BILLY ELLIOT Scribe Blames Homophophia for Cancellation of New Opera, BEACHED

According to the New York Times, Lee Hall, the Tony Award-winning book writer and lyricist of BILLY ELLIOT, claims that discrimination against gays let to the cancellation of his newest opera, "Beached". The Times also notes that a school, whose students would have taken part in the opera, said it had withdrawn because of concerns about strong language.  The opera, which was to open later this month, tells of a single father's struggles to relax on a trip to the beach, and would have involved about 300 school children from the nearby Bay Primary School.

In a statement on the Web site of Opera North, a British company based in Leeds, its general director, Richard Mantle, said the work "can no longer be performed due to the withdrawal of the major school participant," a decision he said was "deeply disappointing for everyone involved in the project to date, not least many young people," and "the fundamental and only reason that Opera North had to cancel the planned performances."

Mr. Hall, who is also the author of THE PITTMAN PAINTERS and a screenwriter on the film version of "War Horse," told the BBC that the cancellation was at heart "a very simple issue about discrimination" and stemmed from his refusal to remove a gay character from the libretto.

Among the lyrics that Mr. Hall said he refused to remove were the following lines sung by that character:

Of course I'm queer That's why I left here
So if you infer That I prefer
A lad to a lass And I'm working class
I'd have to concur

Mr. Hall said Opera North was "in a very difficult position," adding: "At the end of the day it's a very simple issue about discrimination, it's about silencing gay people and wanting to wipe them out of being in this play."

Mike Furbank, a school official, told the BBC that there were other concerns about the language in "Beached." He said it had been "made very clear" to Mr. Hall that "there were certain elements the school found offensive" including "references to drug-taking, sexual conduct and the use of homophobic name-calling." Mr. Furbank added, "Although the language was toned down, it was still deemed as unacceptable for 4- to 11-year-olds to be exposed to."

Mr. Mantle said in his statement: "Opera North feels that the decision by Lee Hall to suggest that the production was cancelled due to a homophobic stance on the part of the company is unacceptable. It is so at odds with the reality of our views on the issue, and so publicly misrepresents the situation in such a demeaning way."