2nd Theatre cancels play

[TheVampire]

Second theatre cancels Sikh play

09:50am 22nd December 2004

A theatre boss has abandoned his plans to stage a controversial play that another venue pulled because of violent protests.

Neal Foster, the actor-manager of the Birmingham Stage Company, offered to put on Bezhti after the Birmingham Repertory Theatre cancelled further shows on Monday.

Sikh protesters demonstrating against the play's depiction of rape and murder in a fictional temple were involved in disturbances at the venue on Saturday.

Bosses decided to abandon future performances on safety grounds because faith leaders said they could not ensure there would not be a repeat of the violence.

Mr Foster said he, too, was pulling out following a request by the play's author, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti.

He said: "The plan I came up with was to invite theatres across the country to read the play and discuss it afterwards, to have a debate so there was more understanding about the whole issue.

"I was proceeding with these plans until I received a request from the author."

The request was made because of the "increased threats" to her safety, said Mr Foster, who also said he had received several threatening phone calls.

It has been reported that Ms Kaur Bhatti is in hiding after receiving death threats because of the play's subject matter, which Sikhs claim demeans their religion.

Sikh community leaders in Birmingham and elsewhere welcomed the Rep's decision to cancel the three-week run because of the offence they believed it caused to their faith. But it was criticised in many quarters as effectively censorship and the stifling of free speech.

(

Daily Mail)