The actor’s union Equity has criticised the “lack of transparency” that led to the cancellation of the Royal Exchange’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The union has called out the “growing culture of censorship created by funders and pressure groups.
The show was cancelled at the weekend due to a dispute over a song within the play that referenced the current conflict in Gaza and trans rights
After meeting with the theatre’s management this afternoon the union released a statement which said:
“While we welcome the engagement, we remain deeply frustrated by the lack of transparency regarding the events leading to the cancellation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
For Equity, this is an issue of dignity at work and freedom of expression. We absolutely back the rights of our members – performers, stage management, creative team and all involved in the production – to be treated with dignity and respect at work.
We reject the growing culture of censorship created by funders and pressure groups. We are fighting for artistic integrity, as well as dignity for our members, and all working people.
“We remain in conversation with Royal Exchange management to protect the principle of artistic freedom, guarantee our members’ dignity at work, and ensure the integrity of our collective agreements.”
Earlier the Royal Exchange Theatre has issued a statement following the cancellation.
The rave inspired production was cancelled due to a “number of issues with the production”, it was claimed at the time
In a statement issued today breaking their silence on the issue a spokesperson 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.”
