Mel Smith surrenders to the smoking police

The Times ^ | August 08, 2006 | Jack Malvern, Arts Reporter

[vimto]

Mel Smith surrenders to the smoking police By Jack Malvern, Arts Reporter

Mel Smith, who is playing Churchill, smokes out of a window in the Assembly Rooms after the performance of Allegiance ASHLEY COOMBES / EPICSCOTLAND

CHURCHILL did not win the war by kowtowing to pettifogging bureaucracy. He smoked that cigar wherever he pleased, and puffed its cloud with the insouciance of a man who knew he was in charge. But then the Greatest Englishman only had to deal with the likes of Hitler and Stalin; he had the good fortune to live in the days before the Scottish Parliament and its enforcers, the environmental health inspectors of the City of Edinburgh Council.

Mel Smith, who is appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe playing Churchill in a drama about his relationship with Michael Collins, was forced into an un-Churchillian surrender yesterday when he succumbed to a demand that he not smoke on stage. The actor, who has something of Winston’s build but not his clout, slammed down his lighter in disgust, outraged at being given the ultimatum only half an hour before he was due on stage. “I was speechless,” he told The Times. “I thought that it was unscrupulous, charmless and stupid.”

William Burdett Coutts, who runs the Assembly Rooms where the play Allegiance is playing, told Smith that if he smoked, the venue would lose its entertainment licence. Edinburgh Council had threatened to shut him down if the actor sparked up, Mr Burdett Coutts claimed, and even sent an inspector to supervise the performance.

[vimto]

I went into the only surviving tobbaconists in Cardiff yesterday - they are no longer able to stock Gitannes or Turkish flat cigarettes. Great people in the shop - kept lovingly so clean and tidy with a roomfull of cigars from all over the world. Cigarettes banned by our government - telling me what I can and cannot smoke like I was a 5 year old!

Pah I say!!!!..and Pah again.

[coconutt2000]

I'm sorry, did this article just say that the Smoking Police are worse than Stalin and Hitler?

Oh my...

[smug]

Has Wales completely surrendered to PC fascist? Bad enough they succumbed to the English.

[vimto]

a bit of hyperbole there I guess...

[vimto]

Well this was in Scotland - but you are right both countries are way down the PC road, if anything Scotland more-so.... who would have thought that of the fiercely independent minded Scots?

[smug]

Sorry I was responding to your post #1 about the cigarette situation in Cardiff. I knew the story was about Scotland. Is there a Cardiff in Scotland?

[vimto]

I realized my mistake!!! No - Cardiff is firmly in wales (though it is called Little England by some).Curiously until the boarder changes in the early 70's a third of Cardiff was In England. The shop in Cardiff's called the BEAR and when I was a kid it had a full sized stuffed brown bear outside it.

Both countries -Scotland and Wales have very strong socialist structures. The government regional assembly and local councils take some 47% of our money in tax.My local council employs two thirds os all working people living in it.

kind regards

[PeterPrinciple]

My local council employs two thirds os all working people living in it.

WOW, and that is local govt...................

[CSM]

Puff!

[SheLion]

[demsux]

I just got back from Ireland and you can't smoke ANYWHERE indoors.

I'm a smoker and let me tell you...the street is the place to be in Dublin or Killarney...drinkin' and smokin' with the fun group.

Glad I don't have to pick up the butts from the sidewalks and streets, though.

[Bigh4u2]

Thanks for the ping!

I'm speechless!

[383rr]

So, They can't let an actor portraying Churchill smoke.

Not a very historically accurate representation, is it?

But, the statist control freaks could care less about anything accurate.

"He who controls the past, controls the future"-George Orwell, 1984

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[vimto]

Curiously Ireland was the first of the 4 nations to ban tobacco in pubs. Who would have thought?

[SheLion]

So, They can't let an actor portraying Churchill smoke.

Well, what was the name of that war movie that starred Tom Hanks?  All the soldiers smoked back then, but I think the had to remove smoking from the film. 

[Brit1]

Wasn't it 'Saving Private Ryan'. If the Cinema(movie theater)had the capacity to spray blood and gore over the audience all those who saw the film could easily have believed that they were on Omaha beach on June 6/7 1944.

[SheLion]

Wasn't it 'Saving Private Ryan'. If the Cinema(movie theater)had the capacity to spray blood and gore over the audience all those who saw the film could easily have believed that they were on Omaha beach on June 6/7 1944.

I thought it had the word "Pacific" in the title.  I still can't think of the title.  But it was back in the 40's during WWII, I think.

Wasn't it 'Saving Private Ryan'. If the Cinema(movie theater)had the capacity to spray blood and gore over the audience all those who saw the film could easily have believed that they were on Omaha beach on June 6/7 1944.

I thought it had the word "Pacific" in the title.  I still can't think of the title.  But it was back in the 40's during WWII, I think.