There is a disturbing trend among some fans who can be extremely toxic. However, the extent of toxicity was unexpected when it came to Shakespeare fans.
EW recently brought attention to the racist backlash directed at Black actress Francesca Amewudah-Rivers after she was cast as Juliet opposite Tom Holland’s Romeo in the new production of Romeo & Juliet in West End. The hateful comments led the play’s producers, the Jamie Lloyd Company, to issue a public statement denouncing the racism.
“Following the announcement of our Romeo & Juliet cast, there has been a barrage of deplorable racist abuse online directed toward a member of our company. This must stop. We are working with a remarkable group of artists. We insist that they be free to create without facing online harassment.”
You can find the full statement in the Instagram post below.
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The Duke of York Theater, where the play will be staged, also shared the message across their social media platforms.
For those unfamiliar with Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, she is known for her role as “Blessing” in Jack Whitehall’s Bad Education for two seasons, her stage performances in School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, and her appearance in Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater.
