A PLAY by Bolton-born Lovejoy author Jonathan Gash has been banned from his home town because it is considered too racy and blasphemous.

The snub for Viva Rosso! - about the controversial life of the composer Vivaldi - was delivered after members of Bolton Community Drama read the full script.

Gash had waived his £5,000 fee to offer the play as a gift to his home town. But BCD, based at the Astley Bridge Theatre Church, found parts of the tale focusing on Vivaldi's chequered life as a lecherous and irreverent Catholic priest too hot to handle.

Bolton Amateur Theatre Societies chairman Michael Rodgers, who was due to direct the premiere of Viva Rosso!, said: "Unfortunately he could not really have chosen a more inappropriate script."

Scenes that caused offence included Vivaldi's pursuit of women, regular use of the F-word and using his communion chalice as an ash-tray.

Mr Rodgers added: "It was a well written, well researched play but some of the content meant it just could not be put on." Mr Gash, real name Dr John Grant, is a former head boy of Thornleigh Salesian College at Sharples Park. He said: "I am very disappointed and sad about the decision. I was asked if I could provide a play and I was working on Viva Rosso! at the time.

"The sections of the play which seem to have caused offence were based on factual records on the Holy Inquisition of Rome, I did not create them myself. That's what life was like among Vivaldi and his contemporaries."

Gash now hopes to find someone else to stage his play elsewhere. But he has not been put off helping out Bolton's amateur theatre scene.

He is currently writing a play which the Phoenix Theatre company will be given free later this year. Details of the plot are under wraps but it is expected to be less controversial than Viva Rosso!

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