"This is racism": West End's Slave Play starring Kit Harrington under fire for hosting all-black audience nights in London

Kit Harington will appear in a new play titled Slave Play, and a new lineup of shows is scheduled to start on June 29, 2024, at the Noel Coward Theatre in London's West End. Daily Mail states that the shows would run until September 21.

Controversy arose when the theater announced that two shows scheduled for July 17 and September 17 would be exclusively for black audiences.

A reaction to the theatre decision (Image via X/OhBrokenBritain)

The decision has not been well-received by a section of the public, and they reacted to it on different social media platforms. One of them also described it as "racism."

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Netizens react on social media after Noel Coward Theatre organizes separate shows for Slave Play

Noel Coward Theatre has displayed a message for the public who have purchased tickets for two shows of Slave Play in the upcoming months, saying that they won't be accessible to whites. The message reads:

"Black Out nights are the purposeful creation of an environment in which an all-Black-identifying audience can experience and discuss an event in the performing arts, film, athletic, and cultural spaces – free from the white gaze."

Netizens have now shared their responses to the message on X, where they questioned the reasons behind taking such a decision:

Netizens react to the theatre decision (Images via X/SickOfEverythi6 and Adrian_Hilton)

Netizens react to the theatre decision (Images via X/RichardF1864181 and Theunsaintlyone)

Netizens react to the theatre decision (Images via X/Perlican3 and astorey88)

Netizens react to the theatre decision (Images via X/leckston and BillTenerife)

Netizens react to the theatre decision (Images via X/PetenShirl and BLAIMGame)

The premiere of Slave Play in the UK was confirmed in February this year. According to London on the Inside, the basic premise focuses on three interracial couples working on their relationships by participating in an antebellum s*xual performance therapy workshop.

Kit Harington plays one of the leads, along with Olivia Washington, Chalia La Tour, and many others.

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Jeremy O. Harris addresses the casting of Kit Harington in the play

Jeremy O. Harris, who has written Slave Play, spoke on the casting of Kit Harington as Jim in a recent interview with The Guardian, saying that the experience will remain the same. He further elaborated by saying:

"Kit was saying 'I don't want this to be Kit Harington in Slave Play, this is an ensemble play and I'm not even the lead.' He knows the weight his name carries and how that could become a distraction, if we allowed it to be."

Harris added that he does not believe popular TV and film stars can help make a play successful. He mentioned that such decisions contribute to responding to the play as a "Disney World attraction" and the focus is specifically on the star appearing in the front.