LGBTQ+ History Month in the Bradford district concludes with two rehearsed readings of Noel Grieg’s play Plague of Innocence on Saturday.

The performances, at 5pm and 7.30pm at Kala Sangam, are the final events in the packed programme of activities to mark the month, aimed at bringing people together to learn from each other’s experiences.

A question and answer session follows the second reading of the play, where local leaders will discuss the current response to HIV.

Councillor Richard Dunbar, LGBTQ+ Champion, said: “We are pleased to close LGBTQ+ History Month with these two special performances of Plague of Innocence at the wonderful Kala Sangam.

“Noel Greig was without question a radical practitioner, at the cutting edge of queer theatre, and reviving his play in Bradford – a place that meant so much to him – seemed right. We encourage as many people as possible to come along.”

Al Dix, who is directing the performances and joins the Q&A panel, said: “Noel Grieg was one of the UK’s most influential queer playwrights of the 20th century.

“Noel’s iconic and compassionate writing enabled new kinds of dialogue about sexuality, gender, politics and the art of being human. He was based in Bradford for a lot of his career before his death.”

Bradford District to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month

The performances are pay as you feel and all proceeds go to sexual health organisation MESMAC, for their work supporting people living with HIV.

MESMAC Chief Executive Tom Doyle, who is also joining the Q&A, said: “Today, early detection and management means that a person living with HIV, on effective treatments, can live as long and as healthy a life as someone without HIV.

“We are able to reduce the level of the virus in a person’s body so they are unable to transmit HIV to their sexual partners.

“This picture of the pandemic was unimaginable in the 1980s when HIV was cutting a swath through marginalised and demonised communities.

“Whilst the science has moved on at pace the same cannot be said for the stigma surrounding HIV, people living with HIV continue to face prejudice, this prejudice and stigma fuels the HIV pandemic by creating barriers to testing and treatments.”

Plague of Innocence was Grieg’s response to AIDS and HIV in the 1980s and, in light of the stigma that still exists reviving, his thought provoking play will allow audiences to be educated around the challenges that still exist around understanding HIV.

Booking is essential and tickets are available at https://www.kalasangam.org/home/box-office/