Tuesday, December 21 2004 10:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: The row over a controversial play, that members of the Sikh community in Britain claim demeans their religion, took a new twist last night (Dec 20, 2004) when another theatre in Birmingham offered to stage it.

Officials at the Birmingham Stage Company said that they would be prepared to put on the play, 'Bezhti' (dishonour) after the Birmingham Repertory Theatre yesterday (Dec 20, 2004) said that it was scrapping the rest of the play's three-week run production.

Neal Foster, actor-manager of the Birmingham Stage Company, hoped the Repertory would change its decision but added that if it did not, his organization, which is based at the Old Rep theatre in the city, would be prepared to put on the play.

"The story cannot end here. I will be willing to produce the play in Birmingham. I think freedom of expression is more important than health and safety."

He claimed West Midlands Police were prepared to protect the theatre for the remainder of the play's run. He was looking to discuss the matter with officials from the Rep and other venues in Birmingham with a view to staging the play, written by a young Sikh playwright, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatt.

"I have full respect for the Sikh community. I did a production with them last year. I can fully understand their position. But that doesn't entitle violence to be used to stop something being shown."

Protesters said that 'Behzti', which depicts sexual abuse and murder in a Gurdwara, portrayed the Sikh faith negatively.

Foster said that any production of the play with his involvement would be carried out with full consultation with faith leaders and their right to protest and explain their position fully.

While announcing cancellation of the show, Stuart Rogers, executive director of the Birmingham Rep, said that the play was being cancelled on safety grounds after five police officers were injured when 400-strong Sikh protestors stormed the theatre on Saturday (Dec 18, 2004) night.

Rogers said that the theatre board had been left with no option after Sikh community leaders refused to give assurances that there would be no repeat of Saturday's "deplorable" violence, during which windows and doors were smashed and policemen were injured.

Rogers said, "We are determined not to go down the road of censorship but when one stands in the foyer with 800 women and children and sees stones being thrown and police officers injured, then security and safety issues come to the fore. They have to."

"We are certainly not bowing to censorship, we have refused to change the play. We cannot continue it solely for safety reasons and this decision will certainly not affect the sort of plays that we commission and produce in the future."

The protesters claim the black comedy, which has a cast of seven, demeans Sikhism by depicting rape and murder taking place in a Gurdwara. They asked for the setting to be changed to a secular community centre, but the theatre refused, saying it would not bow to censorship.