The Stage

Poor returns

Published Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 12:50

So kind of the Welsh Assembly to promise to meet the £4 million worth of funding that the Welsh Millennium Centre allegedly needs. No doubt the subsidy will come directly from only the tax payers of Wales, as will also the money that will be needed to fund their Welsh National Theatre.

With the obscene amount of public money being poured into the predictable and parochial theatrical public sector, I am sure that a mere £4 million is a drop in the ocean for the English tax payers who will be actually footing the bill.

Why English citizens should be expected to pay for such tiny and narcissistic institutions boggles the mind. When it comes to the arts, English citizens pay so much and get very little back. In fact, when it comes to public subsidy, regional and repertory theatres very rarely represent the interests of the public at all. Regional theatres always concentrate on playing to the gallery and are absolutely terrified of producing original work out of the fear of offending the ignorant sensibilities of their audience.

The public sector takes so much for granted. When it comes to public subsidy, the Welsh Assembly should not assume that English tax payers represent an open cheque book.

Lincoln Hudson

Palatial Palete Court

Las Vegas

Nevada

USA