The cast of the musical Only Fools And Horses are said to have been subjected to vile racist abuse by a ‘rowdy’ audience member during a performance at the Eventim Apollo in London’s Hammersmith on Friday.
Black actors Bradley John and Gloria Acquaah-Harrison, who play truck driver Denzil Tulser and new character Mrs Obooko, are said to have been the target of the disgusting comments that left them ‘visibly upset’.
An onlooker told it The sun: ‘It was a rowdy crowd, with everyone in the Christmas spirit, but this idiot ruined the performance for those in their ears’.
Before adding: ‘Security was unable to identify and eject the perpetrator.’
While a source close to the production told the publication: ‘Cast members were visibly upset, they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.’
Only the musical cast of Fools And Horses were reportedly subjected to vile racist abuse by a ‘rowdy’ audience member during a performance at the Eventim Apollo in London’s Hammersmith
Black actors Bradley John (L) and Gloria Acquaah-Harrison (R), who play truck driver Denzil Tulser and new character Mrs Obooko, are said to be the target of the backlash
Following the incident, the show’s bosses took to social media with a stark warning to prospective audiences
Denzil was played by actor Paul Barber in the original BBC sitcom, while Mrs Obooko is a new character created for the show.
Following the incident, show bosses took to social media with a stark warning to prospective audiences: ‘Here at Only Fools and Horses The Musical we always act with respect and kindness towards ourselves and others.’
‘We expect the same from our audience. Unfriendly comments, bullying, discrimination or any form of abuse towards our cast or company members will not be tolerated by the producers or theatres.”
‘We expect respect on and off stage. We aim to work closely with the venue teams to ensure the cast, company and audience embrace an environment of respect, inclusivity and safety.”
MailOnline has contacted the show’s producer for further comment.
The musical will run for three weeks at the venue over the festive period, with The Fast Show’s Paul Whitehouse as Grandpa and Vinnie Jones in the role of villain Danny Driscoll.
It comes next Sir David Jason praised the “hysterical and moving” musical after attending the gala performance last week.
The actor, 84, who played Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter in the much-loved BBC sitcom, said the show “brought a tear to my eye” as memories of his time on the series came flooding back.
Denzil was played by actor Paul Barber (R) in the original BBC sitcom, while Mrs Obooko is a new character created for the show (portrayed in the show with David Jason)
The musical runs for three weeks during the holidays, with Paul Whitehouse (R) as grandfather and Vinnie Jones (L) in the role of villain Danny Driscoll.
Sam Lupton has reprized his iconic character, with Vinny Jones playing Danny Driscoll and Paul Whitehouse as Grandpa.
Speak with The sun during the show, David said it was “hysterical” and added that he even laughed despite knowing the jokes.
The much-loved BBC sitcom ran from 1981 to 1991, followed by several Christmas specials ending in 2003.
In January 2022, Only Fools and Horses topped a BBC poll of the twenty best TV shows the corporation has ever made.
Sir David reportedly almost quit Only Fools And Horses during its heyday in 1986 and an almost completely different ending was written for the Del Boy character.
According to The sunWhile the actor was considering leaving, head writer John Sullivan wrote a possible final episode called Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
The episode aired that year, but almost had a completely different ending. It saw a character called Jumbo Mills arrive in Peckham after supposedly making a fortune while living in Australia.
The original idea was that Jumbo would cross paths with Del and entice him to return to Australia with him to make his fortune.
This would have given David the opportunity to make a complete break from the show as he prepared to continue the series without him.
Producers were reportedly considering making Nicholas Lyndhurst the star of a new version of the show called Hot Rod, which will center on his character Rodney.
With the fate of Only Fools And Horses hanging in the balance, David eventually changed his mind and decided to stay with the series.
The episode aired in which Del rejects Jumbo Mils’ offer to go to Australia.