We must defend freedom of expression - Petition defends Director of Behztii

We must defend freedom of expression

December 23, 2004, London

We deplore the violent events that have very regrettably led to the cancelling of the remaining performances of Behzti (Dishonour) by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti at Birmingham Repertory theatre on grounds of the safety of the audience, performers and staff of the theatre.

We all have the right to protest peacefully if a work of art offends us. We do not have the right to use violence and intimidation to prevent that work of art from being seen by others. To verbally and physically threaten a writer, audience members, performers and theatre staff is unacceptable. To attempt to censor a play because some incidents in it would thereby be rendered less offensive to some people if they were set elsewhere is unacceptable. To stop the production of a work of art by means of force and continued threats of force is unacceptable. To make death threats against a writer and a writer's relatives is illegal.

Doubtless, some will see the fact that the play's production has been brought to an end by this campaign of intimidation as some kind of victory. The reality is we all lose by it. The violent abuse of power to silence the individual in a community is one of the main themes of this writer's play. It is a sad irony, therefore, that the violent actions of some of the protestors on Saturday have actually only served to confirm the play's relevance to us all.

It is a legitimate function of art to provoke debate and sometimes to express controversial ideas. A genuinely free, pluralist society would celebrate this aspect of our culture. Those who use violent means to silence it must be vigorously opposed and challenged by all of us, whatever our faith, belief or opinions.



