A controversial play called 'Homegrown', produced by National Youth Theatre, exploring the radicalisation of young people who join Islamic State has been cancelled less than a fortnight before its opening night. The play had a cast of 112 people aged 15-25 from an ethnically diverse background, was set to focus on attitudes towards Islam in the UK and jihadi brides.
On the opening night, it was due to be staged at UCL academy in Swiss Cottage, North London. The play had encountered problems in June when Tower Hamlets council warned it would be "insensitive" for the play to be performed at a school in east London less than a mile from where three schoolgirls thought to have travelled to Syria to become jihadi brides had studied.
The team behind the play allegedly blamed "external pressures" for the cancellation - but the NYT insisted the decision was taken because it did not meet the required standards.
The theatre reportedly said: "After some consideration, we have come to the conclusion that we cannot be sufficiently sure of meeting all of our aims to the standards we set and which our members and audiences have come to expect."
Scotland Yard has however released a statement insisting the Met had played no part in the play's cancellation.
