‘Highly sexualised’ Roger Casement dance show sparks outrage in Kerry

A “highly sexualised” dance show, depicting the sexual conduct of Roger Casement sparked outrage during a family festival on Banna Strand in Kerry.

Two dancers wore T-shirts reading “Deep to the Hilt” and “Very Deep Thrusts”; male dancers groped each other; a voiceover referred to the size of Casement’s anus; and graphic sexual language was used in front of children, complainants said.

Organisers at the Project Arts Centre strongly defended the performance saying there were “many different kinds of families”, only a small number found it offensive and the content was based on Casement and what others said of him. However, the statement contradicts itself with regard to nudity — the centre says there was no nudity, but the artistic director says there was.