Harold Wilson

When the Theatre Censorship Act became law in 1737 it was widely believed that Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole had instigated this to put an end to political attacks on his government being frequently made on the stage at the time. 

By 1967, the year that saw the Theatres Act passed ending centuries of censure, the latest Downing Street incumbent, Harold Wilson found himself being satirically lampooned on a nightly basis at London's Criterion in a play titled, ‘Mrs Wilson's Dairy'. It was a sign that times had changed and Wilson made certain that he always moved with them.

Harold Wilson (1916-1995) was the longest serving Labour Prime Minister of the 20th Century and the late-sixties was his golden period as he led the nation in becoming a more liberated society. Though not directly involved with the censorship legislation it illustrated his ethos for a greater appreciation & exploration of the arts for the benefit of the country as whole.