BBC's first ever programme on male homosexuality revisited in new play as 'naked homophobia' is laid bare
A BBC radio programme from the 1950s has been brought back to life for a stage play that explores the experiences of gay men during this time period. The programme, titled "The Homosexual Condition", was presented by CR Hewitt and featured discussions with Lord Hailsham and John Wolfenden, both of whom held conservative views on homosexuality.
According to historian Marcus Collins, who is producing the new play, the original programme was heavily edited due to concerns about its content. The finished version was shelved until three years later, when it was broadcast in a watered-down form.
Collins revealed that the BBC's director general at the time decided not to air the full programme because of fears that it might increase homophobia. Another argument was made that the BBC should avoid discussing sex altogether.
The play tells the story of Tom, a 19-year-old gay man living in Manchester in the 1950s. He works as a tailor for Burton's and struggles with his identity. The play also features Mary Whitehouse, who later became a household name for her crusades against "filth", but was initially silent on the subject.
The play explores themes that are still relevant today, including conversion practices, which has become a contentious issue in recent years. Conversion therapy, where individuals attempt to change their sexual orientation through therapy or other means, is now widely regarded as ineffective and damaging.
Stephen M Hornby, the playwright behind The BBC's First Homosexual, said that he hopes audiences will engage with the play's exploration of conversion therapy. "Hopefully we'll have some really interesting conversations with our audience about conversion therapy and why government after government has announced they are going to ban it," he stated.
The new play will premiere at the New Adelphi theatre in Salford on February 4th before embarking on a tour across the UK, including Birmingham, Brighton, London, Liverpool, and Loughborough. The production includes Q&A sessions following each performance.
A BBC radio programme from the 1950s has been brought back to life for a stage play that explores the experiences of gay men during this time period. The programme, titled "The Homosexual Condition", was presented by CR Hewitt and featured discussions with Lord Hailsham and John Wolfenden, both of whom held conservative views on homosexuality.
According to historian Marcus Collins, who is producing the new play, the original programme was heavily edited due to concerns about its content. The finished version was shelved until three years later, when it was broadcast in a watered-down form.
Collins revealed that the BBC's director general at the time decided not to air the full programme because of fears that it might increase homophobia. Another argument was made that the BBC should avoid discussing sex altogether.
The play tells the story of Tom, a 19-year-old gay man living in Manchester in the 1950s. He works as a tailor for Burton's and struggles with his identity. The play also features Mary Whitehouse, who later became a household name for her crusades against "filth", but was initially silent on the subject.
The play explores themes that are still relevant today, including conversion practices, which has become a contentious issue in recent years. Conversion therapy, where individuals attempt to change their sexual orientation through therapy or other means, is now widely regarded as ineffective and damaging.
Stephen M Hornby, the playwright behind The BBC's First Homosexual, said that he hopes audiences will engage with the play's exploration of conversion therapy. "Hopefully we'll have some really interesting conversations with our audience about conversion therapy and why government after government has announced they are going to ban it," he stated.
The new play will premiere at the New Adelphi theatre in Salford on February 4th before embarking on a tour across the UK, including Birmingham, Brighton, London, Liverpool, and Loughborough. The production includes Q&A sessions following each performance.
from back in the 50s. the fact that they shelved a whole programme because of concerns about its content is wild. and now we're seeing conversion therapy being brought up again, which is just heartbreaking. it's like we've made progress but still got so much work to do 
. at the same time i appreciate that this new play is trying to spark conversations and bring attention to these important issues. i hope people do end up having some real talks about conversion therapy... it's an issue that needs to be tackled, for sure 
. It's crazy to me that a play could be censored back then due to fear of increasing homophobia, it just goes to show how far we still have to go in the fight for equality 
. The fact that conversion therapy is still being debated & argued about today is mind-blowing... like, didn't we learn from the 50s? 
. This new play about the original BBC programme from the 50s is a great way to shed some light on the past, but it's wild to think that they were too scared to air something back then because of concerns about homophobia and sex being discussed. I mean, we've come so far as a society, but there are still plenty of people who would rather sweep things under the rug.
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. And now, three decades later, we're still seeing conversion therapy being pushed as a "solution" 
... like, what even is that? We need more plays and discussions about this topic, not less 
. Can't wait for this play to come to London, fingers crossed it'll bring some real change 
. Anyway, I'm excited to see how this play goes down and if it sparks some real conversations about conversion therapy...it's been a long time coming 
especially with conversion therapy it's wild how people thought they could 'fix' who you are 
it's crazy to think that we're still talking about conversion therapy like 60 yrs later 
and the fact that the BBC edited the original programme back in the 50s because of homophobia is wild 
I mean, can you imagine having to tone down discussions on sex and identity? It's like they were trying to sweep it under the rug 
but now we're finally getting a chance to have these conversations and I'm so here for it 
The playwright's hoping for some real talk about why conversion therapy is still not allowed in the UK and honestly, I think that's gonna be super interesting 
They censored that doc back then because they were scared of people's minds 
"A man walks into a bar and orders a beer. As he's sipping his drink, he hears a voice say, 'Nice tie!' He looks around, but there's nobody nearby who could have said it. A few minutes later, he hears, 'Beautiful shirt!' Again, he looks around, but he can't find anyone who might have spoken. A few more minutes pass, and he hears, 'Great haircut!' This time, he decides to investigate. He asks the bartender, 'Did you hear those voices?' The bartender replies, 'Oh, it's just the peanuts. They're complimentary.'" 
And can't believe Mary Whitehouse was basically silent on the subject back then... kinda shocking to think she went on to be like a household name for all the wrong reasons 
. And now we have plays like this one bringing it all back to life for new generations. I'm just glad that conversion therapy is being spoken out against, it's so important that governments are acknowledging its harm 
. The fact that Mary Whitehouse was silent on the subject back then is wild 
.