Drag queen banned by National Theatre

It really does seem vanishingly unlikely that an outdoor performance which is meters away from a public thoroughfare is unable to be heard by anyone unless they're sitting right in front of the stage. Remarkable sound system.

This feels like the person on the other thread who told me repeatedly that you can't see the stage at all unless you're standing on Waterloo Bridge

The person who said there were lots of children and families about also said everyone could clearly hear what was being said on the stage.

So this person is lying about being able to see and hear what was on the stage from the riverside promenade and is also lying about children and families being on the promenade who could also see and hear the performance?

It's not ganging up to attack you, you are saying no-one outside of the area could possibly have seen or heard the act, yet people have said they could.

Is this image not accurate then?

i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/19/17/60451793-11027323-image-a-5_1658246851767.jpg

You were actually there @DaniRabbity as was this poster who posted on the other thread which you appear to have overlooked:

I was actually there and felt a disgusted as you OP! We actually just walked by the stage by chance as the stage is right on the river bank and open to everyone. No tickets or barriers, totally open to all.

It was in relation to children and not drag speak as the act on stage literally said 'we need to teach our children' and was talking about young people and school so there was no way it wasn't sexualising kids.

There is nothing on any of the promotional material that says the event is adult only. I had a look at all of it.

I mean I was actually there. And I literally work here. The River Stage is feet away from me right now as I'm typing this.

Have you even been here?

You cannot hear or see anything without going inside the audience.

"Open to anyone" means that anyone is allowed to go inside the audience without booking tickets in advance.

I really don't understand why people are ganging up to attack the person who's been most vocal in calling it dangerous pro-paedophilia.

ah, sorry @DaniRabbity , I can see that now. It looked like inside a tent to me for some reason

(not attacking you by the way, just like to go to primary sources)

Yes @DaniRabbity the performance was outside on the River Stage again this: River Stage is open to anyone passing by on the Thames riverside promenade.

IF the show had not been on that stage where people passing by could see and hear it the National Theatre, The Glory and the performer would have made it clear that that was not the case, they haven't, the National Theatre has said it was on the River Stage.

They have been banned (thankfully), it's the subject line of the thread.

It's very strange that I'm being attacked despite repeatedly saying that the joke was dangerous and unacceptable and normalising pedophilia.

The person who said there were lots of children and families about also said everyone could clearly hear what was being said on the stage. I think you may need to reassess your confident assertions regarding this particular show and performance.

I was literally there.

that's interesting. the picture you have posted is insude @DaniRabbity . I had assumed from the wording quoted above that this was an outside performance.

No, the photo is outdoors. You can see the outside of the NT in the background.

even if it was adults only, stripping at 7pm? steady on

I don't want to see that either

hmm, the national theatre website says it was on the river stage, which is outside. it also says

leading arts and performance companies will take over the stage to celebrate the best of British culture including performances from drag artists, dance performances, live streamed theatre and plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy

so while The Glory isn't specifically marketed at families, it does have a 'family friendly' vibe to the promotion material

Whether it was a family friendly show or not (and I think that anyone taking kids to a Drag show needs to have a look at themselves anyway) that joke was disgusting and the person making it should be sanctioned by venues or preferable banned

I was present for most of that festival and there were no children. The photos do not show "lots of children."

"Passers by welcome" means that you do not have to book tickets in advance, but can queue up to enter the audience area. You can't see or hear anything if you're outside the audience area, which has ushers controlling who gets inside (unless you hang around next to the barricade).

The OP states she arrived at 6.30, which is evening. The event overall started at 6pm, with the first hour being music and DJing, and the drag show starting at 7pm.

that's interesting. the picture you have posted is insude @DaniRabbity . I had assumed from the wording quoted above that this was an outside performance.

to google!

Whether or not it was an adults only show or not is kind of irrelevant, a publicly funded institution like the NT should absolutely not be hosting performers who joke about encouraging CSA.

You will note that neither The Glory nor the performer are disputing the contents posted above and nor are The National Theatre, if what you are saying is correct then they would @DaniRabbity

The person who said there were lots of children and families about also said everyone could clearly hear what was being said on the stage.

I think you may need to reassess your confident assertions regarding this particular show and performance.

So this is incorrect then:

Le Grand performed between 6pm and 7pm on Saturday at the festival outside The National Theatre.

River Stage is open to anyone passing by on the Thames riverside promenade, with deckchairs set up to encourage people to watch.

and the person on Twitter who said they were there and there were lots of children about?

It started at 7pm.

Whenever I've attended, the ushers have been vigilant about not allowing children in.

I have looked at photos from the event and don't see any children, and it's just not the sort of environment you'd bring children into.

(To be clear: I am NOT defending the joke. I have said repeatedly that the joke is dangerous and unacceptable. But facts are crucial to avoid being discredited.)

The show was on at 6.30. Hardly 'in the evening's was it? Let's get the facts straight, eh.

Nobody is saying the joke is acceptable. Clearly it's not acceptable.

But it's important to represent the facts accurately otherwise it discredits us, and can potentially harm what we stand for which is protecting children.

If our message is "This kind of show is inappropriate for children" then it's very easy for people to research and see that it was for adults, and just dismiss everything we're saying, or claim we've got it wrong, or blame us for taking our kids to adult show (along the lines of "silly women taking kids to adult evening shows"). That's why facts are important.

The message isn't and shouldn't be "this is inappropriate for children" but "these jokes normalise paedophilia."

The last thread got derailed with people arguing about exactly how much people standing on random nearby bridges could see, which has nothing to do with the point of the thread: a culture that normalises paedophilia is dangerous.

Surely if an adult only event then under 18’s shouldn’t have even been allowed in to the event? Like at the cinema. No admittance at all at the gates by the staff. Doesn’t sound like that was the case.
and agree with others even if 18 only and strict rules about admittance ( which there wasn’t) then are child sex jokes appropriate? Would that be ok after the watershed on channel 4 in one of their sex programmes? ( they seem to do a lot of sex programmes on channel 4!)
if not why not after all people seek those programmes out.

Even if it was advertised as an "adults only" show, jokes about encouraging children to take part in sexual activity are funny, are they?

After Savile, Rotheram, Oxford, Telford and all the others?

Really?

But that's literally what it is. You had to actively seek it out, and choose to queue up and go inside the audience area. Why do you think people "can't avoid it"? They can just choose not to enter the audience. It's common sense that a 7pm show isn't going to be aimed at families.

You can't see or hear anything unless inside the viewing area (where children were not allowed), unless maybe you go right up close to the barriers.

I want to be clear, I found the joke shocking and am glad that particular performer has been banned. I find the encroaching culture of sexualising children and normalising pedophilia to be extremely sinister and that it needs to be called out and named for what it is whenever it occurred. But the event itself has been misrepresented.

The joke is abhorrent but please bear in mind that this was an ADULT-ONLY show performed in the evening.

The Daily Mail are being dishonest and goady in describing it as "a family friendly festival" and in claiming the act performed in front of "young families."

The festival does include other events (on completely different days) that are suitable for families and children, but this particular event was advertised and marketed as being for adults only. I work next door and the ushers certainly would not have let any children inside the audience. I was there and didn't see any children.

The original thread actually turned into a bit of a bunfight with posters pointing out that it was an adult-only show and that any parent trying to sneak children in was being irresponsible.

If people want to watch it that’s fine

but it’s definitely in the ‘only for those who seek it out’ category

anyone who thinks that sort of performance (highly offensive jokes, stripping, sexualised performance of gender) is appropriate for a public performance that people can’t avoid at 6:30 in the evening needs their head examined