Sunak’s sabre-rattling is pure cynicism – Black Out nights are a small, vital corrective to theatre’s lack of diversity

Joaquina Kalukango and Paul Alexander Nolan during a performance of Slave Play. The show will transfer to London’s West End in June. Photograph: Matthew Murphy/AP

Downing Street made a surprise announcement last week. No, not the one about our streets being overrun with the scourge of peaceful protest, but a strongly worded statement on the importance of inclusivity in theatre. “The prime minister is a big supporter of the arts,” said Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson, and he believes they should be “inclusive and open to everyone”.

At last, the stage industry might have thought. A prime minister who is ready to tackle the many inequities that stand in the way of access to theatre, albeit rather late in the day, given how loudly the industry has been shouting about this in past years.