National Theatre refuses to debate racist play ENGLAND PEOPLE VERY NICE with East End artists

Artists from the East End will be holding a protest outside the National Theatre at 5pm on Friday 27th February in the run up to the platform discussion at 6pm with Richard Bean, the writer of the play. At a meeting on Friday 20th February Nicholas Hytner, the boss of the National, refused to organise a proper joint debate in the next few weeks on a play that is anti-irish, anti-Bangladeshi and Islamophobic, and which the Evening Standard described as cruel and abusive, and intent on attacking immigrants.

Playwright Hussain Ismail, who will be leading the campaign, said: “Hytner is scared of a debate. We are from the East End and we know that it is the most multicultural place in the world. Brick Lane in particular is the centre of the multicultural universe. It’s the coolest place on the earth and that’s why people come from all over the world to hang out there. Bean and Hytner haven’t got a clue about the East End. That’s why the play is bonkers!”

“We want a right of reply ­ a proper debate ­ not a 40 minute platform discussion where the director just asks some bland questions to the writer and we all go home. We want a vigorous and robust debate with Bean and Hytner and us on the same platform with the media and public present on mass.”

Organisers of the protest are asking everybody to come celebrate multicultural London and demand that East End artists have the right to a debate, and challenge misrepresentation of their communities. They are asking protesters to bring whistles and drums to stand up for multiculturalism.

Protest details:
5pm 27th February
National Theatre, Southbank, London SE1 9PX
Embankment and Waterloo tube stations.

For more information contact:
Hussain Ismail
hussain@soulfiretheatre.org.uk