The Stage

Call to fight censorship

Published Tuesday 31 May 2005 at 15:45 by Jeremy Austin

Measures must be taken by Equity, the union was told, against what members see as the growing threat of religious and political censorship that is already affecting productions ranging from theatre shows, major films and leading television shows.

Two motions, one from the Welsh National Committee and another from the North and East London Branch of the union called on council to set up a working party to monitor censorship and formulate a response that would defend members and a tradition of freedom of speech that one delegate described as “more precious than people being offended”.

While media attention has been focused on high-profile incidents of religious pressure groups attacking shows such as Sikh rape play Behzti in Birmingham and Jerry Springer - the Opera, which uses Biblical figures satirically, delegates were warned that family productions such as the Harry Potter movies and BBC ratings winner Doctor Who had also been targeted by clean-up campaigners.

Said one member: “It’s about the small stuff as well. The BBC was criticised for inappropriate words in Doctor Who. Harry Potter employs half the A-list in Equity and yet they get accused of promoting witchcraft and Satanism.”

The motions were passed by conference, although a motion to de-politicise them by removing references to the Iraq war was overturned.