Examiner of Plays
The Examiner of Plays was a significant role in British theater from the early eighteenth century until its abolition in 1968. This position, under the authority of the Lord Chamberlain, was responsible for reviewing and censoring theatrical productions to ensure they adhered to prevailing societal norms and regulations. The examiners were often criticized for their conservative and repressive stances, which stifled artistic expression, particularly during the nineteenth century. Notably, George Colman, a prominent examiner, was infamous for his stringent edits, removing references to religion, politics, and sexuality from plays. Despite efforts to challenge this censorship, such as those by playwright George Bernard Shaw, it wasn't until the Theatre Act of 1968 that the role was officially eliminated. This shift marked a significant change in the landscape of British theater, allowing for greater creative freedom and expression. The legacy of the Examiner of Plays continues to inform discussions about censorship and artistic liberty in contemporary culture.
Examiner of Plays
Definition: British government office responsible for reviewing publicly performed plays
Significance: Holders of this office censored the content of dramatic productions from the early eighteenth century through the mid-twentieth century
In Great Britain the examiner of plays was a functionary in the office of the Lord Chamberlain to whom, by statute, he was responsible. From the early eighteenth century, when the office was created, until its abolition in 1968, the examiner was specifically charged with reviewing and censoring public theatrical productions. Holders of the office were generally narrow-minded and conservative, wielding an authority that proved unduly repressive to artistic expression in British drama, particularly in the nineteenth century. George Colman was perhaps the most arrogant and notorious of the nineteenth century examiners, purging plays of all references to religion, identifiable prominent personalities, politics, and sexual suggestiveness. Colman’s excesses were prominent among the concerns that prompted the House of Commons to appoint a select committee to review current laws on licensing and censorship in the theater in 1823. Although the committee, chaired by novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton, recommended the abolition of censorship and the office of the examiner, Parliament rejected its conclusions. The Theatre Regulation Act of 1843 reaffirmed the Lord Chamberlain’s authority and officially established the censorship responsibilities of the examiner of plays.
Some playwrights, notably George Bernard Shaw, partly circumvented and called attention to theatrical censorship excesses by printing their plays for publication. Shaw prefaced his published version of Mrs. Warren’s Profession (1893) with an extended essay on the censorship issue.
A new committee established by Parliament in 1966 resulted in the Theatre Act of 1968. It repealed the Theatre Regulation Act of 1843 and abolished the offices of both the Lord Chamberlain and the examiner of plays.