Munya Chawawa describes abuse during Chichester theatre run

Comedian and actor Munya Chawawa says he and others involved in A Midsummer Night’s Dream encountered repeated racism, xenophobia and homophobia during the production’s six-week run in Chichester, describing the experience as worse than any prejudice he had witnessed or experienced across his lifetime. Chawawa made the comments after the production at Chichester Festival Theatre ended. He said an alleged homophobic attack on a cast member, which led to a performance being cancelled, was only one of several incidents during the run. His account of the broader pattern comes from his own statements; the reports do not independently verify most of the other alleged incidents. The theatre said a cast member was aggressively hounded and physically pursued in Chichester city centre before the scheduled performance on October 13. It said the incident left the victim, company and staff shaken. Sussex Police treated the incident as a hate crime, and a teenage boy was arrested during the investigation. One report said he was later released on bail pending further inquiries; the reports provide no final investigative or legal outcome. Chawawa also said schoolchildren visiting the...