Kit Harington has defended the decision to host black out nights in his new play, Slave Play, after former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the initiative "wrong and divisive."
In a recent interview with BBC, Harington, who stars in the play alongside Olivia Washington, Fisayo Akinade, and Aaron Heffernan, explained that the move is about creating a space for Black audiences to connect with the play's themes.
The play initiated controversy earlier this year when it announced two Black Out nights during the show’s 12-week run.
“I’ve come to realise or believe that it’s an incredibly positive thing," he stated.
The first black out performance took place earlier this month, and Harington described it as "an incredible show."
"Number one, if you are white, no-one’s stopping you buying a ticket, it’s not illegal to buy a ticket for that show, if you want to come. It’s saying, 'We would prefer the audience to be this,'" he added.
The Gmae of Thrones star continued, "Number two, I’ve been going to the theatre since I was young with my mum. I’ve only ever really known predominantly white audiences. It is still a particularly white space."
"So to have the argument that, oh, this is discriminating against white people, is I think vaguely strange and ridiculous," Kit Harington concluded.
Slave Play, written by Jeremy O Harris, explores themes of race, identity, and sexuality.
