Abstract
It was only fifty years ago that Police would raid theatres to arrest and charge actors with obscenity. Jenny Fewster, the Project Manager for AusStage, recounts a time when ending up in jail was a performance risk.
Artist Michael Gordon Brown became the only Australian visual artist to be charged with and convicted of obscenity. The Magistrate described his paintings as an “orgy of obscenity”. Brown’s sentence of three months hard labour was reduced to a $20 fine on appeal. This episode was repeated in artistic circles around Australia. Whilst the youth were becoming more avant-garde and revolutionary, there was an older generation clinging steadfastly to conservatism and Victorian morality.
Artist Michael Gordon Brown became the only Australian visual artist to be charged with and convicted of obscenity. The Magistrate described his paintings as an “orgy of obscenity”. Brown’s sentence of three months hard labour was reduced to a $20 fine on appeal. This episode was repeated in artistic circles around Australia. Whilst the youth were becoming more avant-garde and revolutionary, there was an older generation clinging steadfastly to conservatism and Victorian morality.
| Translated title of the contribution | When Police Censored Theatre |
|---|---|
| Original language | American English |
| Pages | 34-36 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Volume | 25 |
| No. | 6 |
| Specialist publication | Stage Whispers |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2016 |
Keywords
- Censorship
- Australia
- Police raids
- Vice Squad
- theatre
- Michael Gordon Brown
- Obscenity laws