Lee Hall

[porschesrule]

Lee Hall has adapted "Pinocchio" from Carlo Collodi’s 1883 novel. The new play will have a limited run at the Deaf West Theatre in North Hollywood, CA, from February 19 through March 26.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/14 ... efc5803a,0

[ERinVA]

Here's an updated article from Playbill with some nice production photos.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/14 ... tre-Feb-25

I see that the cast consists of both hearing and deaf actors and deals with the prejudice against sign language that existed around the time Collodi's novel was published.

[ERinVA]

An important read:

Lee Hall: 'I will fight this'
Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall has spent the past year working on an epic opera starring 300 schoolchildren. Now his backers have pulled out, in a bitter row over a character's sexuality

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/ju ... pera-north

[ERinVA]

Here's an article from the BBC about the controversy:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-14013982

[Yorkie]

TV interview:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14028018

Radio interview at 2:24ish:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b0128l89

[ERinVA]

The school principal weighs in:

http://www.mambaonline.com/articles/gay ... opera/5854

[Barry Appleby]

Hi
Bridlington is my home town, it sounded tonight, on TV, that the two parties are talking, maybe a compromise is on the cards. The e.mails etc into the programme seem split, just seems the one word thats upset the apple cart, I think the parents would like it to go ahead at some time, lets hope so, for their kids sake, could be a sell out after this. My 11 year old nephew is at that school in year 6.

Barry

[burtond]

Hi
Bridlington is my home town, it sounded tonight, on TV, that the two parties are talking, maybe a compromise is on the cards. The e.mails etc into the programme seem split, just seems the one word thats upset the apple cart, I think the parents would like it to go ahead at some time, lets hope so, for their kids sake, could be a sell out after this. My 11 year old nephew is at that school in year 6.

Barry

I have an adult friend who is also singing and dancing in this production too - she would be devastated if it were cancelled at this stage - she's been working on it for months!

[Deanfan5]

This topic was extensively covered on BBC Breakast News yesterday. It seems that prejudice is just not confined to Bridlington.

[kport]

It's on again!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14064060