Hayao Miyazaki’s glorious animation My Neighbour Totoro reimagined for the stage; a Tennessee Williams classic with a red-hot star; a one-woman show by an Australian former lawyer, performed by Jodie Comer making her stage debut; the hip-hop suffragette musical Sylvia: British theatre is in a far livelier condition than seemed possible three years ago, when the first Covid lockdown began before Easter. A week ago, the industry’s grandest prizes, the Oliviers, were presented amid high spirits and belted-out show tunes at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Last month saw pointed exchanges, in this newspaper and others, after David Hare, the playwright, wrote a piece lamenting the number of venues showing musicals. Others see nothing to regret in the huge number of seats being filled at the moment by theatregoers who want to hear melodies as well as dialogue – to watch dance routines as well as drama. Instead, they hope to channel this enthusiasm to make it easier to put new musical theatre works on stage – as well as old favourites like Oklahoma! and Guys and Dolls.
The recent closure of the Oldham Coliseum drew attention to the plight of the losers in the latest round of cuts by Arts Council England. The actor Christopher Eccleston voiced a heartfelt protest against the impact of growing socioeconomic inequality on would-be actors from poorer backgrounds growing up – as he did – hundreds of miles from the lights of London’s West End. Another warning came from the actor Derek Jacobi, who is worried that sky‑high prices risk pushing theatre tickets out of many people’s reach.
But taking on board the grim funding environment and the uncertain future of theatre in Oldham, as well as of the English National Opera and a handful of smaller London theatres whose funding has been withdrawn, there are reasons to be cheerful about the state of British theatre. Beverley Knight, who plays the suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst in the musical Sylvia, is right to cheer the arrival of younger and more diverse audiences – and the new scripts and bold casting decisions that draw them in. While once it was Hollywood stars on West End stages that pulled in crowds, homegrown screen talent is now to the fore. Rose Ayling-Ellis, Jodie Comer and Nicola Walker were all popular television performers before taking up their recent highly praised stage roles. Ireland’s Paul Mescal picked up the Olivier for best actor after being nominated for the same award at the Oscars.
There is no room for complacency. The Sheffield‑set Standing at the Sky’s Edge, which was first seen at the Crucible theatre in 2019, is among this season’s hit transfers. But there is no denying London’s dominance. As with other art forms, there is reason to worry that student fees and the high cost of living are deterring young people from poorer backgrounds who might once have found it easier to get a foothold in the industry. Scrutiny of ticket prices, including reductions for children and those on low incomes, must continue. These vary hugely between venues, and schemes should be supported by public funding and sponsorship. But the vibrancy of a sector that has succeeded in changing with the times deserves applause.
