Glossary of Theatre Terms

Nudity

Nudity on stage was one of the key issues for censorship by the office of the Lord Chamberlain. The Windmill Theatre in Soho, was the first London theatre to feature nude women on stage during World War One (recently memorialized in the film Mrs. Henderson Presents with Judi Dench). However, nudity was only permitted so long as the women remained totally still. There was to be no visible breast movement even. The first Broadway and West End production to show full nudity (very dimly lit and hazy) was the musical Hair in 1968. Since then many playwrights and choreographers have included nudity in their works, sometimes with relevance and sometimes not. However, this frequency of nudes in stage productions today has helped reduce the voyeuristic or secretive possessive mentality of members of the audience, which developed as a result of censorship, and create a healthier normal attitude towards ourselves.