FACTION COLLECTIVE

Press Release

Immediate Release

Faction Collective - the same team that brought Patrick Jones’ sell-out “Revelation”, return to Chapter Arts Centre this autumn with Anthony Neilson’s critically acclaimed play “The Censor”

Directed by Chris Durnall

Produced by Faction Collective

Photography by Jane Newman Jones

Cast: Julie Barclay, Stacey Daly and Nathan Sussex

Cardiff – Chapter Arts Centre (Wed 16th Sep – Sat 19th Sep)

Performances at 8pm

Box Office: 029 2030 4400

Explicit!

Play contains scenes of a strong sexual nature

CENSORSHIP: "The suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material, which may be considered objectional, harmful, sensitive or inconvienient to the government or media organisations as determined by a censor"

‘I think what we have in this country is a little more dangerous in a way because it can't be seen fully. It's sorta internal censorship. We censor each other.‘ Kathy Acker

Faction Collective made the decision to produce “The Censor” as a response to recent events that transpired when the launch of Patrick Jones’s new book of poetry in Waterstone’s was hijacked by Christian Voice protestors (Appendix 1)

Whilst The Censor does not deal exclusively with issues just of christianity and religion, we felt that the universal and complex subject of censorship was explored in great depth in the play, presenting us with an ideal platform and text in which to debate and challenge not only these recent events but also the nature of art and censorship on a collective scale (Appendix 2).

“The Censor” premiered at the Finborough Theatre, London in association with The Red Room in April 1997 and subsequently transferred to the Royal Court Theatre.

The Censor is a gripping brief encounter between a pornographic artist and the man with the licencing scissors. A moving parable of the critic and artist as a healing, and finally tragic love story.

Anthony Neilson is a Scottish playwright and director commonly associated with the “in-yer-face theatre” movement. He began his career at the Finborough Theatre, London. Renowned for tackling the darkest of subjects with the highest levels of invention and wit, in 1997 Anthony Neilson won the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Fringe Play for The Censor.In 2008 he became Literary Associate at the RSC.

ActorNathan Sussex’sprevious credits include “Nutters” (Directed by Karl Francis), “Coronation Street” (ITV), “Torchwood” (BBC)“Judge John Deed” (BBC) and 2001 BAFTA Winning Drama “Care” directed by Antonia Bird (BBC) as well as various plays for BBC Radio 3 & 4. Nathan’s last worked with ‘Faction Collective’ as Steve in “Revelation”.

Actress Stacey Daly’s credits include “Nutters” and “Asboland” (directed by film-maker Karl Francis) and as Maleetainthe Feature Film “The Gatekeeper” (Lions Gate films). She has recently appeared as Caroline in “The Daydream” for The Ustinov - Theatre Royal Bath. Stacey’slast work with ‘Faction Collective’ was as Dionnein “Revelation”.

Julie Barclaystarted her career as a stand-up comedienne and went on to work

with the Hull Truck Theatre Company and has worked extensively with regional

repertory theatre companies in Britain. She has recently been working with Irvine

Welsh on his latest film “Good Arrows” and has also appeared in “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”, “Torchwood” and “Belonging” for the BBC.

Chris Durnall (Director) is the artistic director of Theatr Ffynnon (The only theatre company in Wales exclusively for adults with learning difficulties).Recent work includes “Cradle to the Grave”, “The Elephant Man”, Strindberg’s “A Dream Play” and “Matthews Passion”. Chris directed “Revelation” when it opened at Chapter last year.

‘And the people we dare to call perverts and deviants – the victims of this war – the good humane people we’ve criminalized and traumatized, they’ll be recognized for what they truly are: Visionaries!’(Miss Fontaine – The Censor)

END

Notes to editors

Cardiff – Chapter Arts Centre (Dates TBC)

Tickets - £10 and £8

Chapter Box Office No: 029 2030 4400

For further information and images please contact:-

Media - Stacey Daly on 07817 719287

APPENDIX 1

  • ‘Christian Group halts book launch’

‘A poet has been forced to launch his new collection in the streets after a

bookstore cancelled the event because of a campaign by Christian

activists.’

  • ‘Senedd protest over ‘blasphemous’ poetry’

‘CROWDS of hymn-singing protesters demonstrated outside in the cold as controversial poet Patrick Jones was finally allowed to read his poetry in public.’

APPENDIX 2

  • Rationale

The rationale for censorship is different for various types of information censored:

  • Moral censorship is the removal of materials that are obscene or otherwise morally questionable. Pornography, for example, is often censored under this rationale, especially child pornography, which is censored in most jurisdictions in the world.
  • Military censorship is the process of keeping military intelligence and tactics confidential and away from the enemy. This is used to counter espionage, which is the process of gleaning military information. Very often, militaries will also attempt to suppress politically inconvenient information even if that information has no actual intelligence value.
  • Political censorship occurs when governments hold back information from their citizens. The logic is to exert control over the populace and prevent free expression that might foment rebellion.
  • Religious censorship is the means by which any material objectionable to a certain faith is removed. This often involves a dominant religion forcing limitations on less prevalent ones. Alternatively, one religion may shun the works of another when they believe the content is not appropriate for their faith.
  • Corporate censorship is the process by which editors in corporate media outlets intervene to halt the publishing of information that portrays their business or business partners in a negative light.