1934 British Theatrical Script Connected to a Losing Artistic Censorship Court Case Brought by The Lord Chamberlain

On offer is the first edition of a 1934 West End theatrical production which became well known not for the performers or production values, but for the scandalous court case it prompted, when the Lord Chamberlain took the producers to court for what he deemed to be lewd content. 

The hand-typed first edition is titled “West End Scandals”. It was a revue with book and lyrics by Reg Powell with additional content by Harry Shalson. Choreography was by Hilda Beck and casting by Mildred Challenger. It opened on August 6, 1934 at London’s Garrick Theatre. The original cast included Queenie May, Fred Miller, Jack Stanford and Henry Lytton Jr. It also played for a time at the Irving Theatre and the Palace Theatre. It closed in December of 1934. It went through three script iterations, with reviews for the show improving as the script evolved. The script on offer is of the first iteration of the show. (Special Note: the script indicates that the show will open at the Palace and one ad stating it will open at the Palace was found, though all other newspaper advertising stated it would be shown at the Garrick).

At the time of this production, there were tight censorship laws in England. Between 1737 and 1968, The Lord Chamberlain was tasked with approving or denying that which was presented on the British stage. The Lord Chamberlain was the head servant in the royal household. Without his signature, a play could not be staged publicly, and once the Lord Chamberlain signed off on a piece of theatre, it could not be altered. The idea was that the Lord Chamberlain had the moral authority to determine what the British people could be allowed to view, and to prevent anything he deemed lewd or inappropriate from seeing the stage. At the time of the West End Scandals scandal, the Lord Chamberlain was Rowland Thomas Baring, 2nd Earl of Cromer. 

Lord Chamberlain’s office sent senior official George Titman to watch West End Scandals. Titman noted that, “dialogue licensed to be spoken between a man and woman was spoken man to man…[and] the performance was based on dirty ‘nancy’ business”. Lord Chamberlain’s office sued multiple people involved with West End Scandals for the transgressions. On Nov 19, 1934, the Daily Herald stated, “Mr. Harry W Bradbury Pratt and Mr. L.K. Symonds were summoned for producing part of a stage play before it had been allowed by the Lord Chamberlain and after it had been disallowed…There was also summonses against Mr. Walter R. Parnell and Mr. David Albert Abrahams of Shaftsbury Avenue, for causing to be acted and causing to be presented respectively the part of a production complained of….”. 

The fines were high: up to 40 British pounds for some of the defendants (20 for each summons). When arguing against the producers, the prosecuting lawyer described one problematic scene: “…a dancing girl wearing a brassiere and trunks, went on to the stage and…was chased under a curtain by two comedians. One of the comedians presently returned waving a brassiere and trunks giving the impression that the girl had been stripped against her will”. The parties were found guilty and it is suggested that this verdict impacted the artistic expression in Britain. 

While this show was admittedly silly, the script is a fascinating study in what was deemed inappropriate or lewd in early 20th century Britain. When considering debate surrounding media censorship in modern contexts, studying a script such as this one, and the subsequent legal fallout, contributes to a broad discussion on the line between protecting the public and allowing for freedom of expression in the arts. 

This script measures 8.5” x 11” and is typewritten. The covers are a thick blue paper which exhibit age toning and small rips and tears at the edges. Binding is string. The back cover has a stamped “Worth Enterprise Shorthand/Typing” logo. The script contains 19 scenes plus several “extra scenes” at the back. Approximately 80 pages. Overall G.