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Betrayed! - a CommentWe haven't all the background information as to why the London Borough of Sutton wants to close the Secombe Theatre. One suspects that - as too often - the reason is financial, or possibly to do with planning matters. Whatever it is, we obviously cannot comment directly. However, if what John Stevens, the chair of FAST, says in his email is right, then the local council is at least guilty of insensitivity, at worst of a sheer lack of respect for the people who elected them. To inform groups which had booked the theatre for up to two years in advance through the local press smacks of the sort of arrogance which has tarnished the reputation of local politics and politicians throughout the country for many years. Local politicians are elected to serve the interests of their constituents and sometimes have to make necessary but unpalatable decisions. A wise council would put the facts in front of the people and consult with interested groups and individuals; it would make alternative proposals; it would give local people the chance to have their say. And it would do all this before making the proposals public. It is indicative of the low esteem in which the arts are often held by local politicians - and it certainly shows their complete lack of understanding of what is involved in amateur theatre. If Sutton is determined to press ahead with its closure plans, then it must do all it can to minimise the effects on the theatre's users. If, however, there is an alternative, it must lose no time in putting that alternative before the people of the Borough. We have to say, however, that Mr Stevens does his cause (and amateur theatre in general) no favours by making wild claims. Amateur theatre in Sutton (or anywhere else for that matter) does not present "shows to rival any West End production." If talent were all that is required, he might just have a point, but talent requires nurturing; it requires training and experience; it requires time. No amateur theatre company can possibly rival the professionals in these terms: no amateur rehearsal schedule can equate to the intensive submersion in the production that the professional has. His suggestion that West End theatre has to "rely on expensive spectacular effects to create a good show" gives ammunition to the other side: they can simply say that he cannot be taken seriously. To be fair, his passion for local amateur theatre is certainly what has driven him to make exaggerated claims. That passion is admirable and should be supported, and Sutton Council should, at the very least, re-examine its own procedures in matters such as this. Better still, it should reconsider. |
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