Romeo & Juliet producers condemn ‘deplorable’ racist backlash aimed at Tom Holland’s costar: ‘This must stop’

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers will star as Juliet, opposite Holland’s Romeo in the upcoming West End production.

The theater company behind an upcoming West End production of Romeo & Juliet is speaking out against the “deplorable racial abuse” directed towards one of its titular stars.

In an Instagram statement shared on April 5,  the Jamie Lloyd Company noted the “barrage” of hateful comments being directed at Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who will headline the production alongside Spider-Man actor Tom Holland.

Since the cast was announced one week ago, some claiming to be fans of the Marvel alum have directed vitriol at the young actress online.

“This must stop,” said a statement from the play’s producers. “We are working with a remarkable group of artists. We insist that they are free to create work without facing online harassment.”

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, Tom Holland.

The company affirmed that it would “continue to support and protect everyone in our company at all costs,” adding that any further abuse would be reported.

The statement continued, “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. The Romeo & Juliet community will continue to rehearse with generosity and love, and focus on the creation of our production.”

It was announced in February that Holland would star as Romeo in the production of Shakespeare’s famous romantic tragedy, marking his first return to the stage since starring in Billy Elliot:

The Musical as a child. Since then, his career reached new heights thanks to his role as Peter Parker in the MCU.

Amewudah-Rivers is known for starring in two seasons of Jack Whitehall’s Bad Education, along with theatre credits that include School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play at the Lyric Hammersmith theater and Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

With her role as Juliet, Amewudah-Rivers will make her West End debut.

The cast also includes Freema Agyeman, Michael Balogun, Tomiwa Edun, Mia Jerome, Daniel Quinn-Toye and Ray Sesay. The play is directed by Jamie Lloyd, who previously helmed Sunset Boulevard, The Effect, and A Doll’s House.

Romeo & Juliet is set to run at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London from May 11 through August 3 with rumors already circulating that the show will transfer to Broadway.