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Post by Phantom of London on Feb 28, 2022 20:05:36 GMT
Under Hytner didn't the National have some kind of agreement to transfer shows to the Lowry Centre?
There is going to be a new theatre for Shakespeare outside Liverpool, that is going to open soon
Same as London as it is in other parts of the country, it is all well and good saying how money should be distributed, but you also need to put bums on seats by selling seats, unfortunately the country's population is London/Home Counties centric.
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Post by david on Feb 28, 2022 20:27:15 GMT
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Post by umabala on Feb 28, 2022 21:00:47 GMT
I think the criticism at Rufus Norris is levelled because he's bad at the job. The nepotism charge is a lightning rod for that. For me him doing the lyrics is the worst bit but again, the problem wouldn't exist if the show had been good.
It is obvious that he has failed to bring in the big directors to tackle the Olivier and the Lyttelton in the way Hytner did. Marianne Elliot, Jamie Lloyd, Carrie Cracknell, Jeremy Herrin and so forth, seem to be happier in the West End or at the Bridge. Thea Sharrock seems to have walked off Jack Absolute and left it with the associate. He has a very poor reputation as to his generosity towards other directors.
For me though the biggest loss is Travelex and the rapidly escalating price of a ticket. The National has become somewhere where you spend a fortune to see something half ready.
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Post by Dawnstar on Feb 28, 2022 21:51:42 GMT
Same as London as it is in other parts of the country, it is all well and good saying how money should be distributed, but you also need to put bums on seats by selling seats, unfortunately the country's population is London/Home Counties centric. A major reason for that is surely because the UK's transport system is so London-centric. I do nearly all my theatregoing in London because I can get there in just under an hour & the trains run late enough that I can get home the same night from any normally-scheduled production. Going to the theatre almost anywhere other than London means either doing a matinee, if the production has them, or having to stay overnight because the trains don't run late enough.
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Post by mkb on Mar 1, 2022 0:45:33 GMT
London is the nation's capital. Of course it's going to have lots of theatre, and quite right too. Most of it is in the commercial rather than the subsidised sector.
The problem is not London.
Most provincial cities already have good theatres, with lots of touring shows and some in-house productions. Smaller towns are never going to have sufficient demand to make it possible to tour anything but the most mainstream shows there.
The problem comes in getting to London or nearby cities. Public transport and parking make it unattractive and way to expensive to travel in time for evening shows and to get home afterwards.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 1, 2022 1:24:24 GMT
One of the first RSC shows I was taken to see by school was The Crucible. That was touring outside of the usual round of theatres:
RSC/Nat West Tour 28 August-8 December 1984. The Winter’s Tale and The Crucible. Venues: 28 August-1 September, Doncaster Road Baths S****horpe, Humberside; 4–8 September, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Sports and Community Centre, Northumberland; 11–15 September, Bassetlaw Centre Worksop, Nottinghamshire; 18–22 September, Ripon Cathedral, North Yorkshire; 25–29 September, Barrow-in-Furness Sports Hall, Cumbria; 2–6 October, Lodge Park Sports Centre Corby, Northamptonshire; 9–13 October, Royal Agricultural Showground Wadebridge, Cornwall; 16–20 October, Lincoln Cathedral, Lincolnshire; 23–27 October, Wessex Hall Arts Centre Poole, Dorset; 30 October-3 November, T P Riley School Walsall, West Midlands; 6–10 November, Stratford Park Leisure Centre Stroud, Gloucestershire; 13–24 November, Whitla Hall Belfast, Northern Ireland; 27 November-1 December, Morelose Sports Centre Workington, Cumbria; 4–8 December, The Dolphin Centre Darlington, Durham
Wouldn't it be amazing to have to this sort of thing happening again?
