Anyone casually skimming through Monday’s edition of The Times may have clumsily stumbled upon this little can of worms: “Sir Jonathan Miller hits out at West End theatres putting celebrity ahead of quality”. The article, as the name cleverly suggests, reports a few choice remarks made by the respected author and director last week about the West End’s penchant for celebrity.
Miller was stirred into revolt thanks to West End producers’ recent decision to not move his acclaimed version of Hamlet to London’s theatreland. Miller insisted that “Producers might have been swayed if I’d been prepared to put in for more luminous names” as his cast were relatively unknown. Bearing in mind that the two versions of Shakespeare’s seminal tragedy currently on in the capital both have famous leads, Miller may have a point. The version running at The Wyndams Theatre for example is led by none other than Jude Law, whilst the upcoming RSC production features David Tennant as the gloomy protagonist.
This is not the first time the integrity of the West End has been called into question of late. Not too long ago the artistic director of The Old Vic, a one Kevin Spacey, lampooned the BBC’s decision to repeatedly donate precious air time to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s pursuits such as I’d Do Anything because he felt that the hype generated by the programme amassed to little more than just cloak and dagger advertising. What’s more, with such little emphasis placed on new theatre, he felt that the West End was in danger of choking to death on in its own showy self importance.
Of course Webber and Mackintosh flew to their respective soapbox to air their defence. “It brings more people into the theatre!” they hollered through their megaphones before reeling off a list of slowly blossoming audience figures for the past few months. If you remember, a similar motive was cited behind Webber the Philanthropist’s decision to shove Summer Strallen into that abomination Hollyoaks. Hmmm…?? Sometimes there just isn’t enough vomit in the universe is there?
Anyway, what do you think? You reckon Miller’s onto something with this? Are celebrities the new Barbarians clubbing gruffly at theatre’s artistic gate? Or are Webber and Mackintosh on the right lines with their messianic ‘bring theatre to the masses’ crusade? Should Alfie and Dr Who get the chance to play Hamlet or should producers focus on talent and originality rather than ’star quality’?

Technorati Tags: andrew lloyd webber, cameron mackintosh, david tennant, hamlet, id do anything, jonathan miller, jude law, kevin spacey, rsc, stars in the west end, stars in theatre, the times

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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 12th, 2008 at 9:34 am and is filed under Theatre. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.