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.”

  • S_204@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    86
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    7 months ago

    Should have cast a male to play Juliet like the original. Wonder what the response would have been then?

    • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      43
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      7 months ago

      Honestly watching Shakespeare in the cross dressing way really made me like it. They teach you Shakespeare in school by reading it, that’s stupid. That’s like studying the godfather and only reading the script and never watching the film. I hated it. Then one day I saw the actual play, done in drag and it really made the humor pop and made me finally understand what the fuck they were talking about in that script

      • funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        7 months ago

        Plenty of people have read The Godfather to study it.

        You’re never going to get the full authentic Shakespeare experience watching a play

        a) inside

        b) in the evening

        c) while the audience is quiet

        d) without people heckling

        e) without bear baiting, gambling, and bawdy folk songs before and after

        g) without people plying sex trade during the show

        • Crashumbc@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          7 months ago

          Evidence? No, but given the time period the play is set in. It is more than feasible given their supposed social class.