Alistair Smith

London

Editor @TheStage, trustee @GetIntoTheatre, author of the London Theatre Report and Theatre Workforce Review. All views my own etc

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Articles

Is the UK theatre sector shrinking?

1 week ago | thestage.co.uk | Alistair Smith

Is the theatre sector shrinking? Photo: ShutterstockResearch suggests a contraction in theatre activity across the UK beyond the West End, with a reduction in creative opportunities, says Alistair Smith, though there are signs of recoverySupport The Stage by registering or subscribingTo continue reading this article you must be logged in. Register or login below to unlock 3 free articles every month. OR Or subscribe from just £7.99 and get unlimited access to thestage.co.uk.
leading London's Royal Court Theatre

3 weeks ago | thestage.co.uk | Alistair Smith

“I thought this job would be the biggest adventure that I could have”As artistic director and chief executive of the Royal Court Theatre in London, David Byrne has a job that might intimidate many.
Indhu Rubasingham at the National Theatre – what should we expect?

3 weeks ago | thestage.co.uk | Alistair Smith

Her programming suggests a broad and nuanced approach to multiculturalism – the kind that would feel entirely mainstream in television or film. There’s a consistent liveliness to her work, a strong instinct for contemporary relevance, and a clear desire to connect with modern audiences. When she took over at the Kiln, she declared her ambition to “bring unheard voices into the mainstream”. I’d argue that the ‘mainstream’ part of that statement is every bit as significant as the ‘unheard’.
Covid continues to shape theatre five years on

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Alistair Smith

It’s almost inconceivable that this week marks five years since the UK entered its first Covid lockdown – and with it, the official closure of all UK theatres for the first time since the Second World War. The experience feels strangely unreal in hindsight. It exists in that liminal space of memory: somehow both distant and something that only happened yesterday. The immediate impact on the theatre sector was stark. And brutal.
Labour planning proposals pose a serious threat to the theatre sector

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Alistair Smith

It seems almost unimaginable now, but in the early 1970s, there was a real possibility that Theatreland as we know it might have ceased to exist. Several historic West End theatres had already been lost to redevelopment, including the St James’s and the Gaiety. Then, in 1972, the Greater London Council put forward a radical overhaul of Covent Garden – one that would have resulted in the demolition of 12 West End theatres and left at least four more unviable.
Royal Exchange and Globe cases highlight one of theatre's biggest challenges

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Alistair Smith

Opinion On first glance, two stories from the past week cover very different topics: potential artistic censorship and issues of disability discrimination and safeguarding. But there is a crucial thread connecting them – one of the biggest challenges facing the theatre sector today: the breakdown in the relationship between freelancers and institutions.
Is the West End really ‘maxed out’?

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Alistair Smith

Alistair SmithEditorAlistair Smith is editor of The Stage. He is also the author of two major industry reports (the London Theatre Report and the Theatre Workforce Review) and is the chair of theatre careers charity Get Into Theatre. Is the West End really ‘maxed out’? As Trafalgar Entertainment continues its rapid regional expansion, co-founder Howard Panter declares London’s theatre scene ’maxed out’.
Editor's View: Big words, small promises – can Lisa Nandy live up to Jennie Lee?

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Alistair Smith

Big words, small promises: can Lisa Nandy live up to Jennie Lee? Lisa Nandy, secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport. Photo: Richard TownshendLisa Nandy’s speech was encouraging, but the government’s commitment remains uncertain as does its ability to match Jennie Lee’s legacy, says Alistair SmithSupport The Stage by registering or subscribingTo continue reading this article you must be logged in. Register or login below to unlock 3 free articles every month.
French retailers “undermining banana workers’ incomes”

1 month ago | fruitnet.com | Alistair Smith

Banana consumption continues to rise in France, becoming the most consumed fruit in 2024, while retail prices have also been on the rise. Against this backdrop, French supermarket buyers are applying unprecedented pressure to obtain abnormally low purchase prices from their suppliers. Between 2022 and 2024, French retailers went from being understanding partners of banana producers to becoming the biggest obstacle to their income.
There is no place for homophobia in theatre

2 months ago | thestage.co.uk | Alistair Smith

There is no place for homophobia in theatreThe cast of Here You Come Again. Photo: Hugo GlendinningTheatres should be spaces of acceptance and safety; recent incidents of hate speech must be dealt with robustly, says Alistair SmithSupport The Stage by registering or subscribingTo continue reading this article you must be logged in. Register or login below to unlock 3 free articles every month. OR Or subscribe from just £7.99 and get unlimited access to thestage.co.uk.