It certainly proves that it can be done if the will is there
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Post by sukhavati on Mar 1, 2022 2:37:42 GMT
It is time to sell off the National Theatre complex and turn it into a truly NATIONAL company. It can have a base in the Midlands and create work that goes out to all parts of England. Small, mid and full scale productions that speak to the whole nation not an urban metropolitan elite. That would refocus the place theatre holds in our national cultural life ENO can do the same. If you are going to claim public funds as a National company, then you have to take the work to the whole country. Sorry to play devil's advocate and state the obvious, but why * wouldn't * a national company, be it ballet, theatre, opera, or an orchestra NOT be based in the capitol city? Seems to me that the national companies attract an audience from not only outside the south, but also outside the country. If you want to be where the creme de la creme of talent is, the capitol is the place to base a company, and London has the reputation of being the best theatre centre on earth. Those companies can and DO tour. And I know I watched a lot of Royal Ballet as well as the National Theatre streaming online during lockdown. I've seen Royal Ballet on tour - their productions are every bit as glorious when they're guesting elsewhere as they are at Covent Garden.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Mar 1, 2022 7:59:53 GMT
One of the first RSC shows I was taken to see by school was The Crucible. That was touring outside of the usual round of theatres: RSC/Nat West Tour 28 August-8 December 1984. The Winter’s Tale and The Crucible. Venues: 28 August-1 September, Doncaster Road Baths S****horpe, Humberside; 4–8 September, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Sports and Community Centre, Northumberland; 11–15 September, Bassetlaw Centre Worksop, Nottinghamshire; 18–22 September, Ripon Cathedral, North Yorkshire; 25–29 September, Barrow-in-Furness Sports Hall, Cumbria; 2–6 October, Lodge Park Sports Centre Corby, Northamptonshire; 9–13 October, Royal Agricultural Showground Wadebridge, Cornwall; 16–20 October, Lincoln Cathedral, Lincolnshire; 23–27 October, Wessex Hall Arts Centre Poole, Dorset; 30 October-3 November, T P Riley School Walsall, West Midlands; 6–10 November, Stratford Park Leisure Centre Stroud, Gloucestershire; 13–24 November, Whitla Hall Belfast, Northern Ireland; 27 November-1 December, Morelose Sports Centre Workington, Cumbria; 4–8 December, The Dolphin Centre Darlington, Durham Wouldn't it be amazing to have to this sort of thing happening again? It certainly proves that it can be done if the will is there S****horpe - I'm loving how our sensors work. Sorry for going off topic.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Mar 1, 2022 8:02:32 GMT
It is time to sell off the National Theatre complex and turn it into a truly NATIONAL company. It can have a base in the Midlands and create work that goes out to all parts of England. Small, mid and full scale productions that speak to the whole nation not an urban metropolitan elite. That would refocus the place theatre holds in our national cultural life ENO can do the same. If you are going to claim public funds as a National company, then you have to take the work to the whole country. Sorry to play devil's advocate and state the obvious, but why * wouldn't * a national company, be it ballet, theatre, opera, or an orchestra NOT be based in the capitol city? Seems to me that the national companies attract an audience from not only outside the south, but also outside the country. If you want to be where the creme de la creme of talent is, the capitol is the place to base a company, and London has the reputation of being the best theatre centre on earth. Those companies can and DO tour. And I know I watched a lot of Royal Ballet as well as the National Theatre streaming online during lockdown. I've seen Royal Ballet on tour - their productions are every bit as glorious when they're guesting elsewhere as they are at Covent Garden. Touring is expensive. I remember a BBC documentary about English National Ballet who are paid to tour but would rather perform in London because its cheaper. Of course shows need to tour but they need to be correctly funded in the first place.
