Still banned after all these years: Gay theatre company, Homo Promos has its Wormwood Scrubs performance of an opera about Ivor Novello in prison cancelled at a few days notice

Peter Scott-Presland's gay theatre group Homo Promos was founded in 1988 as a response to Section 28, which forbade councils from ‘intentionally promoting homosexuality’ and the group still marches on. 

Currently they are in the midst of a long-term project, A Gay Century presenting a cycle of chamber operas about events during the 20th century, with music by Robert Ely. This year's contribution is 1944: Home Fires. 

It is 1944, Ivor Novello has been banged up for a month for fiddling his petrol coupons.  Novello was a combination of matinee idol and Andrew Lloyd-Webber, formidably popular.  Now he faces ruin - and a psychotic cell-mate in 'Mad' Frankie Fraser, later to be hitman for the Richardson gang.  But his dead mother watches over him...

The show is being presented at the Cockpit Theatre and the Tower Theatre, but visit to perform the work at Wormwood Scrubs has been cancelled at a few days notice, despite month's of planning. The visit, which had the full support of staff at the prison, has been stamped on by ‘senior leaders in the prison service’, according to Jake Booth, the Neurodiversity Support Manager at the Scrubs organising the visit. No reasons have been given.

Homo Promos final performance of 1944: Home Fires is at the Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington on 6 September, full details from the Homo Promos website.