Tom Conti Radio 4 just now

They probably did run out of time but it's a classic. Got this image in my head of the producer banging on the window ..

It reminded me of a production I saw of 'As You like it' a few years ago and they'd changed all the roles round so the men playing women were women playing women and vice versa if you see what I mean. I've seen loads of Shakespeare over the years and it made no sense whatsoever. He must have been spinning in his grave so hard he landed on Mars.

Amazing! Thank you Tom Conti and thank you @WhereYouLeftIt for the transcript

<thinks about watching Shirley Valentine tonight>

For some roles, it really doesn't matter, but for others it does. Years ago I saw 'King John' by the RSC, there's a role introduced as The Bastard who petitions the King to intervene in an inheritance dispute. And I was sitting there screaming inside my head 'Nothing to do mate, women had zero inheritance rights then!'

It took me right out of the play and back to reality. Bit of a pisser.

The RSC did a sex-reversed 'Taming of The Shrew' a couple of years ago, I didn't bother because I know the play enough to know I be sitting silently screaming, detached again.

‘Gender is gender’? Er…. Gender is a social construct, no?

They need to get him back on so he can finish his interview!

In support of his line of thinking, would anyone here be interested in signing this petition to upgrade the Equality Act to make clear that the characteristic “sex”means biological sex?

To sign
⬇️
www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4668426-petition-update-the-equality-act-to-make-clear-the-characteristic-sex-is-biological-sex?page=1

I always open these threads with such trepidation. I’ve such a soft spot for Tom
Conti and would be gutted if he was toeing the gender woo woo line. But no..go Tom!!

It was so funny, the sudden panic in her voice at the end!

I disagree with Tom Conti, sometimes it can be great to switch the sexes of characters and see the pley in a new light. Not just for controversy, but to explore an old play from a new angle.

However, he's right about the sexes, and the non-binary nonsense right after the horrors of Ukraine and Afghanistan. And that you can't expect the world to alter itself for you.

Same. The Donmar Warehouse all female Shakespeares were some of my favourite theatre experiences ever. They didn't change the sex of the characters, just had women playing the men and women. It was brilliant. I also teach drama in a girls'school and have girls playing male characters all the time, which they very much enjoy! So I think cross sex casting can work really well, but I agree that changing the sex of the character themselves rarely works.

Haha, great work Tom. Love him!

😂Sarah Montague says something like - nowadays we are exploring what gender means and questioning our assumptions, is that not a good thing?-

Tom Conti: "er no!"

The End!

Fabulous and that is my response from now on.

Bit confused as to how

God the Father
God the Son
and
God the Holy Ghost

can be
God the Father
God the Sex Unspoken Non Binary Offspring
and
God the Holy Ghost?

Surely everyone knows that Jesus was Observed Male at Birth?
There were Three Wise Men there for chrissakes!
Well, they turned up a bit late obvs but the Epiphany was not that Jesus was a Boy without a Winky, it was The Nativity, not Blackadder series 2!

sometimes it can be great to switch the sexes of characters and see the pley in a new light. Not just for controversy, but to explore an old play from a new angle.

There was a fairly recent midsummers night dream where they switched some of it around so it was Oberon being seduced by Bottom - that was quite funny.
And some roles really aren't fundamentally sexed - E.g. Kathryn Hunter played Timon of Athens well.

And the all female cast of 'Pride and Predjudice (sort of)' were excellent.

Some sorts of theatre it just doesn't matter or adds to the jollity. It's just actors playing parts.

But as soon as you make a issue of 'switching gender' or consciously making a role 'nonbinary' - then you're liable to destroy the piece, make it all about that.

It wasn't really gender neutral as stated though was it? Weren't all the actors women? Even if non binary?

Just need to applaud @ScrollingLeaves ongoing posting of that petition 👏

To sign
⬇️
www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4668426-petition-update-the-equality-act-to-make-clear-the-characteristic-sex-is-biological-sex?page=1

(I did so a while ago)

Oh wow, I missed this - thanks for sharing! Absolutely love the forcefulness of his “No.” in response to “isn’t that a good thing?”

This was wonderful. Just so lovely and ordinary.

Has he been sent to educate himself yet? Public self Flagellation still due?

I listened and enjoyed that.

I wonder though what people on here think about the fact that he did also say that men and women approach life differently, so if you swop a male role with a female one in a play you then need to rewrite the script to create an appropriate correspondence between the sex and their approach to life?

I personally do agree overall, but I think that often it is argued that there is no difference.

@ScrollingLeaves I pondered this, and concluded I have no problem with it. Because we are all in a context and socialised within it. And it is absolutely true that (I actually know nothing about the storyline of the play) if a woman were suddenly paralysed she would be impacted and respond very differently, in part because her social role and responsibilities are likely to be very different.

As someone who has had an experience of sudden (but thankfully temporary) unexpected disability/incapacitation is it absolutely true that the impact on family and community is vastly different to of it had been DH suddenly unable to drive/participate fully. I therefore responded to my situation very differently to how he would.

Plays, by and large, are not about doing the school run and picking up something for tonight's dinner from the supermarket. Plays are about how we deal with an unexpected situation, about decisions, about people interacting, about people reacting to new information - plays are about the 'big' things. So yes, our socialisation, which we are subjected to from the day we are born, matters. It doesn't matter whether you think that's right or wrong, what matters is that it IS the world we live in. And plays must be about the world we live in, or - nobody buys a ticket to see it.

I agree with both of you.

I heard it too. It's turning, isn't it? People are starting to say it all out loud. Well done, Tom Conti.

Someone the other day reminded me of something I'd read here — that then the Berlin Wall fell and when the Soviet Union dissolved, it was because people were tired of pretending to believe in communist ideology. As soon as they started talking about it, down it all came.

I've always loved Tom Conti - I flippin' adore him now!