Diversity in the West End

...And then accept that you are going to be criticised for not being diverse in every other way.

Apologies in advance for taking this discussion away from the West End. In the 1990s, Contact in Manchester was my go-to theatre when I wasn't making twice-yearly trips to London for my West End fix. Then, somewhere around the time of the new millennium, it completely changed its artistic policy and target audience (young, ethnically diverse and gender fluid), to the extent where I haven't much connected with a lot of what they've produced in the last 15 years. Recently, I was browsing their new season programme and, again, I thought there's nothing much here that interests me. Then it dawned on me. Contact's programming isn't meant for me. There's plenty of 'my theatre' elsewhere, but this theatre is for those we've previously excluded: yes, it should be their space, their voice, their terms, not mine and folk like me. Certainly, I have neither the right nor experience to say, now I know how it feels to be the other. But it's certainly given me pause for thought.

I am interested that you think that the Theatre they are making isn’t for you. I am not gay but am very interested in plays by gay writers and, as far as I am able to, support gay rights; I am not young but I often see and sometimes enjoy work that is obviously written for a younger audience; I am not a man but watch plays written by men day in and day out...

I probably fit more into "the other" category. I have tried many times over the years to introduce friends to the sort plays, musicians, films etc I like and have sat there feeling bad that I'm enjoying the show and they clearly aren't (on some occasions friends walked out after a few minutes - then narked at me for not joining them. One friend sat out an entire Cure gig in the bogs). Btw, I generally paid for their tickets! I try to see a range of shows but my budget is limited and since I started getting back into theatre 3 years ago after a long illnesss I have gradually found which new directors, writers, actors, designers etc. work I like and who to avoid.

Work from underrepresented artists is presumably quite wide-ranging in terms of ‘format’. Or it would be if theatres were more adventurous in their programming. I don’t know anything about the Contact’s programme so can’t comment on that.

I've often wondered if the reason that theatre can sometimes seem more geared towards women and gay men than other entertainment media is because we're less used to seeing ourselves represented than the straight white man, so are automatically better set up to absorb stories at something more than face value. To identify with a straight white male protagonist, anyone else will have to take themselves a little out of their own heads, or perhaps they'd stay within themselves and watch the story while considering how differently they'd respond to the incidents happening in the story. So if we're already watching things from a different angle than "this is the story, this is your relatable hero, off we go", then the idea of imagining a wicker basket to be a pony trap, or understanding that this is a universe where emotions are expressed through song and everyone knows the lyrics *and* the dance steps, or accepting that Beverley Knight *is* Emmeline Pankhurst really isn't that much of a stretch for us.

I agree with the issues of class. Being BAME/Disabled can be a barrier but it is even more of a barrier if you are poor as well. Money talks in all industries. I took part in a scheme for BAME people to get into heritage, except the people running it had no idea how heritage worked (beyond the fact it was mostly white) so couldn't assist with the real barrier which was paying for a Masters (at the time there were no loans) and left us to our own devices once the year-long scheme was up. Very few of us stayed in that sector.

I don't think throwing in a few BAME/other minorities solves the problem but we need to see them as part of an ensemble for it to see normal for some people. My issue is that there are very few schemes to see those minorities become decision makers who will ensure there is diversity but ultimately you cannot please people all of the time and someone will feel excluded.

I am going to sound awful but it doesn't seem that adventurous, perhaps I have been in London too long but all those shows sound like something I have seen/heard before. This might be groundbreaking for the Manchester arts scene. I would argue that most of them on there sound like they should be short films rather than theatre performances. I am also tired of seeing BAME performers described as artists because they are doing spoken word or slam poetry. I am sure there is market for those genres but I don't think it is diverse to allow one group of people into one section of arts that white people (or anyone) have little interest in.

I'd argued in my blog that I am bit tired of theatre and the issue is that there are too many shows on in London. I think many approach theatre because of their training and the idea that film is expensive (which anecdotally I hear has reversed. It much cheaper to make a short film than have a short fringe run). I think there is needs to be a more discerning approach and letting anyone put on any old crap isn't helping the fringe scene develop into a diverse industry (both in terms of content and creator)

Snciole I was going to say the same thing about this not being that adventurous and then I saw your post. A programme like that is almost patronising. And if you were a young black LGTB+ person you might feel alienated if you didn't do spoken word. The two shows that appeal to me are the Vagina monologue and the kids' show. Also, this is presumably just their summer programme. Perhaps there is more variation in the rest of their season.

Now that I’ve seen their programme I understand where you’re coming from.

Interesting. I used to contribute to TV and radio talking about comics, SF and Fantasy - at the time, before the blogosphere, Tumblr etc. it wasn't something seen as very 'female' so I was considered a rarity. I think that was more due to the intimidatingly nerdy male nature of comic shops and fairs back then rather than a lack of female interest.

Part of what I like about theatre is also what I like about comics - it has to rely on strong shapes and words against a simple background, on a physical way of storytelling without the help of music, close ups, locations, special effects, realistic detailed interiors. Many of the actors I like have sightly cartoonish faces too - bold features and that lithe all-round physicality: they instinctively know how to make good shapes in space. TV actors often only seem to act from the neck up.