Wiltshire school reviews plan to stage bawdy play

4:33pm Friday 24th October 2008

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A Wiltshire school is "reviewing" its decision to allow a 300-year-old Restoration comedy to be performed in its hall after it emerged the bawdy plot involved a man pretending to be impotent to seduce women.

Plans by an amateur dramatic society to stage William Wycherley's notorious 1675 work, The Country Wife, led the comprehensive school to consider censorship for the first time.

The Bradfordian Dramatic Society's production of the play, which is billed as "sparkling and saucy", was due to begin its run at St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon next week.

The piece was seldom performed until the 1920s because of its content, but is now deemed a classic of the era.

Today the text, which tells the story of a young rake's efforts to bed a string of London society women, still has the power to provoke.

Headteacher James Colquhoun said that governors were conducting a review of the situation.

One concerned resident wrote a letter to the society branding their production "a disgrace".

Mr Colquhoun, whose school specialises in performing arts, said in a statement: "For years, the school has hosted productions put on by the Bradfordians who have paid for hire of our facilities.

"The school has not felt the need to exercise any censorship up until now, but the governors will review the situation before the next meeting."

The production is due to run until a week on Saturday at the school. It is not being performed for pupils - although anyone can buy a ticket - and the school is being hired as a venue.

The angry letter to the society, published by the Bath Chronicle, said: "We are utterly horrified that the BDS is performing such a play that is so dismissive of marital infidelity and unselfish love."

It went on: "It is a disgrace for our lovely town to host such a play and we are extremely disappointed in the BDS."

Members of the society said they were shocked the play was causing such controversy.

Director Graham Billing said today: "It's a play about a man who in his attempt to seduce as many women as possible pretends to be impotent, so their husbands don't object to him spending time with them.

"There is no sexual swearing, no nudity and no representation of sex on the stage although it is clear that sex has taken place. There's a very oblique reference to a sexually transmitted disease - all they say is that one of the characters has been away in France.

"There was a classic production in the 1930s at the Old Vic with Michael Redgrave. This is one of the great British comedies and it has received alot of scholarly attention.

"It's not a shabby little shocker. The school is hired as a venue, it's nothing to do with the staff or pupils, except in so far as anyone can buy a ticket. We do say it is not suitable for children, because they wouldn't understand it.

"One of the reasons why it is thought of as a 'problem play' is because the main character doesn't get his comeuppance because people continue to believe reports of his impotence.

"But the people really criticised in the play are the gullible and complacent husbands who treat their wives badly.

"In no way is the language smutty. In fact it's alot less 'objectionable' than some of Shakespeare. I would be very happy to speak to the school about this at any time."

Charlotte Howard, who will be playing the title role, told the Chronicle: "It is interesting that it is still causing controversy. I think it is pretty light in this day and age and really quite tame."