Theatre Royal Stratford East director defends Black Out show

The artistic director of an east London theatre has defended the decision to host a show for black audience members.

The Theatre Royal Stratford East is running Tambo & Bones, a play that explores the African American experience, from 16 June to 15 July.

The Black Out performance for an "all-black-identifying audience" on 5 July has already sold out, but some have criticised the plans.

Nadia Fall said: "I understand it's not for everyone and it's OK to not agree."

The Black Out night has been subject to widespread media attention since the weekend.

Among those to question the plans was Festus Akinbusoye, Britain's first black police and crime commissioner, who said it was a "mistake" which "sets a bad precedent".

"I welcome anything that's going to make our public spaces more diverse that also encourages the sharing of cultural experiences," he said. 

"What I do not welcome is anything that welcomes that division which is my view it potentially does."

Asked if a white person who tried to attend on the night of the Black Out show would be turned away, Ms Fall told the BBC Radio London's Eddie Nestor: "Absolutely not".

She added: "I'm not a black person but, as a human being, I understand there are some occasions where a community wants to come together to reflect or celebrate and so on.

"This is about one occasion where people can be together as a community. I understand that. Not everybody will.

"I understand that there are spaces sometimes where it's not about me as an Asian woman."

She stressed that there were 28 other opportunities to see the show with only one other sold out show.

She said: "For all the people that you know, don't get it or deliberately twist its spirit or intention, there have been loads of people who've been in support of it.

"It's not just the only sort of performance that we do to welcome different communities in: for deaf and disabled audiences, we have access performances, relaxed performances, British Sign Language performances."

Next month, the Lyric in Hammersmith is hosting a similar event for its production of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play.

A Black Out night was introduced by American playwright Jeremy O Harris' 2019 show Slave Play on New York's Broadway.

He also hosted a Black Out event last year for his production of Daddy at the Almeida Theatre in Islington, north London.

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