Munya Chawawa says racism and homophobia during Chichester theatre run was worst he’s ever seen
"I don’t know if I have witnessed and or experienced as much racism, xenophobia and homophobia as I saw in those six weeks," said the actor
By Aaron Sugg
Comedian Munya Chawawa has spoken out about the racism, xenophobia and homophobia he says he witnessed during his six-week run in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Chichester.
The comedian starred in the production at Chichester Festival Theatre, which ran from 18 September to 17 October 2026.
After his run came to an end, Chawawa took to Instagram to share his experiences. “For some of us, Chichester was a real struggle,” he wrote.
“I don’t know if I have witnessed and or experienced as much racism, xenophobia and homophobia as I saw in those six weeks. I think I saw more in those six weeks than I have actually seen across my entire lifetime.”
Munya Chawawa opens up about homophobic attack during A Midsummer Night’s Dream run
Chawawa also spoke about an alleged homophobic attack on a fellow cast member, which led to the cancellation of the 13 October performance. He described the incident as “the tip of the iceberg”.
According to Sussex Express, Sussex Police treated the alleged attack, in which the cast member was reportedly verbally abused and chased through Chichester city centre, as a hate crime. A teenage boy was later arrested as part of the investigation.
Chawawa also said students who attended the production were racially abused by someone in a passing car. In a separate incident, he described a boy on a bicycle directing the N-word at another visitor.
He added that a group of friends who had attended the show were followed to their hotel by a group of men and women chanting “dirty” at them.
Chichester District Council respond to Chawawa’s claims
Chichester District Council responded to Chawawa’s comments in a statement on its website, saying it was “deeply saddened” to hear about the experiences he described.
“Everyone should feel safe, welcome and respected, and to hear accounts of racism, xenophobia, homophobia and discrimination is incredibly upsetting. These behaviours are completely unacceptable and have no place in our district or our communities.
“We are committed to promoting equality, inclusion and opportunity for all, and to working closely with our partners, community organisations and residents to ensure that everyone who lives in, works in or visits our district feels safe, valued and respected.”
Chawawa urges people to speak out
In a subsequent post, Chawawa said he had received hundreds of messages of support.
“I want to put a positive button on things by saying the nature of this response is a reason to be hopeful,” he wrote.
Chawawa urged people to challenge hatred, speak to friends and family who may be drifting towards extreme ideas, and support those experiencing abuse.