66 replies to this topic

[Jan Brock]

I'm tired already of N.Hytner's modish NT regime and the quality of his own productions is falling all the time, how long does his contract run ? Shall we start to lobby now for Michael Grandage to replace him ?

[armadillo]

Personally I think the Travelex sponsorship is the best thing to have happened to British theatre in the last 10 years. I suppose it depends whether you think bringing in new audiences and enabling less well-off people to go to the theatre is important or not. Certainly I see a lot of shows at the NT, knowing I'll only have wasted a tenner if I don't like them, than I do anywhere else and I've never seena  show where I have resented buying a ticket even though not all have been to my taste. So no, I won't be joining your campaign of negativity.

[wickedgrin]

Yes the travelex season is great value for money and on the whole I have not been dissapointed with the standard of productions although they havn't been brilliant. The current season is somewhat uninspiring in my view but at £10  great value.

[thecrucible]

While I applaud the ethos behind the Travelex season, I can't help wondering how many new people it really has brought into the National - and this view is backed up by people I know who have worked there. There is a feeling that the season tends to bring in the National's regular (and occasional) audience more than anyone really new. Yes, it does encourage those people to see things they wouldn't otherwise consider but I'm not sure it has been so successful at bringing in a completely new audience for the work.
That said, I like that Nicholas Hytner has put his own stamp on the place - very different from Trevor Nunn and very different from Richard Eyre which is important - but I think it will be interesting to see who's next and where they take things.

[richard]

I agree entirely with Jan Brock.  The NT ( why is it never properly called the Royal National Theatre, except by critics who like to stir it up and take the p***?) is so dreary and predictable.  The arrival of the programme for the next booking period used to be an exciting prospect.  Not any more.  Nothing I want to see at all.  The Alchemist, liked by some, seemed to me sum up the whole modish and superficial approach.  Wouldn't touch Man of the Mode with a barge pole, but it seems to be from the same stable.

[Jan Brock]

Armadillo: No, I don't think it's at all important to bring in a new audience, the primary purpose of the NT is not social engineering. I think the only important thing is to stage high-quality productions, then the audience (those who are interested) will follow. Putting on cheap productions for cheap prices cheapens the NT. Hytner should be aiming to leave an artistic legacy, not simply a commercial one. As usual I agree with Richard, the arrival of a new NT brochure is a less than inspiring event these days.

[armadillo]

No new audience for theatre? So a continually declining audience as current theatre goers die off is a good thing? Interesting point of view. However, as someone rather younger than you, I would still like there to be a flourishing theatre scene in 40 years time I believe Hytner has done more to ensure this than any director now working. Frankly if you really haven't enjoyed any the NT's works during Hytner's reign (not History Boys? Not His Dark Materials or Coram Boy or Jerry Springer? Not Democracy or Jumpers? Not Edmond or Funny Thing Happened or Caroline or Change? Not Paul or Measure for Measure or Sing Your Hearts out for the Lads or Pillars of the Community or the Seagull? And yes, I do know he didn't direct all of these.) then I feel sorry for you as you must  be determined to not to have a good time.

Just as a matter of interest, Jan, why don't you, for a change, start a thread about something you like? And why are people here so determined that if they don't like a show or a director or actor, nobody else should? It seems fashionable on this board to despise critics for their attempts to dictate puplic taste while doing the same thing for a smaller readership.

[Tintin]

There may be a flourishing audience for the NT in the future, but I do wonder about theatres outside London. I always enjoy going to the Chichester Festival Theatre, but in recent years have noticed that the majority of the audience are middle-aged and above. When I booked to see some forthcoming productions a few weeks ago I noticed that there seemed to be no one in the very long queue who appeared to be younger than 40, and most of us were well above that age. Ticket prices are not cheap, but still way below those for pop and rock concerts. I apologise if this is moving away from the main point of the thread, but I do find it rather disturbing.