Theatre begins review after play axed in content row

The Royal Exchange in Manchester had been due to stage A Midsummer Night's Dream for five weeks

A theatre has launched a review to learn from the "issues that arose” after it cancelled a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, prompting a censorship row.

The Royal Exchange in Manchester scrapped its entire five-week run of a modern retelling of the Shakespeare play, reportedly in a dispute over references to the Israel-Gaza war and trans rights.

The theatre insisted it wanted "to work with artists who address complex issues" but the play faced "a number of challenges".

It said a review would now look into the whole production, including the commissioning, research and development process, as well as the rehearsal stages, with a view to learning lessons for the future.

Arts union Equity previously said it was "deeply frustrated" at a perceived lack of transparency over the cancellation, and said it was speaking to theatre bosses to "protect the principle of artistic freedom".

The Manchester Evening News reported that the show, set in the city's present-day rave scene, was axed after managers objected to a song with lyrics that referred to trans rights and the phrase "free Palestine".

Theatre news outlet The Stage said one of the points of contention was "free Palestine" being daubed on the set as well as featuring in a rap.

Director Stef O’Driscoll told the outlet the situation left the show’s company feeling “devalued, invisible, problematic and unsafe”.

Ms O’Driscoll said executive staff stated that the production could not go on unless the phrases “trans rights” and “Free Palestine” were removed.

'Political views'

She said there was "a lack of proper and rigorous artistic support" and she felt that what happened was not an "isolated incident but reflects a growing trend of censorship and fear-driven decision-making in the arts".

"As artists, we are losing the very spaces that are meant to challenge, provoke and speak to the issues of our time," she said.

"In this instance, it is profoundly concerning and distressing that theatre artists have not been allowed to speak freely on a major UK stage."

A theatre representative said the production company had been invited to participate in the review and the theatre was "open to exploring future collaborations".

"We do not censor artistic voices, however challenging they may be," they said.

"Collaboration and feedback are a key part of our process, ensuring we develop world class theatre for everyone."

The theatre said "a wide range of issues" led to the cancellation, including injuries to actors, new elements to the content and logistical problems

"Elements introduced to A Midsummer Night’s Dream at a late stage were not embedded into the script," the representative said.

"Complex issues that deeply affect many of our audience members lacked context within the wider narrative of the production.

"These additions included audience participation, and a call and response towards the end of the play.

"We have no issue with artists putting forward political views, but they need to be fully contextualised."