Following a statement by director Steph O'Driscoll, Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre has responded, also with an exclusive statement to The Stage, more than two weeks after the cancelled production of A Midsummer Night's Dream was scheduled to open.
The theatre denied censoring artistic voices, but said that "complex issues that deeply affect many of our audience members lacked context within the wider narrative of the production. These additions included audience participation, and a call and response towards the end of the play. We have no issue with artists putting forward political views, but they need to be fully contextualised."
It said that it worked with the director "to ensure audiences could understand the nuances of rave culture—a key idea within the production" but has made no specific reference to the issues of trans rights and "free Palestine" that the director alleges were banned by the theatre's management.
Reasons given for cancelling previews initially and then later the whole run are given as "injuries to actors, new elements to the content and logistical problems" as well as the director leaving the production. Injuries and technical or logistical problems have been mentioned before but no details of either are available.
The theatre said that it has started a review of its whole process from commissioning to production to learn from what has happened in this case, and that the company of A Midsummer Night's Dream has been invited to take part. It doesn't state specifically whether the director is included in that invitation.