Alicia Vikander<\/a> in The Lady From the Sea, Susan Sarandon in Mary Page Marlowe and Bryan Cranston in All My Sons there is no shortage of starry celebrities being cast for the West End right now.<\/p>\nAnd at the Bristol Old Vic this year, the likes of Mel Giedroyc and most recently the city\u2019s own Jayde Adams have been cast in flagship productions.<\/p>\n
Dawson, who previously ran Punchdrunk Enrichment, a charity that creates immersive theatre for schools and family audiences, and held roles at Arts Council England, said she thought casting big names was great as long as they were good.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have to be the right people, and you\u2019ve got to go through a proper process to know that is the right thing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s part of a mixed economy,\u201d Dawson said, emphasising that theatre needed to diversify its revenue streams to survive, giving the example of pantomime productions relying on a big-name casting to pull in theatregoers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s making people think \u2018that\u2019s interesting, I want to go and see that\u2019,\u201d she said. \u201cMaybe next time they\u2019ll go to a different show. For some audiences, that\u2019s quite an interesting gateway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if she considered streaming services such as Netflix as a direct competitor to theatre, Dawson said: \u201cThere\u2019s a competition for people\u2019s time and people\u2019s money.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are really excited by going to the theatre and coming out but it\u2019s good for organisations to take a moment to think \u2018Are we doing things that are interesting to our community? How do we fit in this space, both locally, regionally and nationally?\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dawson said audiences were less predictable than they used to be and larger commercial theatres had realised that a starry lead in a play could help them predict the demand for the show.<\/p>\n
However, she added: \u201cThe important thing is that they\u2019re good productions, it\u2019s about talent rather than getting to a point where it\u2019s just a celebrity badge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another advantage was big stars\u2019 attraction to theatre, with many seeking credibility, which again helped against \u201cdigital competitors\u201d, Dawson said.<\/p>\n
Theatre was dealing with the \u201clong tail\u201d of Covid, Brexit and austerity, while also battling with cost of living, she said.<\/p>\n
But Dawson argued in support of increasing public subsidy for the theatre and arts, despite the headwinds faced by the UK government. She said Arts Council England grants had been at a standstill since about 2012, which in real terms equates to a near 50% cut.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government is clearly having to make lots of decisions where they find public funds and there are absolutely vital parts of our society which needs investment, life and death parts, about dignity and care.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I think, interestingly, the arts is a really important part of that picture. They can, if they\u2019re properly resourced, add so much value.\u201d<\/p>\n
Theatres were not political organisations but there was an expectation for them to reflect their values through their output, on the stage, Dawson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about universal stories with themes that are relevant, that are important, and might make you think differently, might make you question something that you\u2019d always thought and we want to get as many people through the door to come and see that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the challenges, Dawson is optimistic about the industry. \u201cThe arts in general and theatre is incredibly resilient. They are creative for a living, and they respond very well to challenging circumstances, and sometimes it generates really interesting new ideas. There\u2019s room for creative risk that establishes Bristol Old Vic for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
#Celebrity #castings #theatres #hard #times #Bristol #Vic #Theatre<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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