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The classic tale Romeo and Juliet featuring Tom Holland has received a ‘barrage of deplorable racial abuse’ after a casting announcement was made. The Hollywood English actor has stood up for his fellow lead in the Shakespearean story, but Juliet has found herself in a house divided amongst the internet. With the show opening next month, the company has quickly issued a statement saying that the racism must stop.
Casting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was officially announced in late March by the Jamie Lloyd Company. Though Tom Holland was confirmed as early as February, the rest of the cast remained largely unknown. Tom Holland has not been on a live stage since he was in Billy Elliot The Musical when he was much younger and before his Hollywood career. Joining him is Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet. While she may be best known for her television role in Bad Education, she has also been seen live on stage as Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe.
The Jamie Lloyd Company issued the following statement after the racist insults began appearing:
“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. We will 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.
Our rehearsal room is full of joy, compassion and kindness. We celebrate the extraordinary talent of our incredible collaborators. The Romeo and Juliet community will continue to rehearse with generosity and love, and focus on the creation of our production.”
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet featuring Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is currently set to open its curtains on 11 May and run until 3 August 2024 at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London. The run of the show sold out in just two hours after tickets went on sale to the public. Tom Holland expressed his excitement for the show to be sold out so quickly.
Joining Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers are several other notable names including: Freema Agyeman who will be playing Nurse. Her acting credits include being the Doctor’s Companion on the television series Doctor Who, Astra in The Matrix Resurrections, and Trish in Dreamland. Michael Balogun who will be playing the Friar. His acting credits include the Doctor in National Theatre Live: Macbeth, and Michael from War of the Worlds. Tomiwa Edun will be Capulet. He was also Romeo in Shakespeare’s Globe: Romeo and Juliet in 2010, and recently portrayed Deputy Nolan in Argyle. Mia Jerome will be Montague and is best known for her role in The Third Day: Autumn. Daniel Quinn-Toye will play Paris and was in Badults in 2014. Ray Sesay will play Tybalt and is best known for his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Doctor Who series. Nima Taleghani will play Benvolio. He is returning to Romeo and Juliet as the last time he was a part of the classic tale was in 2018 when he portrayed Abraham. Joshua-Alexander Williams will be Mercutio and most recently played Patrick in the short Prompt Date last year.
Janine has always been a part of music and performing. The first show that inspired her to go into theatre was the Velveteen Rabbit which she saw as a child, and Drew works to keep that magic alive in her work. When Drew was accepted into an internship program for audio engineering at a recording studio, she jumped at the opportunity. That was at the start of 2020, and so much has happened since then, both in her career and in the world. Since then, Drew has taken several opportunities to work at recording studios, concerts, festivals, and even large theatres while spending some time on tour. Drew's favorite by far though, has been the chance to work on Broadways and West End shows, as this was a dream come true. Drew is honoured to get to share these experiences from being inside the entertainment industry.
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