IT’S daggers drawn in the West End as a leading producer Michael Rose takes aim at the august Society of London Theatre, which he says was weak during the pandemic.
“They relied on the Government to make the rules or regulations. That was a wrong move on our behalf. We lost probably around a third of our core theatre-going audiences,” he tells The Londoner, arguing that the society failed to provide clarity on the safety of going to the theatre.
The Society of London Theatre represents theatres across the capital. Rose, who produced Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, pictured above, recently compared the response of Broadway during the pandemic to that of the West End.
“Broadway was able to implement universal and clear guidelines… conversely, nearly every theatre and show across the UK had different approaches,” Rose wrote in The Stage. British industry bodies cannot legislate, Rose told us, and so they are effectively toothless.
A spokesperson for the society said it had “worked tirelessly to support its entire membership through a devastating two years”.
Artist pleased his work will live on
ARTIST Jock McFadyen was on droll form at the private view of his new show at the Royal Academy. Thanking, among others, sponsors Forsters, he told the audience the law firm “help to establish that your work will have a life when the artist doesn’t, which doesn’t really bother an artist in middle age but the further you get into your seventies it’s something you have to think about”. He then added: “They sponsored this exhibition, which has made it a lot better than it would have been if they hadn’t.” Straight talking.
Webb’s memoir falls flat at home
Broadcaster Justin Webb’s plans for a memoir didn’t immediately find favour with his family. The Radio 4 Today programme presenter launched My Childhood and Other Train Wrecks this week at Daunt’s in Marylebone. And Webb reveals: “When I mentioned the idea to one of my daughters she laughed, “Who the f*** would want to read that?”’ That’s one way to lay down the gauntlet.
Review reversal on government art
THERE are red faces at the DCMS as the Government Art Collection backtracked on plans to reinterpret 300 works it owns. Portraits of Queen Victoria, Cecil Rhodes, Rudyard Kipling and seven British monarchs were among those flagged for review. But a DCMS spokesperson told The Londoner an “administrative error” was to blame. Sleuths at The Art Newspaper first spotted the tags and questioned DCMS, only for the tags to disappear. Given the Government’s position on cultural heritage, it sounds like someone could be in line for a dressing-down.
SW1A
TORY defenders of Boris Johnson remind former Blair adviser Theo Bertram of another big figure in British politics. “Corbynisation,” Bertram tweets gleefully, explaining how he sees the internal pyschology: “Rules don’t apply; insist polls don’t represent ‘real people’; trash your previous PM.” Enjoying it?
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MPs may now end up staying in Parliament while repairs take place around them, it was reported this week. That’s worse news for some than others. Labour MP Mike Kane recently moved to a temporary office after his ceiling collapsed. “There are tradespeople in there working on it,” a spokeperson told us drily. You would hope so.
Hey Jude, there’s a rave going on in Soho
IF IT’S a rave you’re looking for, look no further than a Soho basement. Last night Jude Law joined photographer Steve Lazarides at Laz Emporium for an exhibition celebrating of the “euphoric birth of rave culture across England”. Good on you, Jude. Also there was chef Tom Kerridge. Across town at Ned’s Club in Bank, singer Laura Mvula performed to an audience that included poet Akala and model Fae Williams.
