Royal Court renames play’s tycoon after accusation of anti-Semitism
Jewish community protest persuades London theatre to change name of Silicon Valley mogul character
‘For clarification, the character is not Jewish and there is no reference to being Jewish in the play’
‘Apparently The Royal Court claims they didn’t realise “Hershel Fink” was a Jewish name. Hmm. Somehow it just sounded so right for a world conquering billionaire’
THE Royal Court Theatre has been forced to change the Jewish name of a billionaire in one of its latest plays after it was accused of “unconscious bias” and anti-Semitism.
The theatre has apologised and changed the name of the character Hershel Fink in the new play Rare Earth Mettle to Henry Finn.
Intended to be a Silicon Valley mogul and chief executive of an electric car company with clear parallels to Elon Musk, the character of Fink is not represented on stage as being Jewish.
But the use of a Jewish name, along with his characteristics as a billionaire with malign intentions, prompted accusations that the theatre was perpetrating insulting tropes and stereotypes about Jews.
The Royal Court, on Chelsea’s Sloane Square, announced yesterday that the naming of the character was an example of “unconscious bias” and would now be changed.
In a statement the theatre said: “The Royal Court Theatre apologises unreservedly for this situation. We acknowledge that this is an example of unconscious bias and we will reflect deeply on how this has happened.
“For clarification, the character is not Jewish and there is no reference to being Jewish in the play. We and the writer are deeply sorry for any harm this may have caused. In response to our learning the writer has changed the name, as of last night.”
The theatre added: “We stand in solidarity with and full support of our Jewish staff, artists, audiences and friends and are grateful to those who got in touch to communicate that the character named Hershel Fink was perpetuating an anti-Semitic stereotype.
“We are grateful to the members of the Jewish community who got in touch with the Royal Court to communicate the name of one of the characters in Rare Earth Mettle is anti-Semitic.
“In response, the writer has changed the name to Henry Finn. This will be effective from the first performances next week, and we shall reprint all communications and the play text with this change.”
The play, directed by Hamish Pirie, Royal Court’s associate director, and starring Arthur Darvill as the billionaire, is described as “a brutally comic exploration of risk, delusion and power”.
Its writer Al Smith, pictured below, whose credits include Diary of a Madman, The Astronaut Wives Club, Holby City and EastEnders, is not Jewish. The theatre said he would not be commenting on the name change.
Critics had pointed out that a trailer for the play appeared to contain antiSemitic tropes involving lving the accumula accumulation of money, the abuse of power and the theft of land d from others.
David Baddiel, the comic and author of the book ok Jews Don’t Count, about the failure ilure of identity politics to show solidarity olidarity with Jewish people and d who had previously been critical about the naming of f the character, welcomed med the change but ut repeated his criti- cism of the original nal decision to use the name.
“Apparently The Royal Court claims ims they didn’t realise alise e “Hershel Fink” was sa Jewish name,” ,” he h wrote on Twitter. er. “Hmm. Some- how it just sounded so r i ght for a world conquering billionaire. “I’ve written a p play. Everything, particularly pa now an and particularly about abo ethnicity, gets relentlessly relen discussed. Except as regards one ethnicity, ethnici apparently.” He added: a “To be fair The Royal Ro Court have acknowledged acknow their unconscious uncons bias here and changed cha the name.
It’s still a very instructive Jews Don’t Count episode.”
Others in the theatre world have joined the criticism of the way the Royal Court has handled the issue.
Edward Einhorn, the playwright and theatre director, said: “This nonsense from the Royal Court. Man, the Shylock stereotype is enduring.”
Adam Lenson, a director and producer of theatre musicals, wrote on Twitter: “So Al Smith at The Royal Court has taken a character clearly based on Elon Musk and when fictionalising him has given him an obviously Jewish name. Casually making a Silicon Valley billionaire Jewish perpetuates anti-Semitic stereotypes and will cause ideological harm.”
The theatre became embroiled in a row over anti-Semitism in 1987, after it tried to stage the play Perdition, which accused Zionists of collaborating in the Holocaust. The production, to have been directed by Ken Loach, was scrapped before its planned preview.
The Royal Court said yesterday that it was examining “the process that enabled this name to be unquestioned and what is missing in our systems that would have mitigated this unnecessary harm”.
It added: “Our anti-racism work is current and ongoing, and this experience proves once again how necessary and wide that work must be.
“We will work hard now in the hope of restoring trust and confidence within our Jewish community.”