Petition Delivered!!

Thank you all for your support - we have handed in the petition today (Sunday 25th June) but you and your friends can still carry on signing - we will send any extras on later! We were filmed by BBC East Midlands and should also be on BBC Radio Leicester and BBC online East Midlands as well as the Leicester Mercury. This is the statement about the petition: For the attention of the Dean and Chapter of Leicester Cathedral We have organised this petition because we feel very strongly that the proposed performance of Shakespeare's Richard III, which depicts the king as evil personified, has no place in the Cathedral where his remains lie at rest. We are disappointed and saddened that Dean Monteith is not here himself to receive it, as we were hoping he would be moved by the heartfelt comments posted on our petition site, some of which are included here, and the number of people who felt strongly enough to sign - people who are Ricardians, of course, but also those who are not, people who love Shakespeare and those who don't, Christians and those of other faiths or no faith, young and old, male and female, people from all over the world, as far afield as Australia, USA and Europe and from Leicester itself. They all feel the performances are inappropriate, disrespectful and dishonourable. As Richard died in battle, defending his country, his tomb is considered a war grave and as such should be held in respect. We would appeal to all the good folk of Leicester to add their voices to ours because this action casts the City of Leicester itself in a negative light. Ask Dean Monteith to reconsider - there is stil time to change the venue and, thereby, respect both the views of the public and the sanctity of this sacred space, by leaving Richard in God's holy peace. Joanne Larner and Susan Lamb