The Beckett Chamber has accused RCD Espanyol of committing a “direct attack” against freedom of expression and “the very dignity of theater and art in general” by publishing a statement criticizing that one of the fictional characters mentioned in the work ‘Cacophony’ is a Spanish footballer accused and acquitted of rape.
After a series of tweets critical of the work on social media, the club expressed its “concern” and “anger” on Saturday with the representation of Beckett, which it considered a “lack of respect.” The Chamber, however, has regretted that the club “irresponsibly fuels a false controversy” and chooses to “stoke the fire, give credibility and let itself be carried away by aggressive messages” on the networks.
The Barcelona theater has expressed its “great astonishment and disbelief” at the Spaniard’s prior communication about his work on the bill.
According to Beckett, the publication of the text by Espanyol demonstrates “an absolute ignorance of the facts and a total ignorance of the meaning of culture in democracy.”
“Stoking the fire, giving credibility and getting carried away by the aggressive messages and threats launched through social networks against a play, without even verifying the veracity of the facts or the extent of the consequences, is promoting fanaticism.” lower and unreasonable,” says the Beckett Chamber in its statement. https://www.salabeckett.cat/comunicat-sala-beckett-18-de-febrer-de-2024/
The theater argues that even if the mention of Espanyol in the play was not anecdotal, as is the case, “it would not make any sense” to accuse them of disrespecting the club because it is a fiction.
“Everyone is really liking the show and it talks about important issues that touch us deeply, such as the feminist struggle or the danger of abusive and violent use of social networks in our testosterone-stricken society,” says Beckett.
And he concludes: “In the theater, you have to know how to differentiate the actors from the characters; you have to understand that what happens on stage—and what is said—is never true.”
Espanyol conveyed its “anger” to the Sala Beckett this Saturday afternoon through a statement: “We cannot tolerate that we can be related to this problem. And even more so when our club has never been related to this type of the situation that arises”.
The parakeet club asked for restraint to link the sports entity with “such thorny issues.” “It is a topic as sensitive as the sensitivity we ask for our club,” the text read.
In the statement, the Catalan entity positioned itself “against violence and reprehensible attitudes that must be eradicated.” The adaptation of the play ‘Cacophony’, written by Molly Taylor, is directed by Anna Serrano and reflects on the consequences of exposure on social networks.
