A Very Very Very Dark Matter - new Martin McDonagh

Guardian 4 stars    

Fascinatingly, four stars from Billington, but there may be a clue in this bit of the review: As Andersen explains to an intrusive journalist, “I change the bits I don’t like and then erase all the rest from history. I’m more like a German theatre director. An anti-director's theatre remark may be just what he needed after The Wild Duck.

Perhaps P was sat in the cheap seats at the back and forgot his ear trumpet?

Centre row A stalls my dear

I saw this last night. A lot has already been said on the subject, but I think this is a pretty terrible play. The idea that it travels deep into the abyss of the imagination is very strange to me. It seemed completely without nuance and I found perhaps three lines funny; the one about the German theatre director was the only time I actually laughed. It didn't offend me, though I can see it has the potential to cause great offence. I just found it tedious.

What has Baz said?

This was envisioned as one of the highlights for my November visit to London, but now I am contemplating ditching my ticket altogether. Decisions, decisions.

I’m sure the Theatre do credit notes.

Life is too short for a bad short one act play !

Tonight’s performance due to start in 15 minutes or so, stood in the lobby I’m struck by the almost complete absence of anyone who isn’t white (I’m talking one person out of a few hundred)- it seems like a deleted scene from BlacKKKlansman and they’re all going to pop their hoods on any minute now before they go in...

If you've got a side Gallery seat, during the boring bits, have a prolonged look down at the centre Stalls seats (the top price ones).  Observe the Bridge core audience (as you've said, a sea of white) laughing their heads off.  It's v BlacKKKlansman, especially when you note what they're laughing at AND the lack of laughter in the galleries/cheaper seats.

I would care less if theatres didn't go to so much effort to appear diverse rather than be diverse.

I agree with you in that music and other arts industries don't have this problem-South London clubs like the Hideaway in Streatham aren't desperately seeking white audiences and rock/indies bands aren't desperately seeking BME audiences. Did the Tate hope to attract more BME audiences with its recent African American artists exhibition? I would rather theatre admitted that it is always going to be primarily white and middle class.

I think I get annoyed because theatre claims to be spending so much time on making itself accessible not only to BME audiences but also to disabled and other minorities. The problem is even if they go to trouble of initial schemes (as a blogger I see a lot of sites calling for BME writers-why?) What is actually being done? Many fringe theatres are still inaccessible to those with physical disabilities, relax performances are a treat for those aren't neurotypical and let's not even get started on the lack of disabled artists on stage. The issue is that, as you say, we aren't being treated like white audiences, we are a statistic, a sideshow to the typical audience members. It shouldn't be like that and the reaction you get is why theatres and other arts organisations like the BFI struggle to appear more diverse. We often don't feel welcome in the case of art houses too welcome (so creepy). I don't have the answer to make the theatre more diverse except make it less expensive from training to audience tickets.

I don't agree there are "so many" stories by BME artists. We will always be in minority but the audiences at shows like Nine Night over shows such as I'm Not Running shows there is a demand, despite the increased supply, to see stories by/about BME people. Theatre is capable of being for everyone, not just the majority. It shouldn't be a novelty nor should it only be staged to get Arts Council money.