STAGE CENSORSHIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27041, 28 March 1949, Page 5

STAGE CENSORSHIP

REPEAL OF EARLY LAWS SOUGHT NZPA—Copyright LONDON, Mar. 25. The Conservative member of the House of Commons, Mr E. P. Smith, great-great-grandson of Nell Gwynne, urged the House to-day to repeal the existing stage censorship regulation. He told members: “It is almost shocking to say it, but the Lord Chamberlain’s veto is above the Parliament and above the law.” It stemmed from an order by King Charles 11, which said: “ Certain persons do frequently assemble for the performance of plays for reward, which said plays tend to the debauching of manners of such as are present.” The last survival of these early laws was the Lord Chamberlain’s power of censorship, against which there was no appeal. Mr Smith quoted the recent ban on a factual biographical play, imposed because some distant relative of the subject objected, and he asked: “If I have a famous grandmother, does that give me a vested interest in her historic life? My greatest great-great-grandmother was Nell Gwynne, but I have never sought to object to the portrayal of that lovely lady on the stage.” Under the name of Edward Percy. Mr Smith is the author of several successful plays. The second reading of the Bill was carried by 76 votes to 36.