The BBCs First Homosexual by Stephen Hornby

February is here, which means Brighton is gearing up for LGBTQ+ History Month, and there’s a specific piece of theatre coming up that focuses on a fascinating moment of media censorship and social history. The play is called The BBCs First Homosexual, written by Stephen M Hornby, directed by Oli Hurst, and produced by InkBrew Productions.

The core of the performance is the rediscovered transcript of the BBC’s first attempt at a documentary about male homosexuality. This radio piece was originally created in 1954, but the subject matter was considered so taboo at the time that the BBC banned and archived the original recording for three years. When it finally aired in 1957, it was only a heavily edited version, and the original recording itself was eventually lost. This play brings that specific, censored history back to life, giving us a look at what was considered too sensitive for public consumption in the mid-fifties.

If you are interested in historical theatre and how these conversations began in the UK, the show is running for just two days at The Lantern Theatre, located at 77 St James's Street, BN2 1PA. You have a couple of options to catch it: the first performance is on Saturday, February 7th, 2026 at 7:30 PM, and the second is a matinee on Sunday, February 8th, 2026 at 2:30 PM. Given the historical depth of the material, it’s a great way to mark the start of History Month. Tickets are set at a standard price of £7.50, making it an accessible event for anyone looking to dive into this specific piece of LGBTQ+ and broadcasting history.