Olivia Washington has defended her new play as it lands on London’s West End beneath a shroud of controversy.
The actress daughter of Academy Award winner Denzel Washington takes a starring role in Slave Play, a three-act production focusing on themes of sex, race, power and interracial relationships.
The play, a runaway success on Broadway, received a record breaking 12 nominations at the 74th annual Tony Awards in 2021 – the most for a non-musical play.
It is now enjoying a three-month engagement at London’s Noël Coward Theatre despite facing criticism on both sides of the Atlantic.
American critics have previously petitioning for its cancellation, while disgruntled British theatre-goers accused producers of ‘infantilising’ audience members by giving advice on how to breathe.
Olivia Washington has defended her new play as it arrives on London’s West End beneath a shroud of controversy
The actress takes a starring role in Slave Play, a three-act production focusing on interracial relationships
According to the Guardian, some argued the play also made light of chattel slavery and left at least one audience member ‘offended and traumatised’.
Reflecting on the divisive response, Washington, 33 – who plays Kaneisha – told the Sunday Times Style: ‘Isn’t that what art is supposed to do?
‘It’s supposed to challenge the norm. It’s not supposed to necessarily make you comfortable.’
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Washington – the daughter of Denzel and Pauletta Washington and twin sister of filmmaker Malcom Washington – also hit back at any suggestion of nepotism.
‘All I can really say is … I mean, I love my family,’ she said of her upbringing. ‘And I understand that I’m blessed.’
The actress stars alongside Game Of Thrones’ Kit Harington, whose role as Kaneisha’s white partner Jim includes an explicit nude scene – so explicit that theatre bosses have issued special stickers for every camera-phone and threatened legal action to anyone who tries to take a photo.
A source told The Sun: ‘The sex scene Kit’s in is quite shocking. There are lots of mirrors on stage so the audience can see his tackle from all angles.
‘The scene lasts more than ten minutes and bosses seem very concerned about it being recorded and leaked online — hence the stickers.
The play, a runaway success on Broadway, received a record breaking 12 nominations at the 74th annual Tony Awards in 2021 – the most for a non-musical play
Washington stars alongside Game Of Thrones’ Kit Harington, whose role as her white partner Jim includes an explicit nude scene
The actress is the daughter Academy Award winner Denzel Washington (pictured together at the MTV Movie Awards in 2009)
‘Management really want to protect his modesty so they’ve threatened legal action if anyone is caught filming.’
The London production of the play, which opened on Broadway in 2019, caused uproar in February when it announced that two performances might be set aside for black theatre-goers to watch uninhibited by the ‘white gaze’.
Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: ‘It is now normal to infantilise an adult audience through communicating the idea that they may well be traumatised by exposure to a drama.’
And Professor Jeremy Black, author of A Brief History Of History, said: ‘Should we all issue trigger warnings? Having written histories both of slavery and the slave trade, I wonder whether I should coat them in warnings?’
A spokesman for Delfont Mackintosh, which owns the Noel Coward Theatre, said: ‘We have provided a link to the play’s website, where the producers have published information, support and resources for those audience members who may wish to find out more in advance of their visit.’
The play’s producers declined to respond to The Mail on Sunday’s requests for comment.
Slave Play is enjoying a three-month engagement at London’s Noël Coward Theatre (pictured), but has faced criticism on both sides of the Atlantic
Recently, producers of the West End version of the play were accused of ‘infantilising’ audience members by giving advice on how to breathe
