Perth Premiere Attracts Ad Ban

Advertising for the Perth Theatre Company’s Australian Premiere of Tender Napalm by British playwright and provocateur, Philip Ridley (The Pitchfork Disney, Mercury Fur) has proved a bit too provovative.

Banned from billboards in Mt Lawley and Osborne Park as too explicit, the publicity image of a waist up naked couple in an embrace (see image) was banned by the Public Transport Authority, believing it breaches the Australian Association of National Advertisers’ code of ethics.

The AANA letter of refusal said: “Unfortunately, we are unable to facilitate the display of the attached creative as it does not comply with the guideline details in the AANA Code of Ethics, specifically section 2.3, that advertising or marketing communications shall treat sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience and, where appropriate, the relevant program time zone.”

A more modest shoulders up version of the publicity shot has subsequently been approved, subject to no complaints being lodged by the general public. In the end, the controversy has probably provided publicity the company couldn’t afford to buy.

Tender Napalm plays in Studio Underground at the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia from 19 August – 10 September 2011.

Tender Napalm is an exploration of love and violence. It shows the boundaries of a relationship between a man and a woman, and then pushes us over them into startlingly new territory.

Directed by Perth Theatre Company Artistic Director, Melissa Cantwell, Tender Napalm will star West Australian actors, Joshua Brennan and Anna Houston.

Russell Leonard will choreograph, with Claude Marcos designing the set & costumes, Matthew Marshall as Lighting Designer and Peter Dawson designing the sound.

“Philip Ridley is a writer who studied visual art and his background is evident in the remarkable images he paints with words. His skill with language is nothing short of breathtaking. He is multi awarded, confronting, enlightening and unique. His writing may not be for the fainthearted, but it is rich, dynamic, swirling, painful and joyous.” explains Cantwell.

A resident company of the State Theatre Centre of WA, Perth Theatre Company is Western Australiaʼs foremost contemporary theatre company that has been producing award-winning, professional theatre since 1983.

WARNING: CONTAINS ADULT THEMES, COARSE LANGUAGE AND NUDITY

Bookings: PERTHTHEATRE.COM.AU OR BOCS TICKETING ON (08) 9484 1133 

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Win Tickets

Competition closed - winners Jennifer Ch and Brendan Hanson.

Win  a pair of tickets to the performance of Tender Napalm at 8pm this Saturday, August 20 (2 pairs available).

The Task: After seeing the banned image, and reading our description of the play, explain why you would like to see Tender Napalm.

Return to our Facebook link and add your entry as a comment.

http://www.facebook.com/stagewhispers

Likes will help us choose the winners / best reasons..

Closes – 12 noon (Perth time) Wednesday August 17.