Sunday, 26 October 2014

Parents' fury over Horrible Histories posters showing executioner holding up a severed head in chilling echo of jihadist murder videos

  • Posters for latest 'Barmy Britain' tour feature picture of executioner
  • He is masked and holding up an axe and a bloody severed head
  • The figure has a speech bubble saying: 'You'll laugh your head off'
  • They've been placed around the cities of Cambridge and Chelmsford
  • Parents say they're similar to videos released by Islamic State militants
  • Horrible Histories said they've provided alternative posters to venues
    A children's Horrible Histories stage tour poster showing a hooded executioner holding a severed head has been labeled 'shockingly bad taste' by furious parents in the wake of the beheading of Western hostages by ISIS jihadists.
    The posters, advertising the 'Barmy Britain' tour, feature a big picture of an executioner holding an axe and a bloody head, and have been put up around the cities of Cambridge and Chelmsford in Essex.
    But parents are concerned the promotional pictures hold chilling similarities to the beheadings of British and American hostages by Islamic State militants.
    A children's Horrible Histories stage tour poster showing a hooded executioner holding a severed head has been labeled 'shockingly bad taste' by furious parents in the wake of the ISIS beheadings
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    A children's Horrible Histories stage tour poster showing a hooded executioner holding a severed head has been labeled 'shockingly bad taste' by furious parents in the wake of the ISIS beheadings
    Concerned parents have also pointed out that the executioner is masked and dressed in black in a similar way to the ISIS masked killer, known as 'Jihadi John.'
    The picture is accompanied by a speech bubble from the executioner saying: 'You'll laugh your head off.'
    Father-of-two Daniel Harris, 45, from Chelmsford, said: 'The posters are shocking in light of the recent events in the news and in really bad taste. 
    'The pictures are meant to be showing events in history, but sadly beheadings are still going on and are all too real.
    'I can't understand why they haven't changed the posters as there are so many other images they could have used.'
    The posters, for the latest tour of Barmy Britain, feature a big picture of an executioner holding an axe and a bloody head, and have been put up around the cities of Cambridge and Chelmsford in Essex
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    The posters, for the latest tour of Barmy Britain, feature a big picture of an executioner holding an axe and a bloody head, and have been put up around the cities of Cambridge and Chelmsford in Essex
    The show is on at Chelmsford's Civic Theatre later this month and is currently being advertised
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    The show is on at Chelmsford's Civic Theatre later this month and is currently being advertised
    Another resident, Sarah Benjamin, 41, added: 'I did a double take when I saw the poster. I couldn't believe anyone would be so insensitive. 
    'The posters are up all around the town so it's hard to avoid them.'
    The Barmy Britain show, which is based on the popular series of Horrible Histories books by Terry Deary, is on tour until December.
    It starts a new leg at The Civic Theatre in Chelmsford and describes itself as 'the horrible history of Britain with the nasty bits left in.'
    Neal Foster, director and producer of the show, said he was aware of a couple of complaints and had provided alternative posters to venues.
    Concerned parents have also pointed out that the executioner, also featured on the show's website (pictured), is masked and dressed in black in a similar way to the ISIS masked killer, known as 'Jihadi John'
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    Concerned parents have also pointed out that the executioner, also featured on the show's website (pictured), is masked and dressed in black in a similar way to the ISIS masked killer, known as 'Jihadi John'
    He said: 'It is unfortunate and we are sympathetic to anyone who is offended by the poster, but it was designed in July 2013, a long time before these recent incidents came to attention.
    'If we had designed the poster after the incidents we obviously wouldn't have gone ahead with it.
    'All the venues had between 200 to 800 posters and between 20,000 and 50,000 leaflets given to them last year which many started distributing in January, so from a practical point of view it is very hard to do anything.
    'In light of what has happened we have given an alternative image to the theatres for them to use for social media or advertising campaigns if they wish, but I know some places felt it could be confusing to have two different posters for the same show.' 

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