A London theater's plan to reserve access to two performances of a play on slavery for black audiences sparked criticism on Thursday, with Downing Street denouncing the idea as
"divisive"
.
The Noël Coward Theater in London's West End plans to organize two "Black Out" evenings, which favor access to black spectators, for two performances of the play
Slave Play
by Jeremy O. Harris, which will be performed during almost two months in London from June 29.
This production, in which Kit Harington, known for his role in
Game of Thrones
, will appear, has received immense success since its debut on Broadway in 2019 and tells a story of
“race, identity and sexuality”
on a plantation.
These two “Black Out” evenings are to take place on July 17 and September 17 in the British capital, which has sparked criticism going so far as to provoke a reaction from the Conservative government, a great slayer of
“wokism”
.
“A mistake and a source of division”, says a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak
“The Prime Minister is a great supporter of the arts, and believes they should be inclusive and open to all, particularly where arts venues receive public funding
,” a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak told reporters.
“It is clear that limiting public access on the basis of race is wrong and divisive
,” he continued.
Slave Play
producers
recalled that such "Black Out" parties had taken place on Broadway before, and that they
were "considering carefully how to incorporate this initiative into two performances during the thirteen weeks"
of production. .
“We will provide more details soon, but to be absolutely clear, no one will be prevented from attending a performance
,” they wrote again, emphasizing that no spectator has been turned away in the past.
Before Noël Coward, other theaters organized performances favoring access to black people in the United Kingdom, notably for the play
Daddy
by the same author, or for
Tambo & Bones
by Dave Harris.
When plays tackle subjects such as slavery, “Black Out” evenings must allow the audience to feel in an environment conducive to dialogue and sharing of experiences, organizers argued, with a desire to include also black people
“who could not afford”
to buy a place.