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Controversial Egg?

Thu, 30 Apr 2009, 10:07 am
class act theatre20 posts in thread
Class Act is in the middle of rehearsing "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" by Peter Nichols. This play was listed as being one of the recommended texts for WA high schools. So far, they are staying away in droves. Is this 1967 play too controversial for our modern audiences?? We have already had a school ring up and say they were disgusted by our flyer - which quoted a review from The Observer which was on the BACK of the actual text along with a review written in 1993 (we put both on the flyer thinking they were "safe" as they were published with the text!) The offending review was by Ronald Bryden in 1967 - " This remarkable play is about a nightmare all women must have dreamed at some time, and most men: living with a child born so hopelessly crippled as to be, as the father says in it brutally, "a human parsnip". For all that, it has to be described as a comedy, one of the funniest and most touching I've ever seen." I must admit that during rehearsals, I am cringing at some of the 1967 references - but because the play is not pc enough for today's standards - should we not perform it?? Should we be changing some of the offensive references? What do you think? Angelique Malcolm

Vested interests

Fri, 1 May 2009, 11:30 am
I think I might have to come see this one, if only to see whether or not it's accurate. freddie the rocking jedi badger

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