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Post by cavocado on Mar 1, 2022 8:44:55 GMT
One of the first RSC shows I was taken to see by school was The Crucible. That was touring outside of the usual round of theatres: RSC/Nat West Tour 28 August-8 December 1984. The Winter’s Tale and The Crucible. Venues: 28 August-1 September, Doncaster Road Baths S****horpe, Humberside; 4–8 September, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Sports and Community Centre, Northumberland; 11–15 September, Bassetlaw Centre Worksop, Nottinghamshire; 18–22 September, Ripon Cathedral, North Yorkshire; 25–29 September, Barrow-in-Furness Sports Hall, Cumbria; 2–6 October, Lodge Park Sports Centre Corby, Northamptonshire; 9–13 October, Royal Agricultural Showground Wadebridge, Cornwall; 16–20 October, Lincoln Cathedral, Lincolnshire; 23–27 October, Wessex Hall Arts Centre Poole, Dorset; 30 October-3 November, T P Riley School Walsall, West Midlands; 6–10 November, Stratford Park Leisure Centre Stroud, Gloucestershire; 13–24 November, Whitla Hall Belfast, Northern Ireland; 27 November-1 December, Morelose Sports Centre Workington, Cumbria; 4–8 December, The Dolphin Centre Darlington, Durham Wouldn't it be amazing to have to this sort of thing happening again? It certainly proves that it can be done if the will is there They still do small tours but the focus is on schools and young people: www.rsc.org.uk/press/releases/rsc-to-tour-the-merchant-of-venice-to-schools-and-theatres-in-autumn-2019
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 1, 2022 9:04:54 GMT
One of the first RSC shows I was taken to see by school was The Crucible. That was touring outside of the usual round of theatres: RSC/Nat West Tour 28 August-8 December 1984. The Winter’s Tale and The Crucible. Venues: 28 August-1 September, Doncaster Road Baths S****horpe, Humberside; 4–8 September, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Sports and Community Centre, Northumberland; 11–15 September, Bassetlaw Centre Worksop, Nottinghamshire; 18–22 September, Ripon Cathedral, North Yorkshire; 25–29 September, Barrow-in-Furness Sports Hall, Cumbria; 2–6 October, Lodge Park Sports Centre Corby, Northamptonshire; 9–13 October, Royal Agricultural Showground Wadebridge, Cornwall; 16–20 October, Lincoln Cathedral, Lincolnshire; 23–27 October, Wessex Hall Arts Centre Poole, Dorset; 30 October-3 November, T P Riley School Walsall, West Midlands; 6–10 November, Stratford Park Leisure Centre Stroud, Gloucestershire; 13–24 November, Whitla Hall Belfast, Northern Ireland; 27 November-1 December, Morelose Sports Centre Workington, Cumbria; 4–8 December, The Dolphin Centre Darlington, Durham Wouldn't it be amazing to have to this sort of thing happening again? It certainly proves that it can be done if the will is there S****horpe - I'm loving how our sensors work. Sorry for going off topic. Better safe than sorry! 😆
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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 1, 2022 10:01:07 GMT
I appreciate this was nearly 40 years ago but it wasn't a small scale tour. It was truly ambitious in terms of using large spaces and making them work for two contrasting and challenging plays. Yes, working closely with schools is important but taking good work to communities outside of the norm is just as vital
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Post by properjob on Mar 1, 2022 17:25:11 GMT
I appreciate this was nearly 40 years ago but it wasn't a small scale tour. It was truly ambitious in terms of using large spaces and making them work for two contrasting and challenging plays. Yes, working closely with schools is important but taking good work to communities outside of the norm is just as vital I was once a lowly member of a huge crew converting a found space into a not very good theatre. I suspect it just attracted the same audience but to a different place and so I and the rest of the crew thought it was a waste of money. The money could have been much better spent trying to get a new audience into the existing theatre by lower ticket pricing or better outreach.
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Post by mkb on Mar 2, 2022 0:37:57 GMT
It never ceases to amaze me how much money some theatres have to transform venues and then transform them back again. The Old Vic and The Shed at the NT spring to mind. That money could be much better spent.
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Post by Jon on Mar 2, 2022 2:02:53 GMT
It never ceases to amaze me how much money some theatres have to transform venues and then transform them back again. The Old Vic and The Shed at the NT spring to mind. That money could be much better spent. The Shed was a temporary venue while the Dorfman then the Cottesloe was closed for redevelopment, by all accounts, it wasn't that expensive to build. The Old Vic doesn't get ACE funding so they can spend how they like.
