Director of Tom Holland-Starring ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Confronts Shocking Racial Abuse Against Cast Member

Jamie Lloyd, the director of the West End revival of Romeo & Juliet starring Tom Holland, issued a statement on Friday denouncing an incident of "deplorable racial abuse" aimed at an unnamed cast member.

Tom Holland LIONEL HAHN/GETTY IMAGES

"After announcing our Romeo & Juliet cast, there has been a wave of deplorable racial abuse online directed at a member of our company," Lloyd's theater company shared on social media. "This behavior must cease. We are collaborating with an extraordinary group of artists. We demand that they be allowed to create without being subjected to online harassment."

The West End revival of Romeo & Juliet, featuring Tom Holland, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, Freema Agyeman, Michael Balogun, Tomiwa Edun, Mia Jerome, Daniel Quinn-Toye, and Ray Sesay, is set to open at London's Duke of York's Theatre on May 23. The production will run through August, with Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, known for her role in Bad Education, playing Juliet.

In response to a recent incident of racial abuse directed at a cast member, director Jamie Lloyd released a statement via the Duke of York's Theatre's social media, condemning the abuse and reaffirming the company's commitment to supporting and protecting all members of the production. Lloyd stated, "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, in our industry or in our wider communities."

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As of Sunday, the Romeo & Juliet Instagram page had disabled comments in response to the incident of racial abuse. Director Jamie Lloyd emphasized that the company would continue rehearsals with generosity and love, focusing on the creation of their production.

Tom Holland, known for his role as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, began his acting career onstage. He gained recognition as one of the young stars of Billy Elliot: The Musical in the West End. Romeo & Juliet marks his return to the stage, marking a significant moment in his career.