Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

Defund theatres – and give the money to gardeners and bingo halls

The dramatic arts receive state subsidies in the belief that they improve humanity. But where’s the evidence?

Bingo! The perfect replacement for our elitist, cash-guzzling, state-funded theatre. Credit: Paul White 1980s Britain / Alamy 
issue 05 September 2020
  • Comments

For nearly six months our subsidised playhouses, notably the National Theatre, have been dark. What have we missed? Not much. Some would say nothing at all. And this has come as a surprise to those of us who were led to believe that the subsidised theatre is critical to ‘the national conversation’.

GIF Image

Disagree with half of it, enjoy reading all of it

TRY 3 MONTHS FOR $5
Our magazine articles are for subscribers only. Start your 3-month trial today for just $5 and subscribe to more than one view

Read next

Trending

Gareth Roberts

The National Theatre just gets worse and worse

The new artistic director of the National Theatre is Indhu Rubasingham, who this weekend told the Sunday Times what to expect from her tenure. Now hang on to your hats, because it’s bold, exciting and unexpected stuff. No, don’t be silly, of course it isn’t. It’s utterly ordinary, bog-standard, progressive-establishment rubbish. But you will, I’m afraid,

More on arts council

Also by Lloyd Evans

Latest

Comments

Join the debate for just £1 a month

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in