Problematic themes in musical theatre

Some of the most celebrated musical scores often wrap texts that feature domestic violence, racial stereotyping and other problematic elements. Robert Legg navigates the highs and lows of staging historic works in schools

The bench scene from the 2018 Broadway production of ‘Carousel’, starring Jessie Mueller (Juile Jordan) and Joshua Henry (Billy Bigelow) - Julieta Cervantes

There’s a wonderful moment in the life of a secondary school music teacher when everything seems worth it. That moment occurs annually, at the end of the last night of a musical production, when we look around, see our students’ elation and reflect that the creativity, teamwork and sheer energy required to bring a school show to life have an almost unique power to build memories and make people happy.

But with great power, so the proverb goes, comes great responsibility. Staging a production isn’t only an act of performing; it’s a learning experience that bring students into close contact with a dramatic text and with the ideas, problems and biases that it contains. So, what happens when that text presents values that are incompatible with those of contemporary society? Should we worry that to stage such a work is to condone its prejudices or even to perpetuate identity-based harm?