Slave Play: No 10 criticises black-only audiences

A West End production of Slave Play that plans to host some shows for black audiences only has been criticised by Downing Street as "wrong and divisive".

The Noel Coward Theatre will hold two "Black Out" performances solely for an "all-black-identifying audience".

Set on a plantation in the old American South, the controversial play explores "race, identity and sexuality".

Written by US actor and playwright Jeremy O Harris, it has received more Tony nominations than any other play.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said media reports about some showings being "free from the white gaze" were "concerning" and No 10 was seeking further information.

"The prime minister is a big supporter of the arts and he believes that the arts should be inclusive and open to everyone, particularly where those arts venues are in receipt of public funding," the spokesman said.

"Restricting audiences on the basis of race would be wrong and divisive."

The producers told BBC News: "As the producers of Slave Play in the West End, our intent is to celebrate the play with the widest possible audience.

"We want to increase accessibility to theatre for everyone.

"The Broadway production conceived of Black Out nights and we are carefully considering how to incorporate this endeavour as part of two performances in our 13-week run.

"We will release further details soon.

"To be absolutely clear, no-one will be prevented or precluded from attending any performance of Slave Play."

Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington and Denzel Washington's daughter Olivia Washington are among the ensemble cast.

The play received 12 nominations at the 74th Tony Awards, breaking the record previously set by the revival of Angels in America.

Harris said he did not "take it lightly that this play is one of the rare plays by a black author that has made its way to the West End".

"This play has been a part of me for many years now," he said.

"It was a play written for my friends, actors like myself, who felt underserved by the options available to them to explore the unspoken terrain of both American history and our collective unconscious in relation to those histories.

"It was a play written for my friends in grad school who were rarely given the chance to be centre stage.

"I'm incredibly grateful for the trails blazed by the myriad black British writers recently who have broken ground for black writers and audiences on the West End like Arinzé Kene, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Tyrell Williams, Ryan Calais Cameron, and Natasha Gordon.

"I hope that with this production even more work by writers of colour will find support on our largest commercial stages."

The UK premiere of Slave Play is scheduled for 29 June. It will run until September 21. The two Black Out nights are 17 July and 17 September.