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When Kathleen Turner agreed to bare all as Mrs Robinson in a West End production of The Graduate, followed by Jerry Hall and Amanda Donohoe, ticket sales soared.
But as a local theatre prepares to show its own adaptation of the film classic, it has become clear that not everyone can be seduced by Mrs Robinson's charms.
In fact the director of the production has received dozens of abusive calls and emails branding him a 'pervert' and a ' pornographer' over the nude scene, while the cast have been warned they 'will burn in hell'.
Naked cast: Actors Natalie Gordon and Tom Jennings have angered local theatre audiences for their nude scenes in the Luton production of Mrs Robinson
Members of a local church are even threatening to protest outside the Colin Smith Theatre in Luton on the play's opening night this week.
One local complained 'the only place where this show should be put on is Sodom and Gomorrah'.
Another said: 'What disgusting pleasure do you get out of putting full frontal nudity on stage? You should be shut down.'
The rumpus has been triggered by a scene in the production where Mrs Robinson, to be played by Natalie Gordon, 41, tries to seduce graduate Benjamin - the son of her husband's business partner - played by 20-year-old Tom Jennings.
In the 1967 original film the roles were played by Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman.
Stuart Farrar, chairman of the Colin Smith Theatre, yesterday said the abuse had simply made the cast more determined that the show should go on as planned, from Tuesday night.
Big hit: Kathleen Turner in her role as Mrs Robinson, opposite actor Matthew Rhys, agreed to bare all
He said of the messages: 'We may have had quite a lot from the blue-rinse brigade, who like Alan Ayckbourn farces. That's about as risque as they get.
'Some must have come from people with a religious background because they talk about us burning in hell and that we will be damned for all time.
'We've tried to reply but just about all are anonymous and from internet cafes or the library where there are public computers.'
Mr Farrar added: 'The fullfrontal scene is an essential part of the story because it changes Benjamin's whole outlook on life. These are parts of the original production. Nothing has been added.'
The play's director, Alan Clarke, who has worked with actors including Kenneth Branagh and Nigel Havers, was equally unrepentant, saying: 'If people really do object, don't buy a ticket.'
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