Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, the actor who faced a barrage of online racial abuse after being cast as Juliet opposite Tom Holland's Romeo in a West End production of Romeo & Juliet, has called for industry-wide measures to protect black and brown actors. The abuse, which included death threats and hate mail, persisted throughout the four-month run at the Duke of York's theatre.
In an interview with the Stage, Amewudah-Rivers described the sustained harassment as an 'incredibly tough' induction into the West End. 'There were many days where I didn't know how I was going to get through it,' she said, adding that the minimal set and closeup camerawork made her feel 'very exposed' and that she 'didn't feel safe at work.' The 26-year-old, who was nominated at this year's Black British theatre awards, said the abuse also affected her family, friends, and the show's cast and crew.
The initial backlash prompted the Jamie Lloyd Company to condemn the abuse in a statement, and an open letter of solidarity signed by over 800 predominantly black female and non-binary actors, including Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, was issued in support of Amewudah-Rivers.
Amewudah-Rivers called for 'broader conversations industry-wide' about protecting global-majority actors, stating that 'it is not enough to represent our communities on stage, there also needs to be an infrastructure of support.' She emphasised that safety must be at the forefront, as actors cannot do their best work if they do not feel safe or held. 'I think more needs to be done, especially because I know I'm not alone,' she added.
The actor reflected on the wider implications of her casting, saying the outrage it caused shows that the UK theatre sector still has a long way to go in terms of racial diversity. 'Theatre has a legacy of community, it should represent society. Especially in London – there's a big black British community here and in the UK. It shouldn't be a surprise,' she said. 'I'm not the first black Juliet, and I won't be the last.'
