U.K. Tour Stop of ‘Mean Girls’ Canceled Amid Racist Unrest
(Cast of UK tour of Mean Girls. Photo: Paul Coltas)
by Chris Peterson
The UK tour of Mean Girls has canceled the remainder of its Belfast engagement after several days of racist unrest in Northern Ireland.
The production was scheduled to play the Grand Opera House from June 9 through June 20. The opening performance was first canceled on Tuesday due to planned protests, followed by additional cancellations on Wednesday and Thursday. Producers have now confirmed that the rest of the run will not go forward.
According to reports, the unrest began after a knife attack in Belfast left a man seriously injured. A Sudanese man was later charged in connection with the attack, and the case quickly became a flashpoint for anti-immigration protests and racist violence. What followed was not simply a general public safety issue. Homes and businesses linked to immigrant communities were targeted. Vehicles were set on fire. People of color reported being afraid for their safety. Political leaders have condemned the violence as racist.
Vivian Panka, who plays the primary antagonist Regina George and is the first Black actress to take on the role in the UK tour, posted a video on TikTok saying she had not left her house since the trouble began. She said she had kept her blinds closed and was frightened by what was happening around her.
“I haven’t left my house because I am scared to do so,” Panka said, according to BBC News NI.
She also said people were “actively targeting black people” and that she had received angry messages from fans upset about the cancellation. She asked people to consider the situation from the perspective of the performers and theatre workers caught in the middle of it.
That raises a fair question for the Grand Opera House, the producers, and anyone responsible for the company while it is in Belfast: what is being done right now to keep Panka and the rest of the cast safe?
Hopefully, those protections are already in place. Hopefully, the company is being supported with secure lodging, safe transportation, direct communication, and whatever additional security is needed.
But those are fair questions to ask when a performer is publicly saying she is afraid to leave her house during racist and anti-immigrant unrest.
Canceling the performances was the correct call. It protects the cast, crew, theatre staff, and audiences from being asked to travel through a volatile situation simply to keep a tour schedule intact. But the cancellation should also shift attention to the people who were supposed to be on that stage. Are they safe? Are they being moved if they need to be moved? Are they being escorted if they need to travel? Are they being supported emotionally and professionally after being placed in a frightening situation far from home?
None of this means the public is entitled to private security details. It does mean the welfare of the company should be part of the conversation, not just refunds and rescheduled plans.
Vivian Panka should have been spending this week playing Regina George. Instead, she was explaining why she was afraid to open her blinds.
The cancellation may have protected the performance schedule from becoming more dangerous. Now the focus should be on making sure the people who were supposed to be on stage are protected too.