Actors must be the only hams at Peppa Pig play, says Peta
AN ANIMAL rights charity is calling for a theatre to stop serving ham and sausages during a Peppa Pig live show.
The play featuring the Cbeebies cartoon character will visit the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, Kent, on Feb 13 and 14, and local activists are urging directors to take action.
Elisa Allen, Peta’s UK director, said: “Many of the young children who will cheer for Peppa would be horrified to learn that sausages are made from pigs like her.
“Peppa shows others that she’s not a piece of bacon or a ham sandwich but rather an individual with emotions and the ability to feel joy.
“What better way to honour the live show’s message than by serving vegan meals?”
In an email to Paula Gillespie, the acting theatre director, Ms Allen described how pigs suffered in factory farming conditions, but she said the theatre could help bypass “the whole ugly business” by switching to alternative vegan products.
She added: “We respectfully urge you to honour the popular pig by taking animals off the menu during the run – or even better, for good.
“We hope you’ll agree to serve only plant-based meals during the Peppa Pig’s Adventures run, and Peta would be happy to help by supplying your café with vegan ham or sausages for the opening show.
“You may just find that visitor numbers increase when news of the change gets out. Interest in vegan living is at an all-time high, as more and more people are leaving animal-derived foods off their plates.”
Ms Gillespie said the theatre would not be taking pork products off the menu, despite it “respecting” the charity’s point of view.
She said: “We respect Peta’s point of view but we can’t get ourselves tied up in knots with different things in our programme and how that might be reflected in the menu. It’s about individual choice and we already offer good vegetarian options. Our meat is supplied locally and responsibly.”