A London theatre is facing backlash after organising a "black out" event where white people are urged not to attend.
The Theatre Royal Stratford East, in east London aims to create a “safe, private” space to allow an “all-black-identifying audience” to explore race relations “free from the white gaze”.
Organisers of the play said white patrons should not go to the performance of Tambo & Bones on July 5.
The “Black Out” event is one of a run of 29 performances and is described as “a distorted minstrel show meets hip-hop concert”.
Organisers of the play said white patrons should not go to a performance of Tambo & Bones on July 5
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GB News presenter Nana Akua has branded the idea "racist" adding that can't "complain about racism and then be a racist yourself".
"My point is quite simple. You can't have it both ways, you can't complain about racism and then be a racist yourself, which is what this is. It's racist," she said.
"I mean let's imagine if you will, a theatre performance that urged black people not to come. Race baiters like Dr Shola would be out in force to cry racism.
"So why is it allowed the other way round? You can't have it both ways, the organisers saying the idea of the event is to create a safe private space for an all black identifying audience to explore race related issues.
"More like a pass to be racist and although they claim no one is excluded, it's quite clear that if you don't identify as black, you won't be welcomed with open arms."
Wanjiru Njoya, a senior law lecturer at the University of Exeter echoed Akua as she criticised the idea that there is “good racism” and “bad racism”.
“If white people did a show and excluded black people for one night only, there would be an outcry," she told The Times.
“They wouldn’t like it if anyone was racist to them. Why do they think it’s OK to be racist to white people?”
The 'Black Out' event is one of a run of 29 performances and is described as 'a distorted minstrel show meets hip-hop concert'
Stratford East
The concept of Black Out nights began on Broadway in 2019 with Slave Play, written by Jeremy O Harris, before the idea was brought to London’s Almeida Theatre with his show Daddy.
Matthew Xia, director of Tambo & Bones, argued it was imperative the theatre “created a space” where black theatregoers could “explore complex, nuanced race-related issues”.
Sir Trevor Phillips, former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has backed the director as he describes it as “fine” and “lawful”.
“If I’m around, I think I might go along to see how it works,” he said.
The Theatre Royal Stratford East said while the event had been arranged for a black audience, “no one is excluded from attending”, it said.
