HUNDREDS of artists have taken action against a major London theatre over its support from Barclays, campaigners said today.

Playwright Caryl Churchill has withdrawn a planned production from the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden after learning that the theatre receives support from the banking giant.

Barclays has over £2 billion invested in arms companies supplying weapons to Israel and also is providing £6.1bn in loans and underwriting to such firms.

Explaining her decision, Ms Churchill said: “Theatres used to say they couldn’t manage without tobacco sponsorship, but they do.

“Now it’s time they stopped helping advertise banks that support what Israel is doing to Palestinians.”

More than 300 theatre workers have signed an open letter, published today by Artists for Palestine UK, in support of Ms Churchill and calling on the Donmar to sever its relationship with Barclays.

Actors Alex Lawther, Asif Khan, Maggie Steed, Harriet Walter and Juliet Stevenson were among the signatories.

They noted that while they share the Donmar’s stated mission of building “a more empathetic society,” this is “precisely why we can no longer overlook Donmar’s relationship with Barclays, which enables Israel’s genocide, military occupation and apartheid against Palestinians.”

Campaigners say Barclays not only has billions of pounds invested in arms companies whose weapons are used in Israel’s assaults on Palestinians but is also the only bank with headquarters in Britain that serves as a “primary dealer” of Israel government bonds — directly helping to raise funds to cover the escalating cost of its military actions.

Ms Churchill’s withdrawal comes amid growing calls across the cultural sector for institutions to cut ties with organisations accused of complicity in Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Culture Workers Against Genocide, which co-organised the open letter, said: “There is an ethical dissonance amongst arts leaders on six-figure salaries partnering with corporations whose actions contradict the values their institutions claim to uphold.”

The Donmar was approached for comment.