ANTI-NAZI PLAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22490, 6 August 1936, Page 8

ANTI-NAZI PLAY

BANNED IN SYDNEY PRODUCTION BY AMATEURS STRONG PROTESTS VOICED [from otm OWN correspondent] SYDNEY. July 80 A controvert that may lead to a political dispute and certainly to Court proceedings followed the banning by the Chief Secretary, Mr. Chaffey, of the anti-Nazi play, "Till the Day I Die." Police descended on the Savoy Theatre, where the New Theatre League, an amateur organisation, was about to stage the play and delivered Mr. Chaffey's prohibition order. The ban followed' protests by the German Consul-General, Dr. Asmis, presumably at scenes in whicft Nazi stormtroopers are represented as hectoring, ignorant sadists, and in which there are ironical tilts at Hitler. In the middle of scene 1 a voice said, "Open the door, secret police here." The door opened and a policeman walked across the stage. The audience did not realise until later that he was a reftl policeman. Several plnj-ers dressed as Brown Shirts rushed on to the stage. One raised his hand and shouted, "We have had police interference at the rear of the stage. We came'to put this play on. We will continue if you will listen. Will the audience stand by us?" After a chorus of "Yes" from the hall the stage was cleared. Police left the wings and the play went on.

Prosecutions Intended Mr. Chaffey announced that prosecutions would take place under the Theatres and Public Halls Act. He stated that he had fulfilled his duty to protect the people from anything which incited them to violence, or taught theni the means of violence. He had not read the play, but had received information about it from several sources. Mr. V. Arnold, secretary of the New Theatre League, said that the play, which was by Clifford Odet, a young American, disparaged and protested against violence. "The German ConsulGeneral objects to the play; other people will object to the reality behind the play. It is a healthy thing for Australians* to realise that all countries are not democracies. Odet's play does this. The apparent sympathy between the sensitivity of Nazis and the action taken by the police is the most disturbing feature of the whole matter. "Act of Semi-Barbarism"

"If censorship in Australia is to be carried out at the instigation of representatives of foreign countries, we may soon expect a protest from the Danish Consul on the play 'Hamlet,' because it represents the Danes as murderers and drunkards. Odet's play has been freely performed in America and England* and has attracted favourable comment, not only for its faithful representation of certain aspects of the Nazi regime, but for its inherent dramatic qualities. The play sealed Odet's reputation as a dramatist. - Its subject matter was based on documentary evidence of German conditions, but the play itself was not anti-German. It was antiProtests were made by individuals and literarv and dramatic societies against the Chief Secretary's ban as a "cross infringement of the cultural liberties of democracy," as a "senseless act of semi-barbarism." The New Theatre League decided t«. o-ive a private performance of the pla> in its own clubrooms, accommodating 200 persons. Mr. Chaffey was incited o be among the 200. but found that he had an engagement of a "long-standing nature."