If you search Hansard, the transcript of everything ever said in Parliament, for ‘syphilis, gonorrhea and genital herpes’ there is only one result. It’s a furiously homophobic speech given by the Conservative MP Jill Knight in 1987 as she led the charge for a law that banned ‘the promotion of homosexuality in schools and local authorities’. The members of Breach Theatre weren’t alive when Section 28 was passed in 1988 but the 15 years it was in force had a wounding legacy on the generations that grew up under its influence.
Opening at the Royal Court today after premiering at the New Diorama back in 2023, this fantastically daring show tells the story of one of the most regressive, destructive and cruel pieces of legislation in this country’s recent history through verbatim testimony, Parliamentary transcripts, news reports and other materials from the time. Oh, and did we mention it’s a musical?