Police investigate hate crime against Chichester Festival Theatre cast member
Sussex Police are investigating a report of homophobic abuse against a cast member of Chichester Festival Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The incident took place at approximately 6pm on Tuesday (October 13) in a car park behind East Street and Little London.
A police spokesperson said the report concerned three young men on bicycles directing homophobic abuse towards a man walking in the area.
“The incident is being treated as a hate crime,” the spokesperson said.
“Witnesses or anyone with information who has not already come forward can report it to Sussex Police online or call 101, quoting reference 47260238010.”
The incident involved a member of the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which stars comedian and satirist Munya Chawawa.
Tuesday evening’s performance was cancelled, with the show and theatre’s artistic director, Justin Audibert, making the announcement from the stage while the audience was seated.
In a statement issued on Wednesday (October 14), Chichester Festival Theatre said it was “deeply shocked” that a member of the company had been the victim of an “appallingly abusive attack”.
The theatre said the cast member had been “aggressively hounded and physically pursued through the centre of Chichester.”
It added: “We are profoundly sad and dismayed that such an atrocious thing has happened here in Chichester, and know that the vast majority of our fellow citizens will share our repugnance.
“We will do everything in our power to support the actor affected, and our companies, now and in future.”