Will the Haymarket Save Drama in the West End?
The news that the Theatre Royal Haymarket is to become a producing house has already started people talking about a revival of drama in the West End. In Theatreland, says the chat, straight plays are swamped by musicals, so perhaps this is a sign that drama is making a comeback and will take its rightful place as, if you like, the top of the West End.
Well, no. It’s not going to happen. Leaving aside the fact that one of the three productions announced yesterday is a musical (Marguerite), the West End lives by the tourist trade and most of the tourists who flock there want to see musicals, preferably musicals they know. Yes, they will go to see straight plays - although only if they have a star name in them - but it’s musicals which are the big draw.
And that’s hardly surprising. The average tourist (not the theatre tourist, a totally different animal!) wants to be entertained first and foremost, and a musical - preferably with a large cast, a known plot, brilliant production values and (best of all) a star name - will, they believe, entertain them superbly.
And who is to say that they’re wrong?
When I go to London, I’m a theatre tourist. I want to see great drama, of the sort that I can’t, generally, see at home, so I’ll see a play in the West End, or I’ll go to the National or the Globe or the Barbican. I’m just as likely to go to a non-West End venue - the Arcola, the Riverside Studios, Southwark Playhouse, the Lyric Hammersmith are among those I’ve been to in recent years. Because that’s what I like. I’ll also, occasionally, see a musical too, because I like musicals. But I go to London for the theatre: I’ll take in a few exhibitions, probably, and sample the sort of food that I can’t get at home, but I don’t do the touristy things (except for the classical buskers at Covent Garden!), because that’s not what I’m there for.
But I can well understand those who do, and who want a relaxed and undemanding night’s entertainment. If they’re Abba fans, they’ll go to see Mamma Mia! and Queen fans will see We Will Rock You. If they don’t have a particular preference, then they’ll see Chicago or Les Mis or Phantom or one of the other super-musicals. And there’s probably at least twenty of them to every one of me (at least!).
So no, let’s not imagine the Haymarket’s new venture is to be the saviour of West End drama, welcome though it undoubtedly is. I wish them the best of luck and hope the new venture proves very successful - and with Jonathan Kent at the helm, it has pretty good chance of succeeding. But let’s not delude ourselves by believing drama will take over the West End. It ain’t going to happen!