Police were called to security at a London theater on the opening night of a play starring Jewish actress Tracy Ann Oberman over fears of an anti-Semitic attack, the Mail has revealed.
Officials at the Metropolitan Museum of Art have removed an audience member from the West End’s Criterion Theater for the first performance of “The Merchant of Venice,” in which the 57-year-old actress stars after receiving threatening online abuse. I watched it.
Ms Overman, best known for her role as Chrissy Watts on the BBC soap opera, has been an outspoken campaigner against rising antisemitism, particularly in the Labor Party under Jeremy Corbyn.
She stars as Shylock in a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, which has just moved to the West End, in which fascism spreads across Europe and a coalition of British fascists led by Oswald Mosley creates a Jewish militia. It reimagines a London on the brink of political instability that threatens the organization’s march. East end.
Ms Oberman previously appeared in the play at the Swan Theater in Stratford, and after giving a series of media interviews to promote it, she was subjected to vile abuse, including threatening online abuse. I know that there seemed to be some.
According to friends, she was so worried about the show being moved to the West End that her agent changed hands with London’s police force, which took the threat seriously and moved the show to the West End in time for the start of the show this week. He reportedly continued to be stationed outside the theater.
An audience member posted on X/Twitter about the presence of police officers on opening night.
He writes: “This is what we’ve arrived at: Police fear anti-Semitic violence as theatergoers line up to enter Criterion Theater to see Tracey-Ann Oberman’s ‘The Merchant of Venice.’ Suffice it to say, TA O is a bloody hero.”
Apparently, the actress shared a post on her own platform in X on Thursday.
After the play’s transfer to Criterion was confirmed, Oberman said: “We are reimagining Shylock as one of the tough, serious Jewish patriarchs and bringing this play to the stage in a new way. It was a lifelong dream of mine.” I grew up around them.
“The love from theater audiences across the country for this way of telling this story propelled us to the West End. I’m delighted that my dream touched people’s hearts along the way. Our move to Criterion could not be more timely, but it will continue to spread the message that we are stronger together.”
However, a friend of the actress said that the actress was worried about her appearance but was relieved to learn of the police presence.
They wrote in the Mail: “Just as many Jews believe that anti-Semitism is on the rise in this country and that anger at Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip is conflated with attacks on Jews in this country. Tracy is also very nervous right now.”
“She was so grateful to know that the police were outside the theater on opening night.”
Earlier this week it was acknowledged that reports of anti-Semitic incidents in the UK reached a record high last year.
The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 4,103 reported anti-Semitic hate incidents in 2023, up from 1,662 in 2022 and almost double the previous record of 2,255 in 2021. became.
Its annual report is based on self-reported incident figures.
Two-thirds of the incidents occurred after the October 7 Hamas attack.
The Metropolitan Police Department and Overman have been contacted for comment.