudah-Rivers is best known for the show “Bad Education. Her casting alongside Tom Holland as Romeo in the forthcoming theatrical production of “Romeo and Juliet” has created social media buzz, with many calling it “the worst casting ever for Juliet.”
The theater company reacted to the haters in a statement: “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.”
The message 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.
The Duke of York Theatre added, “The ‘Romeo & Juliet’ community will continue to rehearse with generosity and love, and focus on the creation of our production.”
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Amewudah-Rivers shared her excitement about her Juliet role on Instagram. Several people slammed her appearance in the comments and mocked her for seemingly having a mustache. Some people are convinced she’s transgender (male to female), further fueling the criticism over the play’s casting. The haters take issue with a Black woman playing Juliet.
Amewudah-Rivers posted an announcement about the play, and in the comments, actress Susan Wokoma came to her defense, writing, “Posting my love again because I am SEATED for you! I hope all the racists and misogynists are rattled and haunted by our visibility every single day their f-ing useless lives. This happens to me *every time* I’m cast in anything. WE ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. May every Juliet be black.
One fan added, “standing with you fully against this sickening onslaught of anti-blackness and racism. a caring reminder that the white-walker’s opinions don’t matter have never mattered and never ever will no matter how many of them decide to congregate.”
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In a statement about the production, Amewudah-Rivers said: “I’m so grateful to be making my West End debut as Juliet with The Jamie Lloyd Company. It’s a dream to be joining this team of incredible artists with Jamie at the helm. I’m excited to bring a fresh energy to this story alongside Tom, and to welcome new audiences to the theatre.”
“Romeo & Juliet” will run at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre May 23 through Aug. 3. It has already sold out, The Root reports.
