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London theatre apologises amid intense backlash to Romeo and Juliet production with Nazi boy and Jewish girl-Jess Bacon-Entertainment – Metro
It has been met with a swarm of backlash online.
Icarus Theatre Collective has been criticised for their upcoming performance of Romeo and Juliet as a Nazi soldier who falls in love with a Jewish girl (Picture: Icarus Theatre/@Daniel_Sugarman)
Theatre fans have slammed a new adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, which has been reimagined as a love story between a Nazi boy and Jewish girl in World War II.
William Shakespeare’s classic play of a ‘forbidden’ love story has been re-written by Icarus Theatre Collective in London, and met with a wave of backlash on social media.
The upcoming production caught people’s eye on social media, after the official theatre account on Twitter put out a casting call for the main two leads.
The screenshot of the synopsis for the play from the company’s newsletter – that has since been altered slightly on their website – reads: ‘These are not two households both alike in dignity…
‘Sun and moon shine down on star-crossed lovers as a Jewish girl falls for a member of Nazi Youth and the boy questions everything he was taught to believe.’
The young couple hide their love from their ‘warring families’ and their ‘joyous beginnings’ are torn apart by ‘family pride and antisemitism.’
The email that was sent to subscribers two days ago has received a swarm of criticism on social media with people stating they were ‘gobsmacked’ to read about this production.
One person tweeted: ‘I wonder, did anyone in whatever meeting this was dreamt up in stop for one minute and think “Hmmm, Nazi boy and Jewish girl in a remake of Romeo and Juliet. Is this really a smart thing for us to be doing?”’
Another added: ‘This new Romeo and Juliet Nazi idea feels so genuinely like a 30 Rock episode that I simply have to laugh at the absurdity!’
A third user believed it was ‘a deeply misguided project’, adding: ‘Romeo and Juliet as the story of impossible love in the Holocaust? Using the Holocaust as framing for “the most hopeful of love stories” dismisses every single bit of history of systematic murder and inhumanity.’
In a statement, the theatre said: ‘We apologise and are deeply sorry for the offence we caused. Our Romeo & Juliet is a criticism of Nazi fascism (and its particular relevance today) made in consultation with the Jewish community, including the director. Our casting director removed key information and we failed to notice.
‘These are NOT two households both alike in dignity. In particular, we have cut the opening speech & made many other cuts which radically alter the balance of power. Part of our R&D process has always been to include members of the Jewish community to test presentations, as we recognise that the director’s background is not sufficient to ensure proper presentation of this dangerous concept. Our intention is to portray Montagues as the bad guys & kids brainwashed as per Jojo Rabbit. Particularly as a criticism of the current political situation.
‘Our initial casting breakdown mentioned performers of Jewish background are preferred for the Capulets, as it is fundamental to have representation on the team more than just the director. Please accept our profound apologies.’
The theatre company issued a series of tweets apologising and labelling its now-deleted tweet a ‘mistake’ but users are urging them to ‘do better’ (Picture: Twitter/@icarustheatre)
The company shared their statement on Twitter, however some users have criticised the response and said there is an ‘inherent problem’ with the idea.
‘Would having Jewish actors actually help? It’s the concept that’s gross, not the representation!’ one penned, as a second tweeted: ‘I really, really doubt most Jewish actors would want to do this. I mean, imagine having to pretend that one of the largest atrocities ever committed against your people was in any way ‘romantic’?? Yikes!!!’
‘This isn’t clever or subversive; it’s exploiting Jewish trauma in the most salacious way possible. Do better,’ another user replied.
A fourth added: ‘Your explanation really doesn’t cut it. You are doing a version of one of the greatest and most lauded love stories ever written and centring it around a Jewish Girl and a Nazi soldier. If you can not see the inherent problem with that then I don’t know what to say.’
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Another observer wrote: ‘I do think that if you have to release a statement saying that your work is definitely a critique of Nazism then perhaps you need to consider whether you should be doing it at all.’
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