General shot of Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in Poland. Picture: Jamie Gray

School pupils were stopped from performing a play about the Holocaust - because it was too harrowing.

The pupils at Brockhill Park Performing Arts College in Hythe were asked to change the ending, which involved a shooting, before the piece could be included in the Holocaust Memorial Day event at the Tower Theatre on Friday.

They refused so the play was not staged.

A furious Brockhill head Sonette Schwartz said: "What gets up my nose is that this was a Holocaust memorial event.

"What did they expect, Peter Pan? I do not want the next generation to forget what happened.

"If you water it down, they will.

"They were asked to change the ending where someone was shot but were not prepared to - how can you change the end of the Holocaust?"

The Holocaust memorial event was organised by Folkestone Town Council.

Town clerk Jennifer Childs said: "They were not told by the town council they could not do it. The pupils made their decision to drop it."

Mrs Schwartz said the piece was "very powerful" and was being performed for the whole school at assembly this week.

"We were asked to prepare a drama piece on the gas chambers," she said.

"When it was seen at rehearsals, the pupils were told it was too emotional for what was billed as a family event.

"It was thought to be too hard-hitting for any young children who may be in the audience."

One of those who saw the play at rehearsals was Zoe Bowden, a voluntary Holocaust educational advisor.

She said there were guidelines laid down by the Holocaust Educational Trust as to what could be performed.

"I gave the option to the town council that it was unsuitable for the event we were running," she said. "The council had the final say on this."

Mrs Childs said the pupils had pulled the sketch after being advised it was not suitable for a young audience.

"It was raised by Zoe that it was more of an adult nature," she said.

"Everything else done that night was fantastic and the Mayor has written to Brockhill thanking them for their contribution.

"If there was any misunderstanding we want to apologise and I will write to the school."

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