British school is forced to cancel its play based on Charles Darwin after parents complain about sexually suggestive dance move and the representation of Christian views
- Students from Hartford Manor Primary school due to perform 'Darwin Rocks!'
- Headteacher of the school, Simon Kidwell, confirmed parents had complained
- 'Darwin Rocks!' is meant to be light-hearted take on Darwin's evolution theory
A British school has cancelled a performance of a musical about Charles Darwin after parents complained about the representation of Christian views.
Students from the Hartford Manor Primary School in Cheshire were due to perform the 'Darwin Rocks!' musical next month but it has been scrapped after six parents raised concerns over lyrics that 'refer to bump and grind' - a sexually-suggestive dance move.
The headteacher of the school, Simon Kidwell, said a handful of parents believed a bishop in the play was 'mocked' in a scene.
The 'Darwin Rocks!' musical is based loosely around Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution
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Musicline, the musical's publishers, said it was written by a Christian and said they were unaware of the performance having 'courted controversy before'.
The production is meant to be a 'light-hearted look' at the work of Darwin's theory of evolution, according to Musicline's website.
One concerned parents said they did not want their daughter to think her ambition to be an engineer went against Christian values, Mr Kidwell told the BBC.
The school board was not involved in the decision to drop the muscial, Mr Kidwell added, and denied suggestions made in a local newspaper that a local vicar influenced the decision.
The performance of 'Darwin Rocks!' at the Hartford Manor Primary School has been cancelled
Mr Kidwell said the school teaches evolution as part of its syllabus.
Mike Smith, managing director at Musicline, said the play had been performed in schools around the world since 2017.
He said: 'You can't please all the people all the time, but having been in the school musical business for over 25 years, we can't ever recall having courted controversy before.'
