Saturday, February 21, 2009

Play censored

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Anthony Neilson's theatre production "Stitching" was planned to be shown at the St James Cavalier (within walking distance from Valletta G-House) but the Maltese government (its board of film and stage classification) has decided to censor it, causing a stir in the Maltese theatre going public. Censorship in theatre has always been a bone of contention with Malta. Ads in imported women's magazines in the 70's were frequently censored with black felt-pen and a famous local playwright's production "Sulari fuq Strada Stretta" also in the seventies was not allowed to be shown at the Manoel Theatre.

Andrew Haydon writes in the Guardian's Theatre Blog:

What the Maltese government has issued amounts to a didactic list setting out what characters can and can't say in a work of art. It is unacceptable that the police force of a European democracy in the 21st century has the power to issue notices ordering that a play is not performed.

Read the rest of the article here.

The producers of the play have vowed to stage the play anyway. For more information click here.
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