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Post by jojo on Mar 4, 2022 12:56:53 GMT
The building that currently houses the National does not need to close as a series of performance spaces. But the work that the National company creates does not need to be performed there. The building and the work should be separated. The work that our National Theatre Company produces should be seen all round the country. Not in cinemas. Live on the stages in all regions. The current building can exist as a receiving house for a whole range of projects. It could take in work from the National Theatre of Scotland or visits from other similar international companies. It could host seasons from the major regional producing houses that rarely get a chance to secure a London season. It can thrive as a vibrant arts centre that celebrates theatre from all parts of the UK and beyond. The National Theatre can then focus on producing work that tours the nation and drop in to appropriate London venues as part of that permanent touring schedule. That way London gets to see more regional treats and England gets a national theatre company that truly engages with the nation it is there to serve. The best actors only want to work in London. Isn't that a chicken and egg situation? Most theatre work is in London, so actors from London find it easier to get the work that keeps them in the industry and the experience that makes them good. Actors from outside London might want to live in the area they were born and have family, but unless they make good money from tv and film work, it's hard to get enough well paying work to sustain it. A similar issue was raised recently when talking about the future of Hollyoaks. It might be an acting sausage factory, but it's an alternative way into the industry for many who can't afford drama school, or don't want to move to London. We need to keep these avenues into the industry open, and regional theatre has a role to play too. I'm mindful that the 'levelling up' fund is as much about PR for the governing party as it is about actual levelling up, fairness or usefulness, so it may be optimistic to expect a meaningful strategy, but I think there are multiple ways to look at this. Funding for regional theatre is one of them. Sprucing up some run-down venues would be good, especially if they can incorporate the now essential cafes and restaurants that generate revenue all year around and provide a bit of heart to a town. Just as a good panto run can keep a theatre going, the shows that run for the rest of the year boost local business. It may be that places like Croydon don't need to have dedicated theatre on their doorstep, but how about supporting the local drama clubs? Developing the next generation of talent so they can go on to take advantage of the work opportunities the West End has to offer. If you tied funding for theatres (the buildings) in medium sized towns with funding for accessible drama classes you'd create some ready made, locally produced content to fill a quiet week in the schedule. The point about the additional costs of touring is a fair one, especially if the cast has London rent to pay while they're away, and money isn't the answer for performers who are tired of moving to a new town every week. In practice, it's often easier for the paying public to travel to theatres than the other way around. I'd say we need more Rep theatre in the regions, but that's probably wishful thinking on my part. Would a hybrid rep work? You have the core actors who are involved in all of the productions, but you have the odd guest actor (possibly someone who has been on the tv) to keep options open and bring a bit of extra interest. Or have a base hub that's close enough to several suitably sized towns and theatres, so you can maximise the audience and actors can sleep in their own beds more often.
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Post by david on Jul 14, 2022 11:56:25 GMT
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Post by mrnutz on Jul 14, 2022 13:54:40 GMT
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Post by cavocado on Jul 14, 2022 15:50:17 GMT
It looks amazing and I'd love to visit, although I wish they'd prioritised backrests over authenticity.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 14, 2022 16:54:58 GMT
It looks amazing and I'd love to visit, although I wish they'd prioritised backrests over authenticity. Totally agree. As much as i love theatre I also love not going into traction.
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Post by david on Sept 11, 2022 16:11:25 GMT
The new Shakespeare North Playhouse are currently running tours so I bobbed down this afternoon to have a look around. All photos posted have been allowed with the kind permission of the theatre. Myself and 3 others had a good hour in the company of the FOH manager having a look around the building. My overall impression of the new theatre is really positive. It’s fully accessible with both stairs and lifts and with 2 performance spaces (the main cockpit indoor stage and an outside stage area named the Sir Ken Dodd garden). The theatre is aiming to be both a theatre and a community hub in the heart of Prescot town centre. There are plans for outreach work with the community and business who can use the building for events. The design of the building itself whilst modern in design has some nice features in its construction as a reminder of the history of the original theatre back in the 1590s. In the main large foyer which houses both the box office and gift shop along with a cafe and bar area, there are design features in the wall representing the old wooden Elizabethan wooden construction (wooden panelling was pushed into the wet concrete and then removed to give the effect - There is also an opportunity to have a sit in a piece of 1600s seat in the exhibition gallery if you want. The main cockpit theatre looks really good. The stage can be either in the round or thrust. The FOH manager said there are plans to have shows with both configurations in any given year. Having a look around the auditorium, there only a few seats at the back which could be considered RV. In all, a full theatre of 440, the majority should be clear views. I tried the benching and despite no back rests was comfy enough to sit on. Another interesting point raised on the tour was that the theatre was also licensed to hold shows by candlelight rather than traditional lighting. There doesn’t appear to be any space for an musicians and when I asked I didn’t get the impression that the design was built for those kind of shows. The nice thing about todays visit is that new building smell you get walking into the theatre. The fresh oak construction which was built using traditional Elizabethan construction techniques. Unfortunately we didn’t an opportunity to visit the gallery seating. Overall, the new theatre certainly looks great and a much welcomed addition for local theatre here in Merseyside and I’ll definitely be booking for some of the shows programmed.
