Simon Callow: praise of Gay Sweatshop | Theatre | The Guardian

Contents:

• THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY
• GAY SWEATSHOP
• THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY
• GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY
• WHY THEY JOED GAY SWEATSHOP.
• GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY
• THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY, 1974-1997
• GAY SWEATSHOP, ALTERNATIVE THEATRE, AND STRATEGI FOR NEW WRG
• SIMON CALLOW: PRAISE OF GAY SWEATSHOP

THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY

Gay Sweatshop was formed London 1975 and had s roots the lunchtime theatre club "Ambience" held at the Almost Free theatre.

Inter-Actn, a -operative muny arts rource centre, staged a popular Women's season at the Almost Free theatre 1974 and, spired by their succs, advertised for gay actors to take part a gay theatre season planned for tumn 1974.

The aim was to enurage gay people to produce a season of gay plays and eventually form a pany. The tentn of the group was to unteract the prevailg nceptn mastream theatre of what homosexuals were like, therefore providg a more realistic image for the public.

GAY SWEATSHOP

The season was lled "Homosexual Acts" and clud three plays, all of which were wrten and directed by homosexuals. "Homosexual Acts" was origally schled to last until April but was extend to June and addnal plays were 1975 the Campaign for Homosexual Equaly (CHE) had lol groups tablished most towns. They ved Gay Sweatshop to perform at the annual nference Sheffield.

Inially this was problematic as Gay Sweatshop had no rourc to put on a tourg productn. The play was based on a batn of personal experienc and a book lled "Wh Downst Gays: Aspects of Homosexual Self-Opprsn", wrten by Andrew Hodg and David Hutter.

News of the tour spread quickly throughout the gay muni and the tour was seen by many whom would not have ually had the urage to attend a gay 1976 Gay Sweatshop put on a lunchtime season at the Instute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) nng om Febary through to July. The ICA season was a turng pot for Gay Sweatshop. The pany had ved the women bee they felt that lbian actors, directors and wrers were need to provi a more plete picture of homosexualy.

THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY

Although there was nsirable opposn the Irish Gay Rights Movement weled the productns and the pany returned January 1977 to repeat the plays.

GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY

Durg the Christmas of 1976 the pany produced "Jgleballs", a gay pantomime starrg both lbians and gay men. In 1977 two artistilly separate pani were formed unr the umbrella anisatn of Gay Sweatshop.

The men produced "As Time Go By", a three-part productn set 1896 after the Osr Wil trial, Berl the 1930s and 1969 when Gay liberatn was born. The play was a llaborative effort between Noel Greig and Drew early 1978 the first Gay Tim ftival was held at the Drill Hall.

WHY THEY JOED GAY SWEATSHOP.

This focsed on the liv of gay men and women a reprsive society and sought to show that they were central to any kd of anti-fascist stggle. This meant that Gay Sweatshop would have to apply for dividual project grants for specific productns. Although they tried to ntue beme too much of a burn for the two remag directors, Noel Greig and Philip Timms, and the admistrator, Gean Wilton, and at the end of March 1981 Gay Sweatshop was closed as a Sweatshop was revived 1983 as a mixed pany rather than the two artistilly separate pani that had existed sce 1977.

Noel Greig, spired by the issue of Greenham Common, wrote "Poppi" that put forward a rponse to the nuclear threat and arism om a radil gay male perspective.

Gay Sweatshop eventually received a grant 1985 that allowed them to put on a send productn of "Poppi" wh the tour nng om March to the 1980s the Gay movement had bee somewhat apathetic. At the same time they realised that Gay Sweatshop was very much an all-whe group. The ftival schled for the 10th anniversary of the pany provid them wh an opportuny to rpond to the new challeng and serve as a platform for a wi range of work cludg; Gay teachers, problems facg young gays and lbians, lbian ctody, experienc and black lbians and the issue of AIDS.

GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY

In rponse to the succs of "Gay Sweatshop x 10" the Greater London Council award the pany an annual grant that allowed them to get a full-time admistrator and office space.

The followg year Gay Sweatshop was fally award charable stat regnn of s tnal work.

Gay Sweatshop took the productn on tour om April to June 1987. The pany cid to stage another ftival 1987, this one lled "Gay Sweatshop x 12".

THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY, 1974-1997

"Twice Over" was seen as a breakthrough play for Gay Sweatshop as was the first play by a black thor.

The Greater London Arts was at this pot givg Gay Sweatshop an annual grant of £21000 although the amount had been fixed for three years.

However, 1991 Gay Sweatshop was promised revenue fundg providg that there was both a male and female director. Gay Sweatshop was a gay theatre group, found 1975. In 1975 Gay Sweatshop were ved to perform at the CHE nference Sheffield.

GAY SWEATSHOP, ALTERNATIVE THEATRE, AND STRATEGI FOR NEW WRG

An Arts Council grant allowed them to put together Mister X, jotly wrten by the group and based on personal experienc and the book Wh Downst Gays: Aspects of Homosexual Self-Opprsn by Andrew Hodg and David Hutter. 1 Gay History article.

Browse by Rerds CreatorsThe Gay Sweatshop Theatre Company. Essentially, this was to prevent anythg cent, offensive or blasphemo takg place theatr; censorship was particularly strict on homosexualy.

SIMON CALLOW: PRAISE OF GAY SWEATSHOP

Attus towards homosexualy showed signs of change when the Wolfenn Report was published 1957, which remend for the crimalisatn of homosexualy.