A theatre has urged white people not to attend a play, arguing that its audience should be “free from the white gaze”.
The Theatre Royal Stratford East, in east London, said that white visitors should not come and watch a performance of Tambo & Bones on July 5.
Organisers said they are hosting the one-off “Black Out” event to create a “safe, private” space for an “all-black-identifying audience” to explore race-related issues.
While the theatre’s website stated that “no one is excluded”, promotional material made it clear that white theatregoers are not welcome.
A description for the show read: “A Black Out night is the purposeful creation of an environment in which an all-black-identifying audience can experience and discuss an event in the performing arts, film, and cultural spaces – free from the white gaze.”
The UK’s first black police and crime commissioner (PCC) condemned the event, warning that it set a “poor and dangerous precedent”.