David Hare's ideal theatre

Isn't he sweet? That David Hare, eh? Yes, please everyone read this piece and thanks profq for posting it.
Lots to discuss indeed. Just a few first impressions...

I like the idea of having a Theatre up the road. In fact there is one for me, but it doesn’t have anything much I would like to see. It has comedy acts trying out and children's shows at half term and a few bits and pieces. It doesn’t attract serious drama , new or old. I suppose you could call Hampstead Theatre local. People do live in Hampstead. And it has a good selection of plays and studio stuff. And the RSC is where people live but it isn’t in London so not real people. 😂 But by building the NT where they did, they, the people who thought they knew everything, said that our Theatre is London based and you need good transport to get to it. Having said that, we do like a night out. Going to the West End, having a meal and drink, meeting friends, jostling with our fellow citizens, all good. And unless we did this we might miss that crucial thing Hare is keen on,

learning about other identities. Except that

whenever I go to the Theatre I see the same people in the audiences regardless of the identities on the stage. Obviously it is what I choose to see that determines that. So people group themselves accordingly and I won’t go to a hip hop site specific experimental participatory play in a foreign language any more than someone else might go to see a production of The Seagull. Tennant's Hamlet the exception and that leads to another discussion we have had.

His view of critics is obviously very personal. If I were a critic I would be a bit miffed by what he says.
His view on food interesting. Why don’t they keep the bars open after a play at the NT? And offer snacks? Often I would have liked to stay and chat to friends after a show but had to scurry back to the tube. Could Mr Hare also have a chat with tfl about keeping the tube running later...

I like the idea of a writers' room and ongoing support for writers. Seems obvious to me.

Now...state theatre? Hmm. No. I don’t have to point out the painfully obvious, do I? Brecht anyone? He had to leave his country. And we would all love Trump Theatre. In the U.K. we have a blissful mix of the commercial and state subsidy. Some of you think the NT and the RSC get too much. But when the state opts put, then these companies do have a choice of continuing in some way. No, I don’t like all the shows in the West End being 'owned' by the same people but I would not like the state to dictate the Theatre I see. Chilling prospect. And I don’t think in honesty it is what Hare actually means in this piece.

What does he mean by Thatcher living on public money? Her salary? What's wrong with that? Corbyn is also paid a salary isn’t he? She was married to a bloke who could provide the finer things in life and I believe she was supported by friends in her final illness. I’m at a loss to see what he is getting at there.

What he is describing is not so much ideal as his own fantasy Theatre, run by someone like him, only under 30 ( I’m laughing here) actually, like he was when he wrote antiestablishment pieces that were ok until he realised he could write proper plays that people would want to see. Then he stopped. I very much admire his work before the politics dominated it. He could really write and touch the heart.