Mrs Whitehouse Calls For Action Against Play (Press, 27 October 1980)
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Summary: Mrs Whitehouse Calls For Action Against Play (Press, 27 October 1980)
On 27 October 1980, a prominent British barrister, John Smyth, Q.C., claimed that the play "Romans in Britain" by Howard Brenton, currently showing at the National Theatre, breaches criminal law due to its explicit content. Smyth attended the performance on behalf of the National Viewers and Listeners' Association and reported his findings to the association's president, Mary Whitehouse, who opted not to watch the play herself. After the performance, Smyth recommended that the Attorney-General's consent be sought to initiate legal proceedings under the 1965 Theatres Act, asserting that a jury should determine if an offence had been committed. Whitehouse indicated her intent to approach Attorney-General Sir Michael Havers with Smyth's findings. The play, which attracted a full house of approximately 1,100 attendees, was noted to have included vulgar language and scenes, including an attempted homosexual rape and full frontal male nudity. The audience, which possibly included lawyers from the Department of Public Prosecutions, was reported to have reacted with criticism, as some described the performance as "boring." In contrast to Whitehouse's viewpoint, theatre critic Sir Harold Hobson, who is also a member of the National Theatre's board, defended the play. He described it as one of the National Theatre's most significant productions and argued against prosecution, stating that if the play is considered depraved and corrupt, then he too should be labelled as such. Hobson downplayed the graphic nature of the attempted rape scene, stating it represented a minor aspect of the overall work. He compared the language used in "Romans in Britain" to that of classic texts, stating that it was less offensive than what could be found in works such as "King Lear." The development highlights the ongoing debate regarding artistic expression and censorship in theatre, particularly in the context of contemporary societal norms and legal boundaries in 1980s Britain.
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