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.”
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“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.
psvrh ( @psvrh@lemmy.ca ) English36•3 months agoLet’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.
Hugh_Jeggs ( @Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee ) English9•3 months agoAnd 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
The_Sasswagon ( @The_Sasswagon@beehaw.org ) English4•3 months agoI 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?
Hugh_Jeggs ( @Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee ) English5•3 months agoIt’s shakespeare. It’s boring, the younger crowd aren’t interested any more
Or were you hoping I’d say something racist? 😂
The_Sasswagon ( @The_Sasswagon@beehaw.org ) English5•3 months agoYeah, 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
Hugh_Jeggs ( @Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee ) English4•3 months agoSeems like the tickets would sell themselves
Holds out Yorick’s skull
Remains to be seen
palordrolap ( @palordrolap@kbin.social ) 1•3 months agoA fellow of milkable wealth.
MasterNerd ( @MasterNerd@lemm.ee ) English22•3 months agoWait until these people hear that Juliet used to be played by a man
DJDarren ( @DJDarren@thelemmy.club ) English5•3 months agoWait until they find out she’s only 13.
Lad ( @AFC1886VCC@reddthat.com ) English10•3 months agoYou don’t have to constantly justify or rationalise having ethnic minorities in your production. I kind of wish they’d just release a statement saying “fuck off racist scum” instead of the pitiful sounding hakuna matata stuff.
curiousaur ( @curiousaur@reddthat.com ) English10•3 months agoRomeo and Juliet aren’t the stars, they’re the vehicle. Mercutio and Tybalt are the stars of the play.
Mac ( @Mac@mander.xyz ) English2•3 months agoI hate seeing the same actors over and over. go away Tom