Bev Jenkins said she was set to direct a production of the 1980s BBC sitcom, ‘Allo ‘Allo, but Ludlow Assembly Rooms prevented the return of the show after receiving several complaints over its contents.
Fiona Morrell, the CEO of Ludlow Assembly Rooms, claims no confirmed booking or formal approach was made for the show – but would not categorically deny Ms Jenkins’ claims.
The stage production, created by Ludwig Theatre Arts, was a follow-up to a previous show that ran at the Assembly Rooms in April and is set in a time of Nazi-occupied France, following “reluctant hero” René Artois, who spends his time dodging the Gestapo whilst hiding two British airmen. It is based on the popular TV series that became a British classic during the 80s.
“No one is forced to attend a theatre production. “‘Allo ‘Allo” is well known for its innuendo, caricatures, and wartime satire,” Ms Jenkins said.
“Audiences know exactly what they are booking to see. It reflects a particular style of British comedy from another era, and whether one personally likes that humour or not, it remains part of our cultural and theatrical history.
“If amateur theatre groups become fearful of performing anything that might offend a handful of people, where does it end?
“Do we begin quietly removing classic comedies, pantomimes, historical dramas, and satire from local stages because someone, somewhere, may object?”
Although the original BBC series was much-loved by viewers, in recent years it was given a content warning for “offensive and outdated jokes about French and German stereotypes,” The Express reported.
Ms Jenkins has questioned whether the decision not to bring back the production will send the wrong message to the hundreds of theatre-goers who attended the first show, which brought “enjoyment to so many”.
“This is not about demanding that everyone approve of every joke or every script,” she added.
“It is about whether the arts should be shaped by open-minded discussion and audience choice — or by a culture increasingly quick to censor and restrict.
“Surely the better response to material someone dislikes is simply not to buy a ticket, rather than preventing everyone else from making that choice for themselves.”
But Fiona Morrell, the CEO of Ludlow Assembly Rooms, said: “The team consider all submissions on their merits but we’ve not had a formal request.”
She added: “We receive far more applications to put on work than we are able to programme and thus consider each one carefully based on our artistic vision and plans for the season.
“We are still at the stage of planning what shows we want to do together next year.”
Jack Ludwig, owner of Ludwig Theatre Arts, said the company was only in the early stages of ‘Allo Allo 2’ and had not formally booked the production yet.
He added: “We are excited for The Addams Family and continuing to grow our relationship with LAR.”