We asked our readers whether or no the Jack the Ripper pantomime should be banned from Norwich and they overwhelming supported the show with 83% saying the Norwich Playhouse production should not be banned, out of survey of over 500.
The campaign against the play is being led by Sophie Elliott, 23, who set up the petition urging Norwich Playhouse to stop the show after she first became aware of it via Facebook.
Miss Elliott, who works in a call centre and runs a feminist magazine called Parallel, said she was 'shocked and a bit disgusted' when she researched the show online.
Joining the discussion on the EDP Facebook page, Brian Potter agreed with Miss Elliott posting: 'Seriously I am amazed at some people who think a Pantomime of Jack the Ripper is okay. A play by all means but a pantomime? He was supposed to have cut women open from throat to thigh removed organs also laid them out for all to see. If that's okay as a pantomime then lets have a Fred West pantomime or a Yorkshire Ripper show.'
However Cyril the Canary disagreed. He said: 'How does she know what the content of the show is if she hasn't seen it? For all she knows it might be very cleverly critical of violence to women. Humour can be a very powerful tool for promoting positive social change.
'To say you should never make comedy about tragic events is ludicrous. The early days of World War Two were rather dark so should the writers of Dads Army have said 'Oh dear perhaps we had better not set this in war time?''.
• Big Al believed that people should be able to make their own mind up on whether or not the show would offend them.
He commented: 'If you think this show will offend you, simply do not buy a ticket to see it. I find this stance incredibly effective in avoiding things I do not like the look off. Do not act as a self appointed authority on what will or will not offend or have an adverse influence on others and attempt to sanitise theatre to your taste.'
• Al's sentiments were echoed by the Hereandthere who said: 'Let the public decide. If you want to go, that`s up to you. If you don`t, then don`t go. Its as simple as that. What these self appointed protesters fail to realise is that the free publicity this has generated will ensure the show is a sell out. The organisers ought to send her a bunch of flowers as a thank you.'
• There was a huge response to the show on our Facebook page, with Lynz Vincent comparing the production to other musicals and films.
She said: 'How is this any different from making a movie?... How is this any different from Making Sweeney Todd into a musical, and turning Vlad the impaler into Dracula and then putting him in cartoons and sesame Street?
• You can read through the comments here
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