Tom Holland starrer Romeo and Juliet is set to go on floors in May. While the whole cast was announced last week, Francesca Amewuda Rivers was finalized to play the character of Juliet. The announcement was quickly followed by racist comments and abuse directed at the actress, which did not sit well with the drama's producers.
The play is to be produced by the Jamie Lloyd company, which, according to BBC reports, stated that there had been a “barrage of deplorable racial abuse directed towards a member of company.” The Lloyd Company released a statement in which the makers addressed the issue.
Statement Released By The Jamie Lloyd Company
To address the racial comments targeted towards Rivers, the producers of the drama company released a statement that read, “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.”
It further added, “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.”
Who Is Fransesca Amewuda Rivers?
Francesca Amewuda Rivers will be taking center stage opposite Tom Holland in the role of Juliet. Besides the well-known role, Rivers is popular for characters such as Lady Macduff in Macbeth in the Globe Theatre in 2022 and has worked in the British TV show Bad Education. Additionally, the actress has portrayed roles in three short films.
At the time of casting, Rivers said she had been happy to work with the studios. She shared, “I’m so grateful to be making my West End debut as Juliet with The Jamie Lloyd Company. It’s a dream to be joining this team of incredible artists with Jamie at the helm. I’m excited to bring fresh energy to this story alongside Tom and to welcome new audiences to the theatre.”
Romeo and Juliet will open at the Duke of York theaters on May 23rd and run until August 2024.
