The new West End The production of Romeo & Juliet has been targeted with a flood of racist mistreatment after revealing the casting of the main characters in love.
Tom Holland was initially announced as male lead Romeo Montague, with no information about his Juliet Capulet or other actors involved.
Despite mystery surrounding all the details beyond the Marvel star's appearance, the play quickly sold out with thousands lining up to have a chance to see him perform on stage.
After a large number of people rushed to grab tickets, Romeo & Juliet finally revealed the name of their main actress — Francesca Amewudah-Rivers.
The Bad Education star was unveiled on March 28 but within days the Jamie Lloyd Company, who are producing the show, had to address the racist negative reaction.
In a post on its Instagram, the theatre company stated there had been ‘a flood of shameful racial mistreatment’ aimed at the 25-year-old.
‘Following the announcement of our Romeo & Juliet cast,’ the production shared. ‘A flood of shameful racial mistreatment online directed towards a member of our company.’
‘This must stop,’ the statement said. ‘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 mistreatment will not be tolerated and will be reported.
‘Bullying and harassment have no place online, in our industry or in our wider communities.’
They added the rehearsal room was one filled with ‘joy, compassion, and kindness’, free from any hatred.
Francesca starred as Blessing in Bad Education from 2022 to 2024 and is credited as a composer for short films Medea, Messenger, and Minutes.
The flood of mistreatment came after over 60,000 people flocked to ticket selling sites to see Marvel’s beloved actor in his 12 week run as the ill-fated Romeo.
Fans were thrilled to see Tom return to his home on London’s stages, where he made his debut performances as Billy Elliot in the late 2000s.
The Duke of York’s Theatre, where the production will be performed, shared the news of the 27-year-old’s casting in an Instagram post which got thousands of likes.
‘Tom Holland plays Romeo in Jamie Lloyd’s exciting new interpretation of Shakespeare’s timeless tale of wordsmiths, rhymers, lovers and fighters,’ the announcement read.
British theatre director Jamie Lloyd is best known for his recent production of Sunset Blvd, starring Nicole Scherzinger, and A Doll’s House with Jessica Chastain.
‘Tom Holland is one of the greatest, most exciting young actors in the world. It is an honor to welcome him back to the West End,’ he praised of the actor who played Spider-Man.
