One Nation MP attacks Wollongong theatre group over same-sex kiss in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

The politician raised questions in parliament last week regarding the "passionate kissing scene" which was in line with the original story but performed by two female characters.

Read more: How Wollongong schools, businesses are embracing UCI road closures

Mr Latham claimed this outraged parents of students attending Campbelltown Performing Arts High School. despite the Department of Education confirming attendance was "optional" via parental consent and teachers were present to provide supervision.

"It's inappropriate, this shouldn't happen in front of 13 and 14-year-olds ... some of these kids haven't even hit adolescence," he said.

"There are Christian, Hindu, Muslim and socially conservative parents in the Campbelltown community who have a different view."

Mr Latham said parents had contacted him personally to express their and their children's distress that two women kissed on stage.

Illawarra-based Dire Theatre Company has been performing Shakespeare in schools for the last two years, with director Adam O'Brien stating no dialogue or meaning of the play was changed - just the cast was led by females.

Mr O'Brien was present at the time of the performance but said no-one was distressed and left while their second performance, MacBeth, included fake blood, gore and a heterosexual kiss which didn't seem to faze Mr Latham.

"I was in that one, I was covered in stage blood, I quite literally obliterated someone on stage .. and did a more passionate kiss with a female member of the cast," he said.

"It's not sexuality that's Mr Latham's problem it's homosexuality."

Read more: A colourful kids festival is tumbling into Nowra for the school holidays

As Shakespeare's plays were part of the school curriculum, Mr O'Brien said The Dire Theatre Company had sought to modernise the 400-year-old text to make them more "relevant" to today's young people.

"We're not trying to be controversial, homosexuality and being LGBTQI is not controversial, that's life," he said.

"People who are taking offence and weaponizing these things at the risk of damaging children's education need to take a long hard look at their intentions ... young people and education shouldn't be used as artillery."

To read more stories, download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.