Committee misunderstands request to ‘trial new shows’ and introduces show trials instead

THE Fabricated Players committee has responded to members’ requests to trial some new shows by introducing a system of show trials for dealing with complaints.

Members had originally suggested the society could experiment with less familiar productions before committing them to the main season.

Chair Barbara said: “People kept saying they wanted us to trial new shows.

“So we listened.”

The misunderstanding became apparent when members arrived expecting a rehearsed reading of a contemporary comedy and instead found a long table, a witness chair and Malcolm standing beside a flipchart labelled ALLEGATIONS.

Barbara said: “There may have been some confusion over terminology.

“But we’d already laminated the procedures.”

Under the new Fabricated Players Show Trial Scheme, complaints will be dealt with publicly in front of members, with the person making the complaint taking a central role in determining whether their own complaint is justified.

Secretary Brian said: “It cuts out unnecessary bureaucracy.

“Why appoint an independent person when the complainant already knows they’re right?”

The complainant is permitted to submit evidence, question witnesses, decide which evidence is relevant and ultimately recommend the outcome.

The accused is also allowed to contribute, although guidance states this should not “unnecessarily interfere with proceedings”.

The society has adopted what it calls a Flexible Evidence Standard.

Evidence does not need to be proven, verified or, in some circumstances, personally witnessed.

Acceptable evidence includes screenshots, recollections, things somebody else remembers, rumours, “general feelings” and incidents a member is fairly sure they heard about once.

Barbara said: “We don’t want an obsession with whether something technically happened getting in the way of the wider truth.”

There is also no meaningful time limit.

Complaints can relate to incidents from any point during the previous 100 years.

Members do not need to have been present at the alleged incident, members of the society at the time, or born.

One complaint currently concerns something allegedly said backstage during a 1957 production.

The complainant joined in 2019.

The person accused died in 1986.

Brian said: “Obviously that makes getting both sides slightly more difficult.

“But equally, he hasn’t denied it.”

The committee insists the new process remains completely impartial.

To avoid conflicts of interest, anyone making a complaint must formally declare that they have an interest in the complaint they have made.

Once declared, they may continue running it.

Appeals are permitted but must be based on new evidence.

The complainant decides whether the evidence is new.

Members have questioned whether any of this is what they actually asked for.

Barbara said: “The membership was very clear that it wanted show trials.

“We have the minutes.”

The minutes actually read:

“Members would like the committee to consider trialling some new shows.”

Barbara said interpretation was subjective.