Romeo & Juliet creators hit back at 'deplorable' racism as star faces online abuse

Romeo & Juliet theatre star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers has recently been targeted on racial grounds following the announcement of the cast.

On Friday, April 5, the Jamie Lloyd Company released a statement that said “the online abuse must stop,” highlighting that any further harassment would be reported to higher authorities.

This came after the entire cast of Romeo & Juliet was announced, including Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as front-liners, alongside Freema Agyeman, Michael Balogun, Tomiwa Edun, Mia Jerome, Daniel Quinn-Toye, and Ray Sesay.

The statement further read: “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.”

The company ensured that it would “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.”

Speaking of positive energy, the company claimed that the rehearsal room for the show was “full of joy, compassion, and kindness.”

It further added: “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.”

Marking as the Spider-Man star Holland’s first theatre role after his debut in Billy Elliot: The Musical, the play is slated to run at the Duke of York’s Theatre from May 11- August 3, 2024.