A five-week run of A Midsummer Night's Dream at a major Manchester theatre was cancelled after the director bitterly feuded with theatre bosses over references to Palestine and trans rights. The Royal Exchange Theatre, which sits in the heart of the city, was due to run a modern version of the Shakespeare classic set in contemporary Manchester with a drum and bass soundtrack. It was directed by Stef O'Driscoll, known for her work in London's Royal Court Theatre. Theatre bosses cancelled the first few performances, which were due to start on September 6, citing a cast injury and a 'technical issue.'
But Reader, that wasn't the real reason...
But the real reason for the cancellation was that theatre bosses objected to a song in the production which referred to trans rights and the phrase 'Free Palestine', Manchester Evening News revealed.
Whereupon it was impressed upon the director who was paying.
A meeting between the cast, director and upper management took place last Wednesday, where disagreements were supposed to be worked through. But a source told the paper that the row could not be resolved.
And now the money tap has been turned off.
And poor Stef has gone whinging to the Luvvie's Rag claiming that the situation left the show’s company feeling ‘devalued, invisible, problematic and unsafe’. A bit like trans activists and Palestine terrorism marchers make women and Jews feel, eh, Stef?
Is there an even smaller violin in the house?
ReplyDeleteIf these people are so interested in modernising plays and musicals, they could always have a go at "Fiddler on the Roof", with Hamas taking the place of Russia. A few songs about Palestinians using young children and babies as body armour, while going about their attacks on Jews, should go down well, or is this bigotry only acceptable one way?
ReplyDeleteWhat I would really like to see is the musical "The Book of Allah". I'm sure there will be more than a few laughs in that.
Penseivat
It's been a while since I came across 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' but I'd probably remember if Shakespeare had put in any songs about trans rights and Palestine. Maybe they would get somewhere if they cut out the blundering hacking of the playwright's work.
ReplyDeleteMind you that could eventually lead to nothing but productions of 'The Merchant of Venice' of course.
"Is there an even smaller violin in the house?"
ReplyDelete😏
"If these people are so interested in modernising plays and musicals, they could always have a go at "Fiddler on the Roof", with Hamas taking the place of Russia. "
Sacrilege!
"Maybe they would get somewhere if they cut out the blundering hacking of the playwright's work."
Some modern productions have been good - 'Forbidden Planet', for example.