Sir, - The decision by the Northern Ireland Arts Council to withdraw funding from the Dubblejoint/JustUs production of their play - Forced Upon Us - is a deplorable act of political interference with the freedom of artistic expression.
The subject of the play - the history of the RUC - is no doubt capable of controversy. But the audience should be the judge. Fiscal pressure should not be exerted in this fashion by those whose function it is to protect the arts.
At a time when people on both sides of the divide in Northern Ireland are working for democratic change, this decision by the Arts Council must be deplored by all who believe in the right of a theatre company to perform plays in which it believes and which until now have been widely supported by audiences all over the world.
Ireland has a sorry history of censorship. It is regrettable that the Northern Ireland Arts Council is continuing the tradition. - Yours, etc.,
Shane Connaughton, St Charles Place, London W10.
Also signed by: Robert Ballagh, Marina Carr, Neil Donnelly, Arthur Flynn, (Irish Pen), Trevor Griffiths, Ronald Harwood, Nicolas Kent, Steve McDonogh, John McGrath, Frank McGuinness, Elizabeth MacLeNNAN, Peter Sheridan, Marie Jones.