Theatre union Equity has criticised the cancellation of a play by Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, citing a “growing culture of censorship”. The production, a modern take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was cancelled after five weeks of rehearsals due to several challenges, including injuries and last-minute changes. However, anonymous sources cited in the Manchester Evening News claimed the cancellation was due to references to the Israel-Gaza war and trans rights, including the phrase “free Palestine” appearing on the set and in a song. A spokesperson for the theatre said the production faced “a number of challenges” and every effort was made to stage it.
Equity stated it was “deeply frustrated” at the lack of transparency over the cancellation and that unions were in talks with the theatre to safeguard artistic freedom. “We are fighting for artistic integrity, as well as dignity for our members and all working people,” it said in a statement. The cancellation has damaged the theatre’s credibility among some observers. Giovanni Bienne, a member of Equity’s LGBT+ committee, declared on Twitter “every director worth their salt who wants to address ‘complex issues’ will laugh and spit in the @rxtheatre’s face whenever they try to hire them”, adding that working there would make you an establishment stooge.
The theatre’s spokesperson responded that it wanted to work with artists who addressed complex issues but that in this case “despite our best efforts we were unable to get the show on as planned”. The Royal Exchange Theatre receives £2.4m a year from Arts Council England, the third-highest annual theatre grant. A spokesperson for Arts Council England emphasised that “all recipients of funding remain fully responsible for their operations, artistic programme, and the day-to-day management of their activities”.
Last year, the Royal Exchange scrapped the role of artistic director and created a lesser post of creative director. A statement by the director and the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream has not yet been released. Nonetheless, Equity is pushing for more transparency and ongoing dialogue with the Royal Exchange to protect the principle of artistic freedom, guaranteeing its members’ dignity at work and ensuring the integrity of collective agreements. It stands against censorship and hopes that this cancellation does not send a message that suppression of creative expression is acceptable
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