I’m happy to report that the ban has been lifted on the Reduced Shakespeare Company‘s show, “The Bible: The Complete Word Of God (abridged)” in Northern Ireland. As the Belfast Telegraph reports, the show will go on:
Anger had been growing since it was revealed the council’s artistic board – made up of councillors and independent members — had pulled the plug on the show at Newtownabbey’s Theatre At The Mill. DUP members had branded the pay blasphemous and an attack on Christianity, but the decision caused outrage and made international headlines. But on Monday night the artistic board announced it had reversed its decision — an announcement that was backed by the full council.
Councillors who supported the staging claimed the decision to ban made them look like a laughing stock and there were bitter exchanges at the meeting on Monday when the council agreed for the production to go ahead as scheduled.
A prominent DUP woman broke ranks with her council colleagues to condemn the banning of the play. Alderman Dineen Walker, deputy mayor of Newtownabbey, told the Belfast Telegraph it was not the job of councillors to censor art.
To make things even better, all the publicity has helped the RSC sell more tickets for the rest of their UK tour. If you missed my America Weekend conversation about the ban with Austin Tichenor, one of the creators of the Bible show, you can listen to it here.