The Royal Exchange Theatre has issued a statement regarding the controversial cancellation of its production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, citing injuries, technical issues, and late changes.
The statement comes after widespread reports citing disagreements between the show’s director and the theatre over references to Palestine and trans rights as the reason behind the show’s cancellation.
In a new statement, the theatre said: “At the Royal Exchange Theatre we want to work with artists who address complex issues.
“Sadly, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream a number of challenges occurred which led to a decision to cancel the production – including injuries, a delayed technical week and changes late in the process.
“Despite our best efforts we were unable to get the show on as planned and took the difficult decision to cancel the production. Every effort was made to get the production on stage.”
The Manchester Evening News had earlier reported a source close to the director blaming internal conflict after director Stef O’Driscoll was told to remove references of the Free Palestine movement and trans rights.
The production – which was supposed to run from 6 September to 12 October – was a retelling of the classic Shakespeare comedy inspired by Manchester’s rave scene.
O’Driscoll originally wrote of the production: “I wanted to celebrate that music in this production and highlight Manchester’s many gifted artists, rappers, and MCs alongside Shakespeare.”
The M.E.N. reports Salo, one of the stars of the production, wrote in a recent Instagram story: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been cancelled. Apologies to everyone that was so excited to see this theatre production.
“The work I put into this was huge and I’m f****** gutted for myself and everyone involved. Don’t wanna talk about it too much as I’m emotionally drained but will answer any questions about it at a later date. Just need some time to process.”
The decision by the Royal Exchange Theatre has started new discussions around censorship, with trans rights figurehead India Willoughby saying support for trans people and Palestinians are close to being outlawed.
Entire run of contemporary version of Midsummer Night’s Dream cancelled at Manchester’s Royal Exchange – because of a scene supporting Trans and Palestinian Rights. Two things which are close to illegal in the Uk at the mo. https://t.co/wojUm0EY1i
— India Willoughby (@IndiaWilloughby) September 18, 2024
In April 2024, Manchester-based HOME theatre was also drawn into controversy regarding the Free Palestine movement after it temporarily cancelled a Palestinian literature event, citing safety concerns.
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