The Mean Girls Belfast run has been cancelled in full after unrest in the city, with Vivian Panka, one of the musical’s lead actors, saying she has been afraid to leave her accommodation.
Panka, a Dutch actor and the first Black performer to play Regina George in the UK tour, posted on TikTok that she had kept her blinds closed since disorder began on Tuesday. The production had been due to open at the Grand Opera House that evening, but the first performance was called off because of planned protests.
Producers later cancelled the Wednesday evening show and Thursday matinee. They have now confirmed that the rest of the Belfast engagement will not go ahead.
Why was the Belfast run cancelled?
The Grand Opera House said the decision followed “the uncertainty caused by the unrest in recent days”. In a statement, the theatre said the producers of Mean Girls had taken “the difficult decision” to cancel the musical’s run at the venue.
The show had been scheduled for a two-week stay, running from 9 June until 20 June. Ticket holders will be contacted directly by email in the coming days about refunds, according to the theatre.
The statement added: “We know that customers will share our disappointment, and on behalf of the producers and the Theatre, we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
That is the practical effect of the announcement: this is no longer a rolling assessment of individual performances. The Belfast dates are off.
What did Vivian Panka say?
In her TikTok post, Panka said she was “very sad that the situation is happening right now”. She described being frightened by events in the city and said the issue was not comparable to a routine performance cancellation.
“People are saying and doing things that I completely don’t agree with, and it’s very scary to be here right now, especially as a person of colour - but just I’m worried for everyone in our company,” she said.
She added: “There were fires in the street. The company that I work for and the theatre have decided to cancel yesterday’s show, which was good.”
Panka said she had received angry direct messages from fans about the cancellations and asked people to consider the circumstances before contacting her.
“I just really wanna ask people to think before they send me a DM because I haven’t left my house because I am scared to do so,” she said.
“My blinds, I just opened them slightly to make this video, but they have been closed.”
Safety, not scheduling, is the issue
Panka said the cancellations were not the result of an actor being unavailable, but a safety decision affecting the cast, theatre staff and audiences.
“I’m just very careful because I’m not even from this country,” she said.
“It’s not our choice to not come in. It’s a safety issue. And it’s not just for us, it’s for the audience and it’s for everyone who works at the theatre too.”
Her remarks also placed the unrest in a more specific context for performers of colour. Panka said people were “actively targeting black people”, making the situation especially alarming for her.
BBC News NI said it had contacted Sonia Friedman Productions and representatives of Vivian Panka for comment.
For audiences, the next step is refunds. For the company, the immediate issue is more basic: whether cast, crew, theatre workers and the public can safely gather for a performance. The decision has now been made, and Belfast will not host the remaining dates.
