Munya Chawawa has made another statement regarding his and his castmates’ experiences of racism, xenophobia and homophobia in Chichester, calling for locals to challenge hatred.

The actor, comedian and satirist, who played Bottom in Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, shared his experience via Instagram on Monday (October 19).

“For some of us, Chichester was a real struggle. I don’t know if I have witnessed and/or experienced as much racism, xenophobia and homophobia as I saw in those six weeks,” Munya said.

“I think I saw more in those six weeks than I have actually seen across my entire lifetime, which is just an insane concept.”

Munya Chawawa has made another statement regarding his and his castmates’ experiences of racism, xenophobia and homophobia in Chichester, calling for locals to challenge hatred. Photo: Munya Chawawa (contributed pic).

placeholder image — Munya Chawawa has made another statement regarding his and his castmates’ experiences of racism, xenophobia and homophobia in Chichester, calling for locals to challenge hatred. Photo: Munya Chawawa (contributed pic).

The Instagram story received significant attention from community leaders, charities, and media outlets, which, according to Munya, has led to him receiving “hundreds and hundreds of messages [...] some from strangers reaching out with support, most from locals expressing their sadness and shock to hear how their home may be transforming.”

The comedian made another statement on Wednesday (October 21), saying “the nature of this response is a reason to be hopeful.”

He explained how we owe it to ourselves to challenge hatred – by stepping in when we see acts of discrimination, by having conversations with family and friends, and by creating a culture where everyone feels safe and welcome.

The Mayor of Chichester, Sean McHale, shared his thoughts with the Chichester Observer on Thursday (October 22).

“I support [Munya Chawawa’s statement],” the Mayor said. “He says lots of people have reached out to him, and I think that reflects my view that the majority of people would be horrified by what happened to him.

“But we need to reflect on that, because it happened to him. I feel that it’s up to us now as all the agencies involved to do something further about it. I’ve reached out to Munya, I’ve asked to meet him because I’d like to hear firsthand what happened to him. It’s just appalling.”

Looking towards the future, Munya said: “I’m not sure if work will bring me to Chichester again, but I’d love to think that if it does – I get to see the place everyone has described so fondly to me in their messages.”

“Let the work start now!”