Alistair Smith

Editor

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Acting & Performance, Awards, Backstage & Technical, Dance, Edinburgh Fringe, Hot Topics, Jobs & Auditions, Musical Theatre, Opera, Pantomime, Reviews, Shakespeare, Training & Drama Schools, West End

Biography

Alistair Smith is editor of The Stage. Having joined the publication on staff in 2004, he has also held the roles of reporter, news editor, opinion editor, deputy editor and print editor at The Stage and has written for publications ranging from The Guardian to Hello! Magazine. He is also the author of two major industry reports (the London Theatre Report and the Theatre Workforce Review) and was a founder of the My Theatre Matters! campaign.

Recent Articles

Scott Rudin claims pose major test for West End

Opinion | 14 Apr 21

The allegations against producer Scott Rudin will have ramifications on both sides of the Atlantic. For the West End, it will be a major test of the assurances it made to its workforce in the wake of the Me Too movement, says, says Alistair Smith

Will the West End’s key players follow Liverpool’s lead to win back audiences?

Opinion | 07 Apr 21

Historically, the commercial sector has treated the West End as a zero-sum game, but will its key players now start thinking about it as an interconnected ecosystem in which everyone benefits from growth as the industry rebuilds itself? asks Alistair Smith

Is Trafalgar Entertainment set to become ATG Mark II?

Opinion | 31 Mar 21

Trafalgar Entertainment’s acquisition of HQ Theatres has echoes of ATG’s rapid expansion 20 years ago – what does it mean for British theatre? asks Alistair Smith

It is time to bring theatre out of the Victorian era – our outdated models do not support freelancers

Opinion | 23 Mar 21

Theatre is out of time and out of sync with its own workforce – the Big Freelancer Report shows it’s time we moved out of the Victorian era and modernised our outdated models and institutions, says editor Alistