The National Theatre is helping to change society for the better, according to its executive director and co-chief executive, Kate Varah.
She spoke on Wednesday (9) in the Cottesloe Room in the Dorfman Theatre, with Indhu Rubasingham, the National Theatre’s artistic director and co-chief executive seated next to her.
Varah also set out how the National Theatre was going out of its way to engage with young people.
British Asian parents will certainly take note of her comments because even now the established professions and business are considered better routes to economic success.
Varah began: “We wanted to reflect on the past year together, the first of mine and Indhu’s partnership here at the National Theatre, and I thought I would begin by sharing five ways in which we are creating change.”
Kate Varah Adama Jalloh
She said: “Number one, we are growing new theatre audiences. Over the past year, we have produced 19 plays and musicals that were staged across the globe, and overall live audiences for our shows increased by 12 per cent.”
Referring to the National Theatre’s deputy artistic director, Robert Hastie, Varah elaborated: “Rob’s stunning Hamlet (with Hiran Abeysekara as the Prince of Denmark) and Indhu’s knockout Bacchae launched her first season and opened up the National Theatre to new audiences like never before.”
Hiran Abeysekera (Hamlet) in Hamlet at the National Theatre. Sam Taylor
It has to be said that Abeysekara’s Hamlet attracted mixed reviews from critics. It remains to be seen how he does as Mowgli in the National Theatre’s Christmas offering of The Jungle Book this year.
Varah went on: “Hamlet was hugely popular with those who had never come to the NT before – more than a quarter of the audiences were under 35. The same was true of Bacchae, which attracted nearly twice as many first-timers and young people than normal.
“As an aside, Hamlet went on to captivate audiences in New York, despite the fact that the set spent most of the time stranded in a shipping container across the Atlantic… All of this goes to prove that two shows, together nearly 3,000 years old, can still pull in the crowds and a younger generation, too.
“And by streaming The Importance of Being Earnest (with former Dr Who Ncuti Gatwa cast as Algernon Moncrieff) for free on the NT YouTube Channel, we reached more than half a million viewers in 122 countries around the world, and more than half of them under 35. And speaking as a mother of teenagers, I found that enormously encouraging and slightly aspirational that a bunch of teenagers are watching Oscar Wilde on YouTube.”
Ncuti Gatwa as Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest at the National Theatre Marc Brenner
Sharon D Clarke as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest at the National Theatre Marc Brenner
She continued: “Altogether, we are really acutely aware that audience behaviours are shifting. Younger generations are actively seeking shared experiences and human connection, and we think this is an opportunity for us to grow the popularity of our art form. So, at the National, we’re thinking really hard about how we meet those younger audiences in the places and the formats that feel right for them, with the kind of bold, engaging, and relevant work that Indhu is programming.”
Indhu Rubasingham left and Kate Varah Amit Roy
Varah said: “Number two, we’re opening up more opportunities for young people across the country. Over the past year, we’ve had nearly a quarter of a million engagements with young people across our learning work. That is a big and glorious number.
“At a time when writers need all of our support, we had a record-breaking year with our playwriting programme, ‘New Views’ (a playwriting programme for young people aged 14-19), with more than 700 new plays written by young people from across the UK. And at a time when there’s such uncertainty about young people’s futures with the scarcity of jobs, we’ve reached nearly 6,000 people through our Skills Centre for our training opportunities, apprenticeships, and placements in partnership with Bank of America. That’s a thousand more people than in the previous year.
“And, of course, whilst about 90 per cent of apprentices stay within our sector, we all know that the creativity, the confidence, and the curiosity that they develop through their engagement with theatre will benefit whatever path they take, whether they become teachers, scientists, care workers, or entrepreneurs. As those entering the jobs market face a really complex future, just imagine what that kind of creativity could unlock for their lives and their communities.
So that’s the reason that we have pushed really hard with our partners to increase these numbers, because we know that the value of this work goes far beyond theatre.
“The future of creative thinking lies with us all, and in this climate, our country needs its natural theatre to be the flagship of creative opportunity for young people across the country.”
She progressed to: “Number three, we’re creating cultural and economic value. Yes, we are a cultural institution, but we’re also an economic engine worth investing time and money in. The UK creative industries are a primary growth sector, and the National’s contribution to that is £241m, powering the UK economy every single year. And every third of this – about £88m – flows directly into the regions. So, when we screen a performance in cinemas, or we tour our productions, or we partner with a regional theatre, or we welcome audiences from outside of London here, our economic impact travels with us.
The company of Bacchae at the National Theatre Marc Brenner
“And because of the national scale, our success has the potential to drive broader success across the wider cultural ecosystem that we love and are part of. So, we maintain investing in the arts offers a critical foundation for national stability, social trust, and economic growth at a time when the future of the UK democratically, socially, and culturally is in flux, and it brings us joy.”
It is assumed that the British Asian artistic fraternity makes a significant contribution to the UK’s creative industries, though the figure has not been quantified. This has become obvious over the years with Eastern Eye’s Arts, Culture & Theatre Awards (ACTA). When it comes to diversity, the National Theatre is certainly making a serious effort to promote the black artistic fraternity and audiences.
Varah got to her next point: “Four, national by name, national by nature. Kids in every local authority watch our shows in their classrooms by NT collection (the National Theatre Collection is a digital streaming library that provides high-quality video recordings of world-class stage productions.) Now, 94 per cent of state secondary schools have the collection…Next year, we’ll be touring live to all the English regions.
“One of my personal highlights of the last year was sitting on stage with families of young people with profound or multiple learning disabilities, watching a tailored, multi-sensory performance of Ballet Shoes, co-created by specialist company, Frozen Light. I’m so happy we’ll be partnering with them again when
we tour Ballet Shoes to venues nationwide. We both feel strongly that our role at the National is to leave a permanent blueprint for the wider arts ecology in lots of ways, and this particular partnership will take great strides towards ensuring that the UK’s most prominent cultural resources are genuinely open to all.”
Ballet Shoes poster National Theatre
Among British Asian entrepreneurs, Nik Kotecha has been prominent in trying to help young people through collaboration with the Curve Theatre in Leicester via his charitable Randal Foundation.
“And finally, five,” finished Varah. “Our global reach is expanding. Now, audiences in 184 countries around the world can discover the very best of British theatre through us with our streaming service, NT at Home, and in cinemas by NT Live. The incredible creativity that we foster here can shape the global reputation of the UK. Only the National can take a show from its earliest inception to the world stage.
“Last year’s production of Inter Alia, Suzie Diller’s powerful play, is a shining example of that. It began down the road at our new work studio, had its premiere in a sold-out run on our Lyttleton stage, with Rosamund Pike receiving an Olivier for her astounding performance. It went on to have a hugely successful West End transfer, and now the show will make its Broadway debut…And alongside that, this play has now been seen by half a million people in cinemas worldwide through NT Life. That’s more than seven times the original audience of the Lyttelton run. All in, we estimate that about a million people around the world have so far engaged with Inter Alia and its important themes across stages, digitals, and socials, with more to come.”
Rosamund Pike (Jessica) in Inter Alia at the National Theatre resize Manuel Harlan
Varah concluded: “Which brings me full circle back to the start and the five things to be proud of: we’re growing new audiences, we’re opening up more opportunities, we’re creating cultural and economic value, we’re national by name, national by nature, and we’re expanding our global reach. All in, we’re backing ourselves, and we’re backing creativity.”
