Showbiz I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice . Olivia Washington has defended Jeremy O.
Harris’s Slave Play as it makes its debut on London's West End amidst criticism. The American actress stars as Kaneisha opposite Kit Harington in the stage show, which explores race, identity and sexuality in 21st-century America. Also joining Washington and Harington in the cast is Fisayo Akinade, Aaron Heffernan, and original Broadway cast members James Cusati-Moyer, Chalia La Tour, Annie McNamara, and Irene Sofia Lucio.
Originally a smash hit on Broadway, the play garnered an unprecedented 12 nominations at 2021’s Tony Awards, setting a new record for a non-musical production. Despite its success, the three-act production has faced criticism ahead of its three-month run at London's Noël Coward Theatre. Some theatergoers have accused producers of “infantilising” audiences by providing instructions on breathing techniques.
According to the Guardian, critics also argued that the play also trivialised chattel slavery and left at least one audience member feeling "offended and traumatised". Reflecting on the divisive response, Washington, 33, 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.
” In the same interview, Washington, who is the daughter of Oscar winner Denzel Washington and twin sist.