Saved events

Defend The Right To Offend?

Royal Shakespeare Company Debates

,Barbican Theatre
a woman and man sit back to back on the floor

A talk about how free speech can make for uncomfortable listening.

Do we have an ethical responsibility to censor the problematic? Or is addressing difficult issues through culture effective in our recognising of right and wrong? Join our panel of experts as they discuss.

This debate is part of a series of discussion events inspired by Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It and Measure for Measure.

Tagged with: RSC London Season Debates Theatre & dance RSC 2019 More...

Duration: Each debate lasts 1 hour

Nesrine Malik will no longer be appearing. Joining the panel in her place will be actor Graeme Brookes.

Presented by the Barbican. The Royal Shakespeare Company is supported using public funding by Arts Council England. The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation and The Kovner Foundation.

Who is on the panel?

Jo Clifford (Chair) is the author of a 100 works in every dramatic medium that have been translated into multiple languages and performed over the world. Her play The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven was touring Brazil continuously for three years, but the present repressive climate means it’s too dangerous to be performed there.

Inua Ellams is a cross-art form practitioner, poet, playwright, performer, graphic artist, designer and founder of the Midnight Run. Across his work, identity, displacement and destiny are reoccurring themes in which he tries to mix the old with the new: traditional African storytelling with contemporary poetry, pencil with pixel, texture with vector images.

Graeme Brookes is a member of the RSC’s As You Like It and Measure for Measure company.

You might also like

Barbican Theatre

Location
The Barbican Theatre is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level. 

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.