NT 2016

I do know they're closing it; I was just adding my own version of "I wish" to earlier comments. But at least the red box did receive a reprieve and has lasted longer than originally intended, and has encouraged other theatres to try something similar (unless they have changed their minds, the management at Stratford East were planning one). All the more reason to make the most of the remaining productions: I'm seeing Iphigenia + Sugar Water soon.

One of the things that amazed me about the NT accounts was the fact that they spend £1.2 million a year on 'research' - which is a huge amount of cash. I would like to know exactly what this has produced and would hope that it isn't just an excuse to indulge NT creatives.

Also the lack of financial rigour when it comes to balancing production costs with production income. They spend twice as much creating shows than they generate in income - when it comes to South Bank productions. Now I can appreciate that certain productions will never easily break-even and so some subsidy is necessary to allow for good work to be produced. But I cannot accept that they need to spend that amount of money to create the productions - particularly considering they own the building.

There is a lot of indulging going on there.

Perhaps it needs to stop - as it does in the vast majority of ACE-funding major companies. Focus on core activities, do good work with decent financial controls in place. This is not about stifling creativity or imposing a 'cuts agenda' - it is about accepting that when you are spending tax revenues (and then expecting tax payers to buy the tickets), you need to justify every penny.

It is possible to create amazing theatre without spending twice as much to create the shows as you will ever generate in ticket sales. Companies are doing it up and down the country - nay, all around the world. Subsidy is necessary - absolutely - but along with the money comes a responsibility to use it effectively. I am not convinced that the NT (or a number of other companies) have fully embraced that.

I agree that the 'research' both in the 'new work' section and the archive/eduction element is really of central importance beyond the NT.

Their archive is the best theatrical archive in the UK, they meticulously archive productions in a way that nowhere else does, which whatever you think of the individual productions is vital for preserving history and is a real help to future theatre makers (who can access it for their future productions etc) it's also one of the most accessible to the public as well, which is an exception in archive terms. All of that becomes quite cyclical and feeds into the new work, inside and outside the NT. For my money (indirectly) it's part of any theatre that bears the 'National' banner to preserve productions/use that for education. So although it's a big chunk of money, personally I think it's an important one.

In fairness probably on a par with the RSC in the amount of stuff they archive, but not in terms of public accessibility (anyone can go to the NT and look at the archive with just an email/phone call) which I think is of great importance.

I think they've also been recording productions for longer than the RSC, but I could be wrong about that.

Do the RSC keep all their designs/annotated SM scripts etc as well? (I don't recall off the top of my head so genuinely asking)

For me however the openness of their archive and the way they increasingly use it in education work/exhibitions is "justification" for the money spent on that sector (which the figure quoted isn't quite just for archive stuff but a part of that general sector)

Fair enough, sounds like they're about even. My main point was that they (and the RSC as well) are justified in having that much of their funding allocated to archive/preservation type work, as it's an important part of preserving theatrical history (but as a theatre historian I would say that...!)

But I think yes NT have been recording longer than most in the UK (but not as long as Broadway weirdly)

I wonder how they are going to manage 4 show (Opera + 3 Chekhov) at Olivier in the summer.. Unless they plan to do mostly 3 Chekhov plays in one day but that's exhausting for the cast..

Does anyone know if Threepenny Opera will still be on in September?

Baemax, Olivia is tranferring (she is Nt's darling after all), and yes, I see your point... Btw, I think her Sasha will be a lovely match to Geoffrey Streatfeild's Ivanov

Just received message from NT about legacies. Desperate?

I just bought a ticket for The Flick (a handful seem to have gone on sale) but my performance had an asterisk by it, anyone know what that means?

Ah, phew. Thought it was maybe in French or something.

My email from the NT today said that they are going to start charging £2.50 for phone bookings. Have always admired the fact that the NT doesn't charge people to buy tickets from them, feels to me like a very bad and miserly decision.