Racist play lands UK's National Theatre in trouble

London, Mar.4 (ANI): A controversial play about immigration has landed Britain's National Theatre in the midst of an anti-racism row.

If the body continues to show "England People Very Nice, a new play by Richard Bean," anti-racism campaigners are now planning to picket audiences arriving at the theatre and Travelex, one of the National's main sponsors.

Last Friday, two protesters clambered on to the stage at the National's Olivier Theatre and condemned Bean as racist.

For 10 minutes, playwright Hussain Ismail and teacher Keith Kinsella interrupted a talk that Bean was giving prior to a performance of the play, before being ejected by security guards.

Bean's play charts the settling of the French Huguenot, Irish, Jewish and Bengali communities in Bethnal Green since the 17th century.

The National has billed it as "a riotous journey through four waves of immigration" in the East End of London.

But the protesters have failed to find anything humorous about its themes.

"Richard Bean is making it seem like all Bangladeshis are drug dealers or users, muggers and marry their cousins,"Ismail, 43, said. (ANI)