Features

Whodunnit or Didn’t

2 October 2020

Philip Fisher compares and contrasts the entertainment industry's responses to coronavirus in London and New York.

Has Sunak Saved the Theatre? – Not Yet

24 September 2020

Rishi Sunak's latest jobs and loans package offers little comfort for the arts community.

The wisdom of reopening theatres

18 September 2020

Philip Fisher is concerned that running shows at a loss could further damage the finances of theatres that are already struggling.

Pandemic Panto-monium!

17 September 2020

Simon Sladen reports on the latest industry activity ahead of Panto Season 2020 including strategies companies are taking to produce COVID-secure productions. Updated 23/09/20.

Favourite theatres on death row and an extra-terrestrial solution

11 September 2020

Philip Fisher highlights the plight of the Finborough Theatre in London and some of Edinburgh's finest, while remaining cynical about the government's Moonshine project.

A begging letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer

8 September 2020

The DCMS committee has written to Rishi Sunak pleading for help for the arts.

Creatives versus Accountants

4 September 2020

Philip Fisher worries about the future of the industry that we all love.

The day the music dies

30 August 2020

National news editor and London reviewer Sandra Giorgetti takes a look at a recent survey that puts figures on the desperate straits of UK musicians.

A Drop in the Ocean

28 August 2020

Philip Fisher reports on an open letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and an Arts Council England bailout that will leave the self-employed drowning.

Remembrance of Theatre Past 55–56: The End (Possibly)

28 August 2020

Peter Lathan looks back at a career in theatre which stretches back to the 1960s. Here he describes how his career as an actor and director came to an end and thinks about what lies ahead.

Deadly Theatre—Simon Brett and Charles Paris (with a quick nod to Ngaio Marsh)

21 August 2020

We all need escapism and Philip Fisher might have found the perfect escape in a long series of crime novels with a theatrical setting.

Remembrance of Theatre Past 52–54: School, the Internet and Another Book

21 August 2020

Peter Lathan looks back at a career in theatre which stretches back to the 1960s. Here he deviates from his original plan and goes back to when he was teaching drama before looking at how the British Theatre Guide began and his book on panto.

Theatrical (Russian) Roulette

14 August 2020

Philip Fisher considers the government's (second) announcement that some indoor theatres can reopen in limited fashion and highlights two exciting shows from major venues that will benefit.

Remembrance of Theatre Past: 48–51: New Challenges

14 August 2020

Peter Lathan looks back at a career in theatre which stretches back to the 1960s. Here he remembers some—for him—new and challenging theatre work.

Who will survive?

11 August 2020

Peter Lathan asks which theatres, apart from the “crown jewels”, will survive the effects of the pandemic.

If the Pandemic Doesn’t Get the Arts, Brexit Will

7 August 2020

Philip Fisher considers an open letter about EU and the arts written by Baroness Donaghy, Chair of the House of Lords EU Services Sub--Committee to Oliver Dowden.

Remembrance of Theatre Past 45 – 47: Our Own Theatre Company

7 August 2020

Peter Lathan looks back at a career in theatre which stretches back to the 1960s. Here he talks about KG Productions, the theatre company he founded.

Remembrance of Theatre Past 42—44: Big Shows, Big Casts

31 July 2020

Peter Lathan looks back at a career in theatre which stretches back to the 1960s. Here he talks about working with community casts on a series of large-scale shows.

Decimation of the Theatre Industry

30 July 2020

Philip Fisher fears that the government's latest pronouncement is another step towards a disaster from which theatre could take a generation to recover.

Government jump start funding for theatres and other arts organisations

29 July 2020

The next stage of the government's funding for the arts has been announced. Many will see this complex package as too little too late.