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‘Romeo & Juliet’ Play Starring Tom Holland and Francesca Amewaduh-Rivers Faces ‘Barrage of Racial Abuse,’ Producer Says ‘This Must Stop’ (variety.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/unitedkingdom@feddit.uk
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/13958294

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.”

...

“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.

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[–] 56 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

Let’s be honest: none of the people complaining about race in an adaptation of a Shakespeare play are going to go and see a Shakespeare play.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    And let's be honest, any intelligent marketing person would use even a single comment to try and get attention for their, ahem, difficult-to-market play

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I don't understand how this play could possibly be hard to market, it's possibly the most famous English stage play with very famous people. What am I missing here?

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    It's shakespeare. It's boring, the younger crowd aren't interested any more

    Or were you hoping I'd say something racist? 😂

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Yeah, more like I worry that was your implication, it was hard to read it any other way.

    I'm sure the younger crowd are just as interested in a play from 1597 as you were in the 1900s, and doubly so in Tom Holland. Seems like the tickets would sell themselves

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    • [–] 31 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Wait until these people hear that Juliet used to be played by a man

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    • [+] 12 points 2 years ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
    [deleted]
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    [–] 11 points 2 years ago

    Romeo and Juliet aren't the stars, they're the vehicle. Mercutio and Tybalt are the stars of the play.

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    [–] 9 points 2 years ago

    I agree it's a damn travesty that Tom Holland is trying to play an Italian boy

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    [+] 8 points 2 years ago* (last edited 6 months ago)
    [deleted]
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    [–] 4 points 2 years ago

    They are mad because he's white?

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    [–] 4 points 2 years ago

    It's clearly there in the first lines of the play:

    Two households, both alike in dignity and whiteness, In fair Verona where we lay our scene,

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    [+] -7 points 2 years ago

    I hate seeing the same actors over and over. go away Tom

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