Shelley King
Yasmin Wilde
Munir Khairden
Jimmy Akingbola, actor, BEHZTI company
Harvey Virdi, actor, BEHZTI company
Pooja Kumar, actor, BEHZTI company
Madhav Sharma, actor, BEHZTI company
Janet Steel, director, BEHZTI
Alan Brodie, agent
Brigid Larmour, artistic director, Act Productions
David Edgar, writer
Stephanie Dale, writer
Jon Nichols, composer
Kimberley Andrews, student
Leah Schmidt, The Agency (London) Ltd
Marilyn Eardley, associate producer, Fiery Angel Ltd
Nick Quinn
Nick Starr, executive director, National Theatre
Paul Sirett, Dramaturg, RSC
Peggy Paterson, managing director, Script
Roy Williams, writer
Shelley Silas, writer
Suzy Almond, writer
Tariq Ali, writer
Tim Reeves, lecturer
Patrick Morris, associate director, Menagerie Theatre Company
Jonathan Coe, writer
Gavin Barker, agent/manager
Faye Webber, The Agency
Richard Haigh, Performing Arts
Stella Duffy, writer
Paul Higgins, Theatre 503
Anna Bewick, Theatre 503
Ted Braun, Emeritus Professor of Drama, University of Bristol
Bethan Evans, writers' gent
Stuart Macdonald, PW Productions Limited
Sonia Friedman
Paul Unwin, Film and TV writer/director
Ruth Levitas, Professor of Sociology, University of Bristol
Professor Christopher McCullough, Professor of Theatre
Angela Adler, Personal Managers' Association
Angela Clerkin
Fiona Keating
David Greig, writer
Ian Billings M.A
Michael Coveney, theatre critic
Paul Raffield
Tim Lott, author/columnist
Laura Fitzsimon, production administrator, Stanhope Productions
Vivien Goodwin, managing director, Samuel French Ltd
Wyn Davies, conductor
Bryony Weaver, sub-editor, Millivres Prowler Group Ltd
Lee Blakeley, director
Clare Vidal-Hall, Clare Vidal-Hall Agency
James Clutton, producer, Opera Holland Park
Leslie Woodhead, documentary -maker
Deborah Catesby, playwright
Wayne Dowdeswell, lighting supervisor, Swan Theatre
Thea Sharrock, artistic director, Gate Theatre
Nicky Sparrowhawk, Box-office supervisor, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Sam Boardman-Jacobs, writer/director/academic
Steven Pimlott, Artistic Director, Chichester Festival Theatre
Suzanne Bell, literary manager, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Tim Brunsden, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Dr Michael Fry, senior lecturer in Theatre, Coventry University
Dr Elsa Braekkan Payne, director of the BA (Hons) in Creative Writing, University of Birmingham
Clare Eden, theatrical agent
Anthony Holden, writer
Michael Eaton, writer
Hugh Fraser
John O'Farrell
Lynne Parker, artistic director of Rough Magic Theatre Company
Loughlin Deegan, producer, Rough Magic Theatre Company
Lucy Woollatt, National Theatre
Richard Eyre
Tom Bryson, writer
Rachel Taylor, co-ordinator, script
John Bowen, professor of nineteenth century literature, University of York
Gary Stewart, Stratford manager, RSC
Alex Chisholm, literary manager, West Yorkshire Playhouse
Kevin Elyot, playwright
Stephen Butchard, writer
Anna Webster
Sarah Ogle, marketing director, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Angus MacKechnie, National Theatre
Katharine Rogers, actor/director
Robert Gwilym, actor
Liz Nolan, assistant to the directors, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Manda Scott, writer
Tim Stimpson, writer
Janet Fillingham, literary agent
Kate Weston, literary agent
Duncan Allen, finance director, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Catherine Kay, Playwright and Actress
Paula Milne, writer
Michael Frayn, Writer
Lucia Hogg, head of performance, The Junction CDC
Kim Greengrass, theatre director
Fernando Gabriel, teacher
Sheila Hancock, actor
Cat Moore, performance programmer, Junction CDC
Amanda Whittington, writer
Ann Bell, audience member
Michael Attenborough, artistic director, Almeida Theatre
Barry C. Oates, senior contracts engineer
Barry and Gill Stimpson
Rebecca Barton, writer
Ben Richards, writer
Charles McKeown, writer
Marion Reed, theatre producer/director
Sheila Goff, writer
Emma Wright, technical manager, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Felicity Peacock, university administrator
Greta Thornbory
Guy Hutchins, writer and storyteller
Harriet Cruickshank
Sky Macaskill
Alison Underhay
Howard Brenton, writer
J. Barrett, university administrator
Joanna Devane
Joss Bennathan, theatre director/artistic director, Present Moment
Kate Robinson
Les Smith, playwright
Marion Nancarrow, producer
Michael Mclean, writer
John Gunter, theatre designer
Mark Thompson
Patsy Jones, student
Paul Boyd, composer
Peter Nichols, writer
Peter Whelan, playwright
Roxanne Vella, actor/stage manager
Ruth Whitehouse, teacher
Sally Abbott
Michael Begley, actor Sarah O'Grady, library assistant
Tim Brunsden, general manager, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Shona Morris, choreographer
Steve Bailie, writer
Susan and Michael Brandon
Dael Orlandersmith, playwright
Terry Jones, writer
Timothy Dean, head of Opera RSAMD and artistic director British Youth Opera
Willy Russell, writer
Nicholas Wright, playwright
Rob Rohner, director
Yasmine Rana, playwright
Alexei Diaz-Paz
David Bradby, professor of Drama and Theatre
Philip Monks, writer
Matthew Richardson, director
David Metz
Noreen Kershaw, actor/director
Susan Clarke
David Martin, head of production and premises, Contact Theatre
Michael Kustow, writer and producer
Ginny Sennett, literary agent
Jan McVerry, TV writer
Judith Sharp, actor/director
Philip Brean, assistant director RSC
Tess Gibbs, director and choreographer
Mary Luckhurst
Guy Slater
Jodie Lamb
Matin Akhtar, artist and arts admin
Phelim McDermott
Tanya McCallin
Michael Blakemore
Clemmie Blakemore
Tony Green, writer
Warren Hooper
Pete Goodwin, technical director, Northcott Theatre
Carmel Morgan, writer
Daniel Slater
Liz Cunningham, customer services manager, Oldham Coliseum theatre
Diane Samuels, playwright
Bill Aitchinson, lecturer, University of London
Fraser Grace, playwright
Balkar Dhillon, lawyer, writer
Gabriel Milland, journalist, Daily Express
Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate
Graham Cowley, Out of Joint Theatre Company
Graham Eatough, artistic director, Suspect Culture
Lalitha Rajoun, Ankur Productions
Howard Schuman, writer / producer
Jack Arnold, film composer
Howard Brenton, writer
Jenny Sealey, artistic director, Graeae Theatre Company
Jamie Beddard, associate director, Graeae Theatre Company
Adel Al-Salloum, associate director, Leicester Haymarket Theatre
Talawa Theatre Company
Ian Brown, artistic director, West Yorkshire Playhouse
Sarah Punshon, assistant director, West Yorkshire Playhouse
Dr Aisha Gill, Roehampton University
Dr Jeffrey Ketland, philosopher
Michael Akraka, writer
Gavin Stride, director, Third Space, Chair of Independent Theatre Council
Anupama Chandrasekhar
Savithi Chandrasekhar, playwrights, Chennai, India
Gary Owen, playwright
Simon Stephens, playwright
Sebastian Barry, playwright
David Lan, artistic director, Young Vic
Ruth Little, artistic associate, Young Vic
Anouk Perinpanayagam, arts consultant
Richard Vranch, actor/writer
Russell Miller, human rights lawyer
James Yarker, Artistic Director Stans Café
Hardish Virk, director, Multi-Arts Nation
Dr Tim Freeman, lecturer, Birmingham University
Tim Freeth, civil servant, DCMS
Rahila Gupta, Southall Black Sisters
Miriam Margolyes, actress
Naylah Ahmed, script editor, BBC
Peter Cox, dramatist
Philip Howard, artistic director, Traverse Theatre
Phyllida Lloyd, director
Rachel Halliburton, critic
Walter YM Yong, lawyer, Hong Kong
Rahul da Cunha, Rage Productions, Mumbai, India
Sheila Goff, writer
Mark Fisher, theatre critic
Lucy Hall, drama teacher
Elizabeth Brown, theatre manager, Royal Court Theatre
Valli Dakshimurthi, Royal Court Theatre
Jude Kelly, director
Giles Croft, artistic director, Nottingham Playhouse
Neil Biswas, playwright
Amber Lone, writer
Dino Mahoney, writer, lecturer
Simon Wu Chi Kien, playwright, lawyer
Kwong Loke, director
Mel Kenyon, literary agent
Philippe Lemoine, International Projects Manager, National Theatre Studio
James Brining, artistic director, Dundee Rep Theatre
Bob Carlton, artistic director, Queens Theatre, Hornchurch
Nirjay Mahindru, writer, actor, producer
Peter Wild, producer, BBC Radio Drama
Dinah Wood, drama editor, Faber and Faber
Ayub Khan Din, playwright
Anthony Clark, artistic director, Hampstead Theatre
Bobbie Johnson, deputy editor, Guardian Online
Deborah Bestwick, director, Oval House Theatre
Namita Chakrabarty, senior lecturer, School of Education, University of East London
Lorraine Bartlett, AM Culture and Equality of Opportunity Committees, Welsh Assembly
Venu Dhupa
Steve Mannix, chief executive, SHAPE Arts
John Tiffany, associate director, Paines Plough Theatre Company
Professor Christopher Baugh, University of Kent
Roy Holland, editor, Survivors¿ Poetry
Paul Sirett, Dramaturge, Royal Shakespeare Company
David Quantick, journalist
Mark Ball, Director, Fierce! Festival, Birmingham
Adam AnnandActor/director
Manjinder Virk, writer/ actress
Sue Wyatt, executive director, Rambert Dance Company
Alistair Spalding, chief executive, Sadlers Wells
Donna Munday, chief executive, Royal and Derngate Theatres, Northampton
Ruth Mackenzie, chief executive, Chichester Festival Theatre
John Stalker, chief executive, Festival City Theatre Trust
Charlotte Jones, chair, Independent Theatre Council
Hettie Macdonald, director
Ian Shuttleworth, editor, Theatre Record
Jabez Lam, community worker
Jennie Darnell, director
Jim Poyser, BBC Radio Drama
Joanna Read, artistic director, Salisbury Playhouse
O.O. Sagay, screenwriter
Martin Sutherland, director, Corn Exchange, Newbury
Bobby Tiwana, South Asian Programme co-ordinator, Black Country Touring
Stephanie Sirr, chief executive, Nottingham Playhouse
Tony Ishiekwene, writer
Dr Claire Cochrane, lecturer
Sam Mason, chief executive, Brewery Arts Centre
Michael Walling, artistic director, Border Crossings
Nisha Dassyne, actor
Bryony Lavery, playwright
Rona Munro, playwright
Bisi Olulode, writer
Chris Chibnall, writer
David Tushingham, dramaturge, Stuttgart
Phil Osment, writer
Phil Porter, playwright
Paul Warwick, The Hurst, John Osborne Arvon Centre
Peter R Maccoy, Central School of Speech and Drama
Peter Ruthven Hall, architect
Farhad Sorabjee, writer, Mumbai, India
April de Angelis, writer
Ash Kotak, writer
Arzhang Pezhman, writer, teacher
Nick Stafford, playwright
Simon Harper, drama development, Channel 4 Television
Rebecca Ferguson, Film Four
Liz Pilling, assistant editor drama, Channel 4 Television
Sam Walters, Orange Tree Theatre
Richard Gough, artistic director, Centre for Performance Reseach
Richard Jordan, Theatre Producer
Professor Maria Delgado, London University
Catherine Johnson, writer
Emma Frost, writer
Neil Murray, Director, Tron Theatre
Dan Rebellato, lecturer, Royal Holloway, London University
Nick Hern, Publisher
Sebastian Baczkiewicz, writer
Vicky Ireland MBE
David K Tse, artistic director, Yellow Earth Theatre Company
Tony Graham, artistic director, Unicorn Theatre
Carl Miller, playwright, associate director, Unicorn Theatre
Bernie Corbett, decretary, Writers' Guild of Great Britain
Jonathan Meth, director, writernet
Adrian Jackson, artistic director, Cardboard Citizens
Simon Clugston, performance programme director, The Sage, Gateshead
Clare Smith, director, Sound it Out, Birmingham
Julia Tyrell, Macfarlane Chard Associates
Jeremy James, artistic director, Greenwich and Lewisham Young Peoples Theatre
Samuel West, actor, artistic director designate, Sheffield Theatres
Timothy West, actor and director
Prunella Scales, actor and director
Peter Harris, freelance director and teacher
Louise Ramsden, playwright
Professor Mick Mangan, Exeter University
Dr Susan Rutherford, lecturer, Manchester University
Philip Ridley, writer
Bev Norton NHS manager
Yvonne Tomas NHS manager
Maggie Jo St John lecturer in EFL
Sorab Dalal GP
Jude Merrill, artistic producer Travelling Light Theatre Company
Gary Yershon, composer, writer
Derrick G Knight, Birmingham International Festival
David Farr and Simon Reade, artistic directors, Bristol Old Vic
David A Shapiro Honorary Professor of Clinical Psychology, Universities of Leeds and Sheffield
Bill Pollard, lecturer in Philosophy, University of Edinburgh
Angela McSherry, administrative producer, London International Festival of Theatre
Lisa Appignanesi, deputy president of English PEN (chair, Offence campaign)
Braham Murray, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Alby James, head of Screenwriting & External Developments School of Film, Television & Performing Arts Leeds Metropolitan University
Kevin Shaw, chief executive/artistic director, Oldham Coliseum Theatre
Skinder Hundal, operations manager, SAMPAD
David Sproxton, executive chairman, Aardman Animations Ltd
Professor Joel Kaplan, former chair, Drama & Theatre Arts, University of Birmingham
Arnold Wesker FRSL