A few hours after a Birmingham theatre scrapped a play due to protests from the British Sikh community, another theatre in the region has come forward to stage it.
Sikhs opposed the staging of Behzti (Dishonour), which depicts sexual abuse and murder in a gurdwara, at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, saying it portrayed the Sikh faith negatively.
Following the protests, the Repertory on Monday said it would scrap the rest of the play's three-week run production.
But in the night, the Birmingham Stage Company said it was prepared to put on the play, written by a young Sikh playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatt.
Neal Foster, actor-manager of the Company, hoped the Repertory would change its decision. If it did not, his organisation, based at the Old Rep theatre, would be prepared to put on the play, he said.
"The story cannot end here. I will be willing to produce the play in Birmingham. I think freedom of expression is more important than health and safety."
He claimed the West Midlands Police were prepared to protect the theatre for the remainder of the play's run.
Foster said he was looking to discuss the matter with officials from the Rep and other venues in Birmingham with a view to staging the play.
"I have full respect for the Sikh community. I did a production with them last year. I can fully understand their position. But that doesn't entitle violence to be used to stop something being shown."
Foster said any production of the play with his involvement would be carried out after consultation with faith leaders.
While announcing the cancellation of the show, Stuart Rogers, executive director of the Birmingham Rep, said the decision was taken on safety considerations after five police officers were injured when about 400 Sikh protestors stormed the theatre on Saturday night.
Rogers said the theatre board was left with no other option after Sikh community leaders refused to give assurances that there would be no repeat of Saturday's "deplorable" violence, during which windows and doors were smashed.
Rogers said: "We are determined not to go down the road of censorship, but when one stands in the foyer with 800 women and children and sees stones being thrown and police officers injured, then security and safety issues come to the fore.
"We are certainly not bowing to censorship, we have refused to change the play. This decision will certainly not affect the sort of plays that we commission and produce in the future."
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