Slave Play ‘Black Out’ shows: Producers ‘carefully considering’ black-only events after Downing Street criticism
The producers of a West End show are “carefully considering” plans to hold evenings aimed at black-only audiences following criticism from Downing Street.
Slave Play, which features Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington among the cast, will run from 29 June to 21 September at the Noel Coward Theatre in London.
It is set to include two performances aimed at an “all-black-identifying audience” that is “free from the white gaze”.
Similar “Black Out” nights were held during the show’s run on Broadway in New York in 2019, with organisers describing them as “private, invitation-only events”.
Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington is among the ensemble cast. Pic: PA
The West End move was announced earlier this week, with the “Black Out” events confirmed to be taking place on 17 July and 17 September.
But when asked about the plans on Thursday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s official spokesperson said: “Restricting audiences on the basis of race would be wrong and divisive”.
However, organisers said they would not “prevent or preclude anyone” from attending and said “nobody” had been turned away in the past.
They told Sky News in a statement: “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.”
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On Friday morning the website for the play showed that, on the “Black Out” dates, tickets were available to buy for a matinee performance on 17 July, but not an evening performance.
No ticketed show appeared to be scheduled for 17 September.
Mr Sunak’s spokesman said on Thursday: “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.
“Obviously, these reports are concerning and further information is being sought. But clearly, restricting audiences on the basis of race would be wrong and divisive.”
‘No colour bar’
Slave Play is written by US actor and playwright Jeremy O Harris, with Banana star Fisayo Akinade and Denzel Washington‘s daughter Olivia Washington also among the cast.
After being accused by some social media users of being “racist against white people”, Emily In Paris star Harris wrote on X: “I don’t have to imagine the roles were reversed in my grandparents’ lifetimes AND WORSE.
“I’m not even saying BLACKS ONLY I’m saying I’m inviting black ppl first! They can bring their white friends or lovers if they want. There’s no colour bar. But one existed in the UK recently!”
Slave Play was nominated for 12 Tony Awards for its Broadway run and tells a story of “race, identity and sexuality” at a plantation in the southern US during the early 21st century.
During a 2019 “Black Out” staging of the play in New York’s Golden Theatre, all 804 seats were used by black-identifying theatregoers, according to organisers.
A pilot has died after a Spitfire crashed in a field near an RAF base in Lincolnshire.
Emergency crews were called to the scene on Langrick Road in Coningsby following reports the plane went down shortly before 1.20pm.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we must confirm the death of an RAF pilot in a tragic accident near RAF Coningsby today.
“The pilot’s family have been informed and we ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.”
Lincolnshire Police said the male pilot was the “sole occupant of the aircraft” and he died at the scene/
“Police are not in a position to confirm his name but his next of kin have been informed,” a force spokesperson said.
“Nobody else is thought to have been injured as a result.”
An investigation into the cause of the crash is under way.
It has been reported the Spitfire was taking part in a Battle of Britain memorial event.
RAF Coningsby is home to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, a collection of wartime fighter and bomber aircraft that take part in air shows and memorial displays.
The RAF said it was “working with the emergency services and supporting those involved”.
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Road closures are in place in the areas of Dogdyke Road and Sandy Bank.
Motorists have been asked to avoid the area and seek alternative routes.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it was aware of the incident but it was not involved as it was a military investigation.
Music star Nicki Minaj has been arrested at an airport in the Netherlands hours before she was due to perform at Co-op Live in Manchester.
The American rapper was detained at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on suspicion of possession of soft drugs.
Minaj posted a series of messages on the social media site X – including one message in which she wrote “they said they found weed”.
She also claimed “they took my luggage without consent” and “they’re trying to keep me from MANCHESTER”.
The messages also included one where she wrote: “This is Amsterdam btw, where weed is legal.”
The star also filmed what appeared to be an airport official asking her to have her luggage checked.
Minaj later wrote: “It’s a 45 minute to an hour flight. So they’re probably trying to stall for about 4 hours.”
And she added: “Now they said I have to go 5 mins away to make a statement about my security to the police precinct.”
She has not posted on X since.
Asked about Minaj, Robert van Kapel, a spokesman for the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, told Sky News’ partner network NBC News: “We can confirm that we have arrested a 41-year-old American woman at Schiphol Airport because of possession of soft drugs.”
It is unclear if Minaj’s show at Co-op Live has been affected.
A post on the venue’s X account said shortly after 5.15pm: “Please note that general admission and premium doors for tonight’s Nicki Minaj show will now open at 19:00.”
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The beleaguered Co-op Live arena in Manchester – the UK’s largest indoor entertainment venue – finally opened earlier this month after it was plagued by a series of problems.
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UK
Mother of Jools Sweeney, 14, who took his own life is fighting social media companies for his search history
A bereaved mother who has “absolutely no idea” why her son took his own life aged 14 is fighting social media companies to hand over his search history.
Jools Sweeney was found dead in April 2022. A coroner was unable to rule his death was a suicide as they were unable to prove he was in a “suicidal mood”, his mother Ellen Roome tells Sky News.
Ms Roome says he showed no signs of depression and police have ruled out any third-party involvement.
As a result, she says she has been left with “absolutely no idea why he isn’t here anymore”.
Having read about other teenagers taking their lives after viewing harmful content online, Ms Roome asked various social media companies for her son’s browsing history to shed light on why he died.
Ellen Roome and her son Jools Sweeney (right). Pic: Ellen Roome
But she says: “Since my son’s death, I have not been able to access information to see what my son was looking at that could have contributed to him taking his own life.
“Parents should have the right to full access to their child’s social media accounts either whilst they are still alive (to protect them) or if they die as in my case.”
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She launched a petition to have the issue debated in parliament. But in light of the general election on 4 July, all parliamentary petitions will be automatically closed on 30 May.
This leaves her with just days to reach her 100,000-signature target.
She tells Sky News: “It’s very ambitious but I need 85,000 signatures to hit my target which might give me access to Jools’s information to find out why he died.”
Asked about the impact of her son’s unexpected death, she adds: “It’s impossibly hard, it’s horrific, it consumes me.
“I have to try the only thing we haven’t tried and that is social media.
“It might not be that. But I don’t see why social media companies wouldn’t let me see if they’ve got nothing to hide.”
Pic: Ellen Roome
Quarter of children addicted to devices
A recent House of Commons Education Committee report suggested there has been a 52% increase in children’s screen time between 2020 and 2022, with a quarter said to be using their devices in an addictive manner.
MPs on the committee said that while the Online Safety Act will play a role in keeping children safe from online harms, full protection will not come until the Act is fully implemented in 2026.
They suggest the next government should ban all under-16s from having phones.
The 14-year-old took his own life in 2022. Pic: Ellen Roome
Pic: Ellen Roome
Ms Roome said: “I think there’s a bigger issue than banning outright under-16s.
“Because they still have access to other devices. That is a bigger problem. We need to control what’s on those devices. It’s shocking about what a child can see these days.”
Online safety campaigner Ian Russell, whose 14-year-old daughter Molly took her own life after viewing harmful material, said such a ban would “cause more harm than good” and would “punish children for the failures of tech companies to protect them”.
“The quickest and most effective route to protect children’s online safety and wellbeing is to strengthen the Online Safety Act in the next parliament and we call on all parties to commit to this in their manifestos,” he said.
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Ms Roome adds: “Companies need to step up and stop waiting for the bill to make some changes.”
She describes her son as “entirely beautiful” and a “really polite young man”.
“I’m appealing to anybody out there to kindly share my petition. I want this debated in parliament. Parents need the right to be able to protect their children.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
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