Lyn Gardner

West Midlands

Theater Writer and Associate Editor at The Stage

Lyn Gardner writes about theatre for The Stage & Digital Theatre. Reviews @StagedoorLDN Novels include the Olivia stage school series. [email protected]

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Articles

National Theatre Public Acts choreographer Dan Canham interview

1 week ago | thestage.co.uk | Lyn Gardner

FeaturesDirector and choreographer Dan Canham tells Lyn Gardner about his route into performing and choreographing, working on the National Theatre’s latest Public Acts community-focused productionSupport 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. Remember Login
Lyn Gardner: Longevity in theatre requires talent, skill – and luck

1 week ago | thestage.co.uk | Lyn Gardner

OpinionDevoted and Disgruntled brings together people from across the theatre industry for three days of discussion. Photo: Chantal GuevaraLong careers in theatre require the right circumstances to flourish, says Lyn Gardner, but artists are now finding it impossible to launch careers, let alone sustain themSupport 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.
Time for the arts to look beyond ACE funding?

2 weeks ago | thestage.co.uk | Lyn Gardner

Is there a freedom in running an arts venue without accepting funding from Arts Council England? If you are Wigmore Hall, it certainly looks that way. Artistic director John Gilhooly announced last week that the concert venue is stepping away from the national portfolio and its £344,000 annual funding next April, because he believed that it would be “better off being independent”.
ACE must reform funding if theatre is to survive challenging landscape

3 weeks ago | thestage.co.uk | Lyn Gardner

But Parker makes the crucial point that “the decision shines a light on the inherent inequities in ACE’s multi-tier funding structure and the disparity of security between the NPO ‘haves’ and the project-funded ‘have-nots’. For those who have been preparing a bid in the hope of joining the portfolio for the first time, the news couldn’t be worse”.
EdFringe lottery will continue as long as opportunities remain limited for early-career artists

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Lyn Gardner

Shona McCarthy, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society’s outgoing chief executive who has always worn her emotions on her sleeve, has done an exit interview after 10 years. It landed as emails about Edinburgh-bound shows started arriving thick and fast. It is worrying then to note that the Keep It Fringe fund, offering 180 bursaries of £2,500 each, may not extend beyond this year if the monies cannot be found to fund it.
Scratch nights help performers carve out an industry opening

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Lyn Gardner

While actor Shakeel Haakim was a RADA student he worked front of house at the Apollo Theatre during the run of For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy. He watched every night he was on duty. Then, in his final year of training, he made his professional debut in the show, winning the role of Pitch when the show returned to the West End last year. He went from front of house to being on stage.
Can the Royal Exchange rebuild trust following the cancelled Dream debacle?

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Lyn Gardner

Quotes from the review say unequivocally that: "The principal recommendation of our review is that RET embarks on a programme of change wherein it restates its commitment to artistic innovation and daring, and publicly acknowledges the leadership failures that led to the cancellation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”The Exchange says that “trustees have apologised to [the production’s] creatives and company and RET staff”.
Josie Dale-Jones: ‘It feels as if the walls of theatre have become wobblier’

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Lyn Gardner

FeaturesJosie Dale-Jones. Photo: Rich LakosIn 2022, one of Josie Dale-Jones’ shows fell victim to the culture wars and was shut down before it even opened – an episode that has stalled her ability to make work since.
How can socially impactful art flourish amid risk-averse leadership?

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Lyn Gardner

OpinionThe British Museum, whose director recently defended the organisation’s decision to accept a £50 million sponsorship deal with fossil-fuel giant BP. Photo: ShutterstockArt has long been used to speak truth to power, but with any glimmer of controversy threatening funding, theatres and arts organisations are all too often muted, says Lyn GardnerSupport The Stage by registering or subscribingTo continue reading this article you must be logged in.
ACE grant changes may be paused for now, but fears of looming catastrophe remain

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Lyn Gardner

Opinion“This is a death sentence for many non-NPO companies,” said one organisation of the postponed proposed changes to ACE's NLPG application process. Photo: ShutterstockThe temporary postponement of ACE’s National Lottery Project Grant’s rule changes is welcome, not least because its ill-judged proposals would have been a ‘death sentence’ to many theatre companies, says Lyn GardnerSupport The Stage by registering or subscribingTo continue reading this article you must be logged in.