Controversial play banned

Nathan Brimmer

Jan 29th 2009, 23:34

After reading the script I realised the only shocking thing about this play is the lack of shock! A big deal is being made over nothing. I am surprised at how attacks are being made on this play yet nobody even batted an eyelid at the controversial "Blasted" or "Mercury Fur" productions put up in 2008.

Nothing being forced upon you. If certain "Taboo" topics do not appeal to you, then you can avoid them easily... just don't buy a ticket.

On a final note directed to Igalea... shut up. Wake up and smell the coffee. Its the 21st century, the Middle Ages are long gone so end this Crusade of yours and let people decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong.

Dr Keith Grech

Jan 29th 2009, 20:57

@ lgalea - Why are you quoting Canon Law? I though this was a democratic country in which there was a clear distinction between State and Church. Your implication that State authorities should in any way refer to Canon Law in is not only offensive but is also scary. It would be nothing less than those repressive countries which abide by the Sharia Law.

Edward Caruana Galizia

Jan 28th 2009, 21:12

From what i know about the play it doesnt exactly " promote" abortion does it? I mean, lets face it. No one is going to watch that scene and think- Wow i never knew i could do THAT.

Now lets look at the situation here. A play has been banned. This is not a good sign. I think Mr Buckle should put the play on anyway. These people who are choosing for us, in my opinion, have committed a crime against freedom. if you don t like the play- don't go and watch it. not that hard to do is it? Or is this more to do with the fact that these censors have suddenly realised, as has the church, that they no longer have the blind obedience or the majority?

@Lgalea: Nothing you have said is relevant to the situation. Unless you thought that by quoting Canon Law we would be inspired by your dogma and lack of knowledge of theatre. You HAVE read the play, right?

Natalie Guillaumier Owens

Jan 28th 2009, 19:17

I had a good laugh reading all these quotations from the Canon Law, like anyone gives a fig any more. Well, perhaps some do - but that's their business and their right. If certain people want to listen to a group of clerics, a number of whom have strived to hide their proclivity for child molestation for centuries, who am I to object? I, however, have lost any and all respect for the sanctimoniousness of these dictates. For I have a brain - thank you very much - and do not need anyone to tell me how to think.

Likewise, as a writer myself, I do not expect, nor do I condone, anyone telling me what I should read, write, or see. My senses are my own to use as I please.

And to equate the banning of a play with the "advertising" of drugs or abortion is like comparing oranges to monkeys. What do the arts have to do with advertising crime? Anyway, does this censorship apply only to plays and not TV or cinema? Rather discriminatory, innit?

I say - If you don't like it, stay at home or go elsewhere.

Alex Vella Gregory

Jan 28th 2009, 13:21

Whether one finds a play offensive or not is irrelevant. What is at stake here is the fundamental right to make up our own minds. It is up to me, and me alone, to decide whether something is good or bad. Given that everyone has free access to education in this country, we should all be equipped with the mental capacity to form an opinion.

I may or may not like a place not because of content, but for a thousand different reasons. There should always be a clear indication of what a play, film, etc is about, but to decided whether I should watch it or not is insulting and patronising.

And seriously, type in the word 'dildo' on google and you will instantly have access to stuff far worse than any play!

Franco Rizzo

Jan 28th 2009, 01:08

@lgalea

An Austrian man locked his daughter in a basement, had intercourse with her and had about 7 children during the time she was locked up.

Is that what people normally do, locking their children in the basement, and abuse them?

Is that what you call reality?

Pia Zammit

Jan 27th 2009, 17:23

@IGalea
get off your high horse sir. noone is 'running after' anyone with a dildo. let alone more than one dildo. the dildo in question in this play is used purely in context. the mutiliation is being misinterpreted and i'm not commenting on it as i don't want to ruin the ending of the play.

by your reasoning - Medea should never be staged. she kills her children for crying out loud. whatever next? What about Macbeth? all that murder and blood and dashing out of babies' brains! heaven forbid. Romeo and Juliet - THEY COMMIT SUICIDE. isn't that against the law and/or your christian beliefs? would you have those plays banned too?

noone is forcing you to come and watch. thankfully. i'd hate to have you in the audience to be frank. so don't come and watch - but don't sanctimoniously declare that because this isn't what you deem 'a play' then nobody else can watch it!

David Micallef

Jan 27th 2009, 14:52

@IGalea
should i be trembling with fear with your quotation from the Canon Law ??

What consitutes a play is definitely not based on what the roman catholic church says ,so do away with the sermon-styled rhetoric and let ppl have their thoughts challenged.

Don't worry if you don't like these kind of plays no one will force you to attend; marginalise you cos of your choice or be accused that you're the "self-destruction" of the human race ! But guess what ? What has been presented to humankind as an infallible authority did take the liberty to make such statements.

And in case you might have insinuated or hinted excommunication - wake up, Medieval ages have gone by a few hundred yrs ago. I don't think anyone will have any sleepless nights cos they might get excommunicated.

T Mifsud

Jan 27th 2009, 12:01

What's this? A small group of people acting as a nanny on all Maltese? Where are we, in China or Malta?

The board's job is to classify, not filter the content!

BAN CENSORSHIP!

lgalea

Jan 27th 2009, 08:58

A. Saliba
"The controversial play, by the Scottish writer Anthony Neilson, features characters assaulting each other with a dildo, and a woman mutilating and stitching up her private parts. When it was staged at the Edinburgh festival in 2002, some people walked out in disgust, according to reports in The Guardian newspaper."

Is that what people normally do, running after each other with dildos, and women mutilating their private parts and stitching them up?

Is that what you call a play?

Wesley Ellul

Jan 27th 2009, 00:37

It seems this must be a january thing with the the classification board...

Last year they were asking for censorship in Laughing Wild because a character was dressed as infant of prague, which talked about the fact that this "image" that the church held highly was a prime example of how the wayward the church is from Christ's actual intensions.

This year, same time of year, we have a play about a sexual diviance and abortion... and now this is bad as well... because people can't hear about people talking about these things...

I bet come next january and if have a play promoting free thinking, and it'd be censored, banned and probably erased from history.

How glad i am that we have these ALL KNOWING PEOPLE to tell me what i should and shouldn't see, who knows i may get ideas that aren't streamed to me by conventional media!

Scerri S

Jan 26th 2009, 19:38

What's this? Catholic Sharia?

A. Saliba

Jan 26th 2009, 19:04

@lgalea
"I am against censorship, but would you allow the advertising and promotion of abortion or drugs?
That is the question."

Is the play explicitly encouraging people to commit a crime? No, it simply portrays people doing something which is a basic civil right in most countries, but that happens to be a crime in this isolated, backward, 16th Century, Church-run country of ours.

Eric Soames

Jan 26th 2009, 18:53

To expand on Igalea's quote. (Can. 1398 A person who actually procures an abortion incurs a latae sententiae excommunication): what do you get for unsuccessful attempts?

lgalea

Jan 26th 2009, 17:31

Joe Cordina
I am against censorship, but would you allow the advertising and promotion of abortion or drugs?
That is the question.

Ann DeMarco

Jan 26th 2009, 15:53

Whether the play promotes abortion or not (it doesn't) is not the issue. The issue is that we are being told by some board of classification that we are not mature enough or intelligent enough to present the play or to watch it. Who is the board to decide? This is a play, it's not a tv programme transmitted into your house, which you may come across by chance and be horribly shocked by. It's a play, people chose to come and watch it - and no one should have the right, in these supposed enlightened times, to tell Unifaun that they're not allowed to produce it.

Franco Farrugia

Jan 26th 2009, 15:24

So, in this day and age, in Malta, member of the EU, we still have the need of Big Brother telling us what to watch and what not to watch.

This play should go underground, as happens elsewhere.

Mark J Galea (mj)

Jan 26th 2009, 15:06

@ Randolph Spiteri - I totally agree with you. People are not being forced to watch this play. They actually have to pay to watch it. Hence, if there is an advisory notice on the ads of this event, I can see no reason why a theatrical event should be censored.

This will be happening behind closed doors - for heaven's sake. The irony is that there is a huge probability this play (or parts of it) can be watched over the net. Better still, you may order the script or the novel (if it exists) over the internet, and it will be delivered to your doorstep.

So we're old enough to decide whether Malta should join the EU, we're old enough to decide who should lead the country for 5 years, but we're not mature enough to watch a controversial play. This is absolutely ridiculous.

mj

lgalea

Jan 26th 2009, 14:15

Code of Canon Law, Canon 1398,
"A person who procures a successful abortion incurs an automatic (latae sententiae) excommunication."

Henrik Piski

Jan 26th 2009, 14:09

One can only wonder why censorship of artistic productions exist here in Malta...this play has often been presented in the U.K., why not here? Readers can find a critic of it at http://www.curtainup.com/stitching.html

Joe Cordina

Jan 26th 2009, 14:09

@IGalea
You are either aginst censorship or not. Your comment does not make sense

Ramon Casha

Jan 26th 2009, 13:51

BAN CENSORSHIP!!

I have no objection to classification, in which we are told what to expect - this allows people to make an informed choice. The idea of having material banned because of its subject matter is a different matter however.

If they ban this play because it discusses abortion, what would they do with a play or film that portrays murder? Oh wait, that would be half of all films so those are ok.

I sincerely hope that Mr. Buckle doesn't give up on this one.

Michael Jones

Jan 26th 2009, 13:43

Chruch 1 Malta 0

lgalea

Jan 26th 2009, 13:41

I am against censorship because why should anyone else decide for me what I should see or read?

The only question that remains is whether the play is promoting abortion in which case I agree that it should not be allowed.

rene joseph

Jan 26th 2009, 12:42

the only thing that should be banned is the Board of Film and Stage Certification.

Randolph Spiteri

Jan 26th 2009, 10:41

These things only happen in China !!

I'm not saying we should approve abortion, but now
even discussing it and making a play about it is forbidden !

As long as the play is for adults only, I don't see any problem.
There are far more horrible things available on the internet
today than merely a play which involves abortion.

Simple .. if you don't like to watch ... don't !!

j.spiteri

Jan 26th 2009, 10:40

what happened to people's freedom???was he forcing anybody to go see his play??can't we make up our own minds if we want to see it or not???