THE CENSOR, by Anthony Neilson

'The Censor' was written in 1997 by Anthony Neilson, and immediately sparked controversy over its depiction of a woman defecating onstage. But this play actually tackles issues of the way we, as a society, consume entertainment in a far more subtle way, going beyond theatre's right to be explicit without censorship.

Our planned production got to the finals of the JMK Award 2012. It presented a love story set against the Karkaesque bureaucracy of the film classification board. Without judging the characters or their attitudes to sex, it imagined them as eccentrics torn between their personal desires and the ethical and social consequences, as we all are. Our influences included Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil' and the photography of Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton. Using an expressionistic set and flashback sequences, we confronted the difficult battle between film and theatre, and hoped to triumph in engaging hearts and minds.

This project was conceived by Kate O'Connor and designed by Stephanie Williams.
Our work proceeded through pre-production to detailed budget plans and a model box, leaving 'The Censor' ready to be staged at the bat of an eyelid. 
Picture
Drawings by Stephanie Williams