This April, the James Arnott Theatre at the University of Glasgow will present The Trial of William Merrilees, a free Judicial Theatre performance by doctoral researcher Kfir Lapid-Mashall, based on a collaboration with Dr. Jeff Meek and his book Queer Trades, Sex and Society: Male Prostitution and the War on Homosexuality in Interwar Scotland.
Join this one-night-only, unscripted performance, where you get to decide the verdict.
About the show
When law and desire clash, which side do you choose?
Edinburgh, 1934. In a city plagued by illicit acts, detective inspector William Merrilees wages war against ‘deviants’ committing sexual offences in urinals, bathhouses and parks. Breaking the law, queer men use these clandestine spaces to express their desires. They are persecuted by the authorities, face criminal charges, and imprisoned.
Glasgow, 2024. Charged with Misconduct in Public Office, detective inspector William Merrilees will stand trial for the alleged abuse of power in his campaign against homosexuality.
Be the jury in an unscripted performance of Judicial Theatre, hear both sides, ask questions of the witnesses, and decide the fate of controversial figures from Scotland’s queer history.
The Trial of William Merrilees will take place on Thursday, 4 April 2024, at 7:00 pm at the James Arnott Theatre (Gilmorehill Centre, 9 University Avenue G12 8QQ).
Tickets are available for free here. For more information about the show, please visit the show’s website.
This event is presented by Thinking Culture, a cultural programme supported by the School of Culture & Creative Arts, University of Glasgow.
Content advisory: The performance will include explicit references to sex and sexuality, and police abuse of power.
Queer Scotland 