Two actors starring in Rotterdam, a play charting the story of a gay woman, were attacked with stones thrown from a car window on their way to the final performance of the play at the Nuffield Southampton Theatre (NST).
According to a statement from NST, the assailants verbally abused the actors before attacking them with the stones, one of which ‘struck an actor in the face’ – causing minor injuries and emotional trauma in what was described by the actor in question as a “cowardly, homophobic hate crime.”
The attack has led to the final performance of the Olivier-award winning play being cancelled, with the official cancellation notice stating that the NST is “devastated that this kind of behaviour is so prevalent, a fact which reinforces the importance of this play’s message. We are doing all we can to support the team and thank our audiences and colleagues for their support.”
Lucy Jane Parkinson, a lead actor in the play, has said that “the attack happened because we were embracing” and that there’s “no mistake that this was a homophobic hate crime.” She went on to say that “our community should not have to tolerate this. This is why we have Pride. We should take all the steps we can in the education system to help eradicate this aggressive ignorance.”