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Post by orchidman on Sept 12, 2022 21:11:48 GMT
Levelling up the theatre won't work any better than levelling up as a wider policy. In the past 100 years the most able people in the country have moved to the big cities (i.e. mainly London) because of the great opportunities for social mobility created in the 20th century.
There has been a brain drain from the towns and the most able people don't want to live there anymore, if they ever did. Look at the schedules for provincial theatre to see what the people who live there actually want to see. It isn't Shakespeare, Ibsen or Stoppard. Even a city as big as Birmingham struggles to sell tickets for serious plays. The audience would rather stay at home and watch the latest Netflix pablum.
It's a much better investment to invest in the places that are already successful to keep them successful than to try to buck the market. It won't work and a lot of money will be blown in denial of the realities.
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Post by inthenose on Sept 12, 2022 21:19:19 GMT
Levelling up the theatre won't work any better than levelling up as a wider policy. In the past 100 years the most able people in the country have moved to the big cities (i.e. mainly London) because of the great opportunities for social mobility created in the 20th century. There has been a brain drain from the towns and the most able people don't want to live there anymore, if they ever did. Look at the schedules for provincial theatre to see what the people who live there actually want to see. It isn't Shakespeare, Ibsen or Stoppard. Even a city as big as Birmingham struggles to sell tickets for serious plays. The audience would rather stay at home and watch the latest Netflix pablum. It's a much better investment to invest in the places that are already successful to keep them successful than to try to buck the market. It won't work and a lot of money will be blown in denial of the realities. Some regional repertory houses offer consistently superb seasons of varied theatre. The musical/panto will do the best business - it always does - but when I lived in the north for a number of years I went regularly to many excellent producing houses. The Hull Truck, Bolton Octagon, Sheffield Theatres (under Grandage) as three examples, all ranged from passable straight theatre to absolutely world class, particularly in the latter’s case. If I still lived up there I’ll bet there are many venues producing outstanding theatre. The point of levelling up theatre as a concept should be about the opportunity of theatre, free kids tickets, engaging with communities - not writing off much of the populace as plebeians gormlessly consuming their bread and circuses.
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Post by jojo on Sept 13, 2022 7:39:31 GMT
Levelling up the theatre won't work any better than levelling up as a wider policy. In the past 100 years the most able people in the country have moved to the big cities (i.e. mainly London) because of the great opportunities for social mobility created in the 20th century. There has been a brain drain from the towns and the most able people don't want to live there anymore, if they ever did. Look at the schedules for provincial theatre to see what the people who live there actually want to see. It isn't Shakespeare, Ibsen or Stoppard. Even a city as big as Birmingham struggles to sell tickets for serious plays. The audience would rather stay at home and watch the latest Netflix pablum. It's a much better investment to invest in the places that are already successful to keep them successful than to try to buck the market. It won't work and a lot of money will be blown in denial of the realities. I take the point that people who are able to travel and want to take advantage of opportunities will travel, but the ability to travel is not just about talent, but also financial security and so on. It might be fair to say that the schedules for regional theatre is more focused on populist material (like London), but it's pure snobbery to assume that no-one outside of London is interested in more serious material. It's a numbers game and not just the number of people who live there, and it becomes something of a self-fulfilling prophecy whereby many of those who are interested in more niche plays are generally used to travelling to London to see them.
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Post by TallPaul on Sept 13, 2022 7:41:03 GMT
I had no idea that people in London look down on me because I choose to live in the provinces and think Shakespeare is boring. Must be why they won't talk to me on the Tube!
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Post by jaggy on Nov 4, 2022 11:24:41 GMT
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Nov 4, 2022 12:09:00 GMT
Headlong and Paines Plough have had to relocate to continue to receive funding.
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Post by maggiem on Nov 4, 2022 12:40:22 GMT
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Post by TallPaul on Nov 4, 2022 12:43:22 GMT
As I briefly posted elsewhere, before the discussion moved to this thread, sometimes the 'official' name is different to the name above the door.
Can someone with access to a 'proper' computer look if Alternative Theatre Company is on the list. If it is, that's the Bush.
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Post by steve10086 on Nov 4, 2022 12:50:42 GMT
As I briefly posted elsewhere, before the discussion moved to this thread, sometimes the 'official' name is different to the name above the door. Can someone with access to a 'proper' computer look if Alternative Theatre Company is on the list. If it is, that's the Bush. Yes, Bush is on the list at £656k per year
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