“This is unbearable”: the participation of a black actress in “Romeo and Juliet” sparked a racist scandal

More than 800 predominantly black women and “non-binary” actors have signed an open letter in solidarity with Francesca Amewuda-Rivers, who has been the victim of online racial abuse following the announcement of her casting in a new production of Romeo and Juliet.

Hundreds of mostly black actors signed a letter of solidarity after Francesca Amewuda-Rivers was targeted online

According to The Guardian, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim and Marianne Jean-Baptiste are among the 883 signatories of the letter, along with actresses Lolly Adefope, Freema Ageman, Wunmi Mosaku and Tamara Lawrence.

The open letter states: “Too often, black performers—especially black actresses—find themselves facing a barrage of online abuse after they ‘commit the crime’ of taking a job on their own.”

It comes after a statement from Jamie Lloyd’s theater company in which it condemned the “barrage of deplorable racial abuse” that had been directed at Amewood-Rivers and said further harassment would be reported further.

According to the company, which is helmed by director Jamie Lloyd, “Abuse” follows the announcement of the series’ cast, including Amewuda-Rivers as Juliet and Tom Holland as Romeo.

The letter circulated on Wednesday, which was prepared by actress Enola Holmes, Susan Wokoma and Somalia writer Nonye Seaton, said: “When news broke that Francesca Amewuda-Rivers had been cast in Jamie Lloyd’s production of Romeo and Juliet, many people celebrated and welcomed the news. Many of us took to social media to express love and congratulations to our little sister – a huge milestone for someone so young in her career. Huge rising talent. But then came the all-too-familiar horror that many of us famous black performers with dark skin experienced. The racist and misogynistic abuse directed at such a sweet soul was too much to bear. When a call for a play invites such perverted, ugly abuse, it is truly embarrassing to those who are so empty and sterile in their own lives that they are forced to engage in disgusting abuse.”

Lashana Lynch is best known for her roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films and for her role as MI6 agent Nomi in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die. Sheila Atim is a two-time Olivier Award-winning Ugandan-British actress, singer, composer and playwright who has appeared in a number of theater productions and television shows, while Marianne Jean-Baptiste rose to fame with her role in the 1996 film Secrets and Lies, which she was nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Bafta, explains The Guardian.

The signatories welcomed the theater company’s statement and said they hoped it would “provide genuine emotional support for Francesca in her journey with the production.”

They added: “Too often, theater companies, broadcasters, producers and streamers have failed to offer any help or support when their black artists have faced racist or misogynistic abuse. Too often, the responsibility for reporting falls on the shoulders of victims, who are also expected to promote the show.

“We want to send a clear message to Francesca and all black female performers who face similar violence – we see you. We see how you manage to create art despite not only the pressures your white colleagues face, but also the additional traumatic obstacle of misogyny. We are so happy to see you shine.”

Romeo and Juliet plays at the Duke of York’s Theater from May 11 to August 3 and marks Amewooda-Rivers’ West End debut. Previously, the black actress played leading roles in Shakespeare’s plays Macbeth and Othello, as well as in Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone in London theaters. She also starred in two seasons of the BBC series Bad Education.

The play will also mark Holland’s first major theatrical role as Spider-Man since his debut in Billy Elliot: The Musical.

As The Guardian notes, Jamie Lloyd is known for directing bold takes on classic plays led by megastars such as Doctor Faustus with Kit Harington, Betrayal with Tom Hiddleston and The Seagull with Emilia Clarke. His new production of the musical Sunset Boulevard, starring Nicole Scherzinger, recently opened to a sold-out run at London’s Savoy Theater and will transfer to Broadway in September.

Lloyd directed a new production of Lucy Prebble’s The Effect at the National Theater last year with Taylor Russell and Paapa Essiedu, and it premiered at New York’s Shed in March.

“Romeo and Juliet” is billed as “a thrilling new take on Shakespeare’s timeless story of wordsmiths, rhymers, lovers and fighters.”