After Francesca Amewudah-Rivers faced racial abuse online following her casting as Juliet opposite Tom Holland in the West End production of Romeo & Juliet, 883 predominantly Black female and non-binary actors had signed a letter of support, according to The Guardian’s report of April 10, 2024. Organized by actor Susan Wokoma and writer Somalia Nonyé Seaton, the letter welcomed the production company’s condemnation of the abuse while urging committed emotional support for Amewudah-Rivers.
What happened after Amewudah-Rivers was cast?
In March 2024, The Jamie Lloyd Company announced Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet opposite Tom Holland as Romeo in its production of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. After the casting announcement, Amewudah-Rivers was targeted with racial abuse online.
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On April 5, the company condemned the abuse in a public statement. As quoted by The Guardian, it said: “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.” The quoted statement did not name Amewudah-Rivers, though contemporaneous reporting connected it to the abuse she received. The company added: “Bullying and harassment have no place online, in our industry or in our wider communities.”
The production later played at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre from May 13 to August 3, 2024, according to The Jamie Lloyd Company’s production page.
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- William Shakespeare, ed. by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, Romeo and Juliet, Folger Shakespeare Library, paperback
What did the actors’ letter say?
Actor Susan Wokoma and writer Somalia Nonyé Seaton organized a letter expressing solidarity with Amewudah-Rivers. It welcomed the company’s statement but emphasized that condemnation alone was not the support she needed while doing the job.
The letter said: “Too many times, Black performers – particularly Black actresses – are left to face the storm of online abuse after committing the crime of getting a job on their own.” Its authors asked for “committed emotional support for Francesca on her journey with the production.” The Guardian reported on April 10, 2024 that 883 people had signed; it described them as predominantly Black female and non-binary actors. That is the count reported on that date, not a current or final tally.
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The Guardian named Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Lolly Adefope, Freema Agyeman, Wunmi Mosaku and Tamara Lawrance among the signatories.
What did Amewudah-Rivers later say about the abuse?
In an interview with The Stage reported by The Guardian on September 18, 2024, Amewudah-Rivers said the abuse continued during the production. She described receiving death threats and hate mail sent to the theatre, and said: “I didn’t feel safe at work.”
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She also described how difficult the experience was: “There were many days where I didn’t know how I was going to get through it.” Her appeal extended beyond her own production. Calling for “broader conversations industry-wide,” she said it was “not enough to represent our communities on stage, there also needs to be an infrastructure of support”. She added: “Safety has to be at the forefront. We can’t do our best work if we don’t feel safe, if we don’t feel held, if we don’t feel understood.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did the responses differ?
The company’s statement publicly condemned racial abuse and harassment. The letter’s organizers asked for committed emotional support for Amewudah-Rivers throughout the production. Her later interview called for broader, ongoing support structures for Black and brown actors. These were distinct responses: a public condemnation, a request for personal support, and a call for industry-wide infrastructure.
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