‘Romeo and Juliet’ director criticizes ‘insanity of racist insults’ aimed at star Tom Holland

Producers of the upcoming West End production Romeo and Julietstarring Tom Holland, condemned the “deplorable racial abuse” directed at his co-star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who plays Julia.

The Spiderman actor will play Romeo in a new London production, with the full cast announced last week.

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The BBC is now reporting that the Jamie Lloyd Company has stated that there has been “an onslaught of deplorable racial attacks against a member of the company”.

Their statement said:

“This has to end. We work with an extraordinary group of artists. We insist that they be free to create work and not be exposed to online harassment. We will continue to support and protect everyone at our company at all costs. Any abuse will not be tolerated and will be reported. There is no place for bullying and harassment online, in our industry or in wider communities.”

Amewudah-Rivers makes her West End debut in the play, while Holland returns to the stage, where he previously starred in Billy Elliot The Musical as a child. Jamie Lloyd will direct.

Amewudah-Rivers previously appeared in two seasons of the BBC series Bad education and three short films. He has stage experience in productions at the Globe and Lyric Hammersmith, among others.

The show will premiere on May 11 and is scheduled to last until August 3.

The expected performance will also feature Freema Agyeman (Nurse), Michael Balogun (Monk), Tomiwa Edun (Capulet), Mia Jerome (Montague), Daniel Quinn-Toye (Paris), Ray Sesay (Tybalt), Nima Taleghani (Benvolio), Joshua -Alexander Williams (Mercutio) and Callum Heinrich and Kody Mortimer (camera operators).

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