Tickets for the upcoming stage adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, starring Tom Holland, sold out within a mere two hours of going on sale.
The production, presented by The Jamie Lloyd Company, features the Spider-Man star as the iconic male lead and is set to run from May 11 to August 3 at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London. Due to overwhelming demand, the show will reportedly transfer to Broadway after its London stint concludes.
Director Jamie Lloyd’s minimalist approach to classic texts has garnered attention, with Holland’s casting adding further allure to the production. The rest of the cast includes Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet and Freema Agyeman, known for her role in Doctor Who, as Nurse.
Following the announcement of the cast, The Jamie Lloyd Company made a statement condemning the “barrage of deplorable racial abuse online directed towards a member of our company.”
They continued: “This must stop. We are working with a remarkable group of artists. We insist that they are free to create work without facing online harassment.”
“Any abuse will not be tolerated and will be reported. Bullying and harassment have no place online, in our industry, or in our wider communities,” the theatre company wrote.
“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.”
Despite excitement surrounding the production, there has been backlash online, including racial abuse directed towards a member of the cast. The Jamie Lloyd Company has condemned this behaviour, emphasising the importance of creating a safe environment for artists to work without fear of harassment.
Deadline reported that tickets for the twelve-week run sold out within two hours, prompting discussions about transferring the production to Broadway after its London stint.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Nicolas Cage is in discussions for a live-action Spider-Man Noir movie.
