The BBC’s ‘On Stage’ strand of programmes about British theatre is well-meaning, rightly praised, but ultimately detrimental, says Lyn Gardner.
The BBC’s recent collaboration with Battersea Arts Centre and Arts Council England, Live from Television Centre, a broadcast of four independent theatre shows, was rightly praised, not least for the fact that it engaged with some of the varied kinds of work that represent British theatre today.
The broadcast was part of the BBC’s On Stage season, which has also included a strand of programmes about regional theatres that offers a well-meaning but significantly more backwards look at British theatre. The series places an emphasis on nostalgia, with star names bemoaning... Keep reading on The Guardian
The BBC’s recent collaboration with Battersea Arts Centre and Arts Council England, Live from Television Centre, a broadcast of four independent theatre shows, was rightly praised, not least for the fact that it engaged with some of the varied kinds of work that represent British theatre today.
The broadcast was part of the BBC’s On Stage season, which has also included a strand of programmes about regional theatres that offers a well-meaning but significantly more backwards look at British theatre. The series places an emphasis on nostalgia, with star names bemoaning... Keep reading on The Guardian