BSC John Thaw ruling "ludicrous"
The Broadcasting Standards Commission made a "ludicrous" ruling regarding his TV drama Plastic Man, writer Robin Mukherjee told The Stage last week.
The ruling was that the BSC upheld compaints from three members of the public about a rape sceen in the piece because of the "likely expectations of viewers of the type of drama usually associated with John Thaw." Three other viewers complained about bad language.
Mukherjee is also scathing about the fact that the complaints were even considered.
Six out of nine million viewers is derisory," he said. "If you had that proportion of arsenic in a cup of water you would drink it quite happily."
All publicly funded arts organisations will have to give unsold tickets free to children as part of the New Generation Audiences scheme, Culture Secretary Chris Smith said at the Labour Party conference.
"It is," he said, "a very simple idea. When a theatre or concert hall has empty unsold seats, they are made available through a central Internet clearing house, for free, to school pupils."
The scheme has been piloted in six places since June and will be launched nationwide on 15th January.
Office problems for Glagow companies
Glasgow City Council is to close the Strathclyde Arts Centre and move its leisre and education services into the new Tramway building. The Tramway will have much better rehearsal and performance facilities but there will be no office space available, and so companies which currently have their offices in the Strathclyde Centre must find new homes.
Suspect Culture and the Scottish Academy of Asian Arts have already found new offices but Raindog Theatre Company and the Scottish Actors Studio have yet to do so.
Belfast Grand in the black again
Belfast's Grand Opera House has an operating surplus for the fifth year running, thanks to a new business strategy, the theatre's chairman, John Priestley, has announced.
The theatre ended the financial year 1998-1999 with a surplus of £70,000, even though the first six months were showing a loss. Tighter budgets and a more focused marketng strategy made th esurplus possible.
Average attendance was 75% and the turnover was £3.5m.
Full Vivian Ellis Awards winners
The full winners of the Vivian Ellis Awards for music theatre were: