Exclusive: Royal Exchange director Stef O’Driscoll breaks silence on show cancellation

In her statement, she said: "I believe that what happened to A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not an isolated incident but reflects a growing trend of censorship and fear-driven decision-making in the arts. As artists, we are losing the very spaces that are meant to challenge, provoke and speak to the issues of our time."

She added: "In this instance, it is profoundly concerning and distressing that theatre artists have not been allowed to speak freely on a major UK stage."

O’Driscoll explained that she had grown up around rave culture and said the drum-and-bass scene in Manchester was "pro-Palestinian".

"It’s a clear part of the identity and culture. It is my responsibility as a director to represent a culture accurately if I am putting it on stage. From the beginning of the process, all parties understood that the intention of the production was to represent this culture," she said.

O’Driscoll explained how Palestine would be referenced in the production, revealing – as reported previously by The Stage – that the mechanicals in her production were a group of Manchester-based MC/rappers. 

"Rave culture represents freedom of expression, historically and presently amplifying the voices of the oppressed. Characters expressed solidarity with trans people and the people of Palestine in a rap performed by a trans politically conscious mechanical," she revealed.

However, she claimed executive staff stated that the production "could not go on unless the phrases ‘trans rights’ and ‘Free Palestine’ were removed". 

"It was stated to the full company that this decision was building-wide, including the board. The reason given was safety, citing concerns about potential audience protests and press backlash," she said.

O’Driscoll said the rap in question was created in rehearsals and claimed that, despite many staff at the theatre being aware of the content, concerns "were not raised until the day we were due to do the dress run". 

In the final week of preparing to open the production, she received "artistic and dramaturgical" notes, as expected, but said there had been a "failure of proper and rigorous artistic support" at the venue, which last year scrapped its artistic director model, and said this had led swiftly to "knee-jerk censorship". 

"The venue conceded that we could include trans rights, but not mention Palestine. They eventually allowed a small badge to represent Palestinian solidarity, but it was categorically forbidden to say "Free Palestine" verbally. The executive staff allowed general mention of “genocide” and “ceasefire” but baulked at the specific call of “Free Palestine”," she said.

O’Driscoll said that following a week of "artistic debate and emotional toil" she decided that she could not "proceed under these conditions and made the difficult decision to step away from the show". 

"I could not, in good conscience, continue with a production that undermined both artistic integrity and the well-being of myself and my team. Severe lack of management and support meant that members of our cast and community felt devalued, invisible, problematic and unsafe," she added, claiming she believed decisions had been "driven by fear, undermining the audience and the very purpose of art," she said.

The director urged the Royal Exchange to "take meaningful steps to repair the harm done and to ensure that this kind of harm does not affect future artists entering its space".

She also said she was "devastated by the loss of the production", which she said she had been working on since 2019. 

"I have always dreamed of working at the Royal Exchange, and this was the biggest, most important show of my career to date. I am heartbroken for the cast, the creative team and everyone who worked so hard to make it a reality. My heart goes out to the theatre staff who have been impacted and freelancers who were denied the opportunity to showcase their talents," she said.
Statement in full below:

Stef O’Driscoll’s statement in full

I believe that what happened to A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not an isolated incident but reflects a growing trend of censorship and fear-driven decision-making in the arts. As artists, we are losing the very spaces that are meant to challenge, provoke and speak to the issues of our time.  

In this instance, it is profoundly concerning and distressing that theatre artists have not been allowed to speak freely on a major UK stage.  

I grew up around rave culture – it’s in my DNA. I love it, I breathe it, it’s in my bones. So, I began exploring how Manchester’s drum-and-bass rave culture could intersect with Shakespeare’s text. The drum-and-bass scene in Manchester is pro-Palestinian, it’s a clear part of the identity and culture. It is my responsibility as a director to represent a culture accurately if I am putting it on stage. From the beginning of the process, all parties understood that the intention of the production was to represent this culture.  

In this production, the mechanicals were a group of Manchester based MC/rappers. Rave culture represents freedom of expression, historically and presently amplifying the voices of the oppressed. Characters expressed solidarity with trans people and the people of Palestine in a rap performed by a trans politically conscious mechanical. Executive staff stated that the production could not go on unless the phrases “trans rights” and “Free Palestine” were removed. It was stated to the full company that this decision was building-wide, including the board. The reason given was safety, citing concerns about potential audience protests and press backlash.  

The rap in question was created in rehearsals two weeks before our dress rehearsal, during which numerous staff members had access to the content via recordings, and some witnessed it first-hand during run-throughs. Concerns were not raised until the day we were due to do the dress run.  

In the final week of preparing to open the production, I received artistic and dramaturgical notes. I am used to having these conversations in my career, it’s a normal bit of the process as the work evolves. In this instance, there was a failure of proper and rigorous artistic support, leading swiftly to knee-jerk censorship. The venue conceded that we could include trans rights, but not mention Palestine. They eventually allowed a small badge to represent Palestinian solidarity, but it was categorically forbidden to say "Free Palestine" verbally. The executive staff allowed general mention of “genocide” and “ceasefire” but baulked at the specific call of “Free Palestine”. This feels especially unethical given that Equity recently passed a motion at the Trades Union Congress, which represents 5.5 million members, affirming that “artists and arts organisations should be free to critique institutions and bring attention to issues through overtly political art without fear of censorship or losing their public funding”. 

After a week of artistic debate, and emotional toil, I decided that I couldn’t proceed under these conditions and made the difficult decision to step away from the show. I could not, in good conscience, continue with a production that undermined both artistic integrity and the well-being of myself and my team. Severe lack of management and support meant that members of our cast and community felt devalued, invisible, problematic and unsafe.  

Our production reflected the diversity and cultural richness that Manchester is known for, yet we were silenced on the very issues that matter to members of our cast and our community. By denying us the opportunity to preview this production, we were unable to truly understand (rather than second guess) how the audience would react to the piece. 

I believe decisions and conversations from the executive team were driven by fear, undermining the audience and the very purpose of art. I am sorry to know that this building will lose significant resources in an already challenging economic climate as a result. I urge the Royal Exchange to take meaningful steps to repair the harm done and to ensure that this kind of harm does not affect future artists entering its space. 

I am devastated by the loss of the production, which I have been working on since 2019. I have always dreamed of working at The Royal Exchange and this was the biggest, most important show of my career to date. I am heartbroken for the cast, the creative team and everyone who worked so hard to make it a reality. My heart goes out to the theatre staff who have been impacted and freelancers who were denied the opportunity to showcase their talents.  

As someone with a working-class Irish Traveller heritage, I have always been driven by the need to amplify marginalised voices. I believe in the power of theatre not just to entertain, but to provoke, challenge and advocate for social justice. Throughout history, and vividly in the works of Shakespeare, theatre has been a space for discourse and challenging the status quo – we must continue to fight for it to remain so.  

Thank you to the company for your extraordinary work. Your care for one another and your integrity are everlasting. I am also grateful to the wider theatre family for all the messages of love, support, and solidarity.