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A Time of ChangesDateline: 2nd December, 2001 Fans of the legit theatre in London may well be scratching their heads at the moment and wondering what on earth is going on. First it was Trevor Nunn, then Jonathan Kent and Ian McDiarmid, next Sam Mendes, and now Jenny Topper. Within eighteen months, four major London theatres will be without their longstanding artistic directors. I've actually had a few emails asking if there is something going on which the majority don't know about. If there is, then I'm part of the majority! I suspect that it's just part of the natural progress of the individuals' careers. Mendes, for instance, is setting up a theatre and film production company, which, given his recent very successful foray into the film world, is a perfectly natural move. Kent, McDiarmid and Topper have been in post a long time and must be looking for new challenges. That is perfectly natural: no matter how successful one may be in a job, there comes a time when it becomes restrictive, when you begin to feel in a rut. When that happens, you either resign yourself to continuing to repeat what has become familiar or you make the break and try something different. I certainly don't think that it's the theatrical equivalent of a politician wanting to spend more time with his family! It's a difficult decision to take, because you are leaving a secure niche and moving off into the (relatively) unknown, and I suspect all three have been considering this move for quite some time. The case of Nunn, I suspect, is a little different. His tenure at the National has not been without its problems and there have been times when he has come in for considerable criticism from both in- and outsiders. The difficulties over the ensemble company, the criticisms that he has not "groomed" a successor, the complaint that he has tried to keep too much in his own hands, the accusations that he should not be profiting personally from successful RNT West End transfers, the suggestions that a major subsidised company should be taking risks and not going for sure-fire hits such as My Fair Lady, will all have taken their toll and may well have soured the job for him. I don't know, obviously, and it is difficult to read the thoughts of someone with whom one is not personally acquainted, but if you were in his position, what would you do? What is certain is that we will soon have some new blood in these major companies. We already know that Nicholas Hytner will replace Nunn, but what's going to happen in the other three theatres? For what it's worth, my guess is that the new blood is going to be provincial and that we're going to see Jude Kelly and Michael Grandage moving into the capital, and whilst that will cause some palpitations in Yorkshire, it means that new blood and fresh ideas will be on the menu there (God! what an awful metaphor!). I reckon this is a great subject for a debate, and we just happen to have the British Theatre Guide Forum handily placed for it! Articles Indices:
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