Letters to the Editor
Theatre Censorship Frith Banbury and others Detention of Mental Cases
Dr. Donald Mcl. Johnson, MP
The Insolence of Office J. M. L. North Montessori and the Right Boot E. Mortimer Standing,
Sir Thomas and Lady Bazley Pop' Fiction Howard Wyce Converted Vans and Purchase Tax Cavalier Treatment Disenchantment Russians at Play Sakiet The Rent Act Supreme Commander Captain John Creswell. RN (Read.)
Ian Sainsbury, R. B. Browning Hubert Fenwick J. M. Jacobs J. E. M. Arden R. R. Rivaz F. G. Penney
THEATRE CENSORSHIP
SIR,—A summons has been brought by the Police against the manager, producer, playwright, licensee and one actor who were concerned in the production of the play You Won't Always be on Top, at the Theatre Royal, Stratford atte Bow, last autumn. It alleges that they: 'Unlawfully for hire presented parts of a new stage play entitled You Won't Always be on Top before such parts had been allowed by the Lord Chamberlain, contrary to Section 15, Theatres Act, 1843.' The case is to be heard before the West Ham magistrates on April 16.
Theatre Workshop, the company concerned, is famous in this country and abroad for fertile and original work in both contemporary and classical drama. It is out of the West End and lives, as such experimental companies have always lived, on a shoe- string. It is completely without reserves to meet the cost of its defence in court and would almost cer- tainly have to close unless it receives financial help.
The Home Secretary recently announced that he was going to study the law of theatre censorship, which has been exercised for two centuries by a Court official, the Lord Chamberlain, and it seems likely that the law is about to undergo one of those concentrated inspections by public opinion to which we in this country periodically subject our more con- troversial institutions. For this reason, as well as for the great intrinsic merit of Theatre 'Workshop itself, we should like to see the defence conducted in the best possible way, and appeal to your readers to contribute to a Defence Fund. Cheques, payable to the Theatre Workshop Defence Fund, may be sent to the Hon. Wayland Young, 100 Bayswater Road, Lon- don, W2.—Yours faithfully, FRITH BANBURY GEORGE DEVINE RICHARD FINDLATER PETER HALL HA RE WOOD WOLF MANKOWITZ HENRY SHEREK KENNETH TYNAN
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