Plays and literature that have been changed due to political correctness

[charlotte86]

Does anyone know any plays or literature that has had to be changed because of religious beliefs or political correctness? (except Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine)

[Quizmonkey]

The obvious one is the Agatha Christie novel/play which has just been revived in the West End, now called And Then There Were None (original title: Ten Little Ni**ers).

[vehelpfulguy]

Agatha Christie wrote a book called Ten Little *******. It was about a house where people were killed off one by one. I think she got the title from a nursery rhyme.

It has been made into a play and a number of films.

It is now called other things like Ten little Indians.

[vehelpfulguy]

The Russian classical composer Dmitri Shostakovich was under a lot of political pressure from Stalin and had to write the "correct" sort of music to please Stalin and fit the Russian image.

It is often thought there are secret "messages" in his music that Stalin would have not understood.

[woofgang]

I understand that Noddy has been tweaked to get rid of the Gollies, also wasn't there a performance of Snow White last year that wasn't allowed dwarves?

[islandgirl]

Later versions of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory were I believe changed in respect of their descriptions of the Oompa Loompas.

[Octavius]

I believe a lot of Mark Twains works, including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn may have been amended or censored.

Also, I can't see many repeats of Til Death Us Do Part and In Sickness and in Health being screened on the BBC.

[vehelpfulguy]

Or "Love they Neighbour"

( I have to say that Till Death Us Do Part was not racist, Alf Garnett was an attempt by writer Johnny Speight to show a racist and bigoted character in all his horror. Only trouble is that the message was not noticed and lots of people supported him. I remember dockers going round with placards saying "Alf Garnett is right"). So much for satire.

[Peter Pedant]

Shakespeare was improved by Mrs Bowdler - to wit bowdlerised.

Desdemona memorably was accused "Thou hast played the trumpet in my bed"

Lord Chamberlain's censorship of all british plays began with the Beggar's Opera (it made Mr Rich , gay and Mr Gay, rich) which satirised the prime minister

Wilde's Story - wasnt a man changed to a woman to make it OK.

[Peter Pedant]

Dam busters - the dog gets killed on the night of the raid, and is also called n***ger

On recent showing the name gets bleeped out.

[TWINKYGIRL76]

It hasn't been changed, but my children's school have refused to let the children do the nativity play this year. The school is a church of England school and one of the (pointless) things that they teach is the christian faith and yet, they can't allow the children to do a traditional christmas play? The world has gone mad, what with all this PC correctness; even Bah, bah black sheep has been banned in schools!
What does anybody eles think; Are we taking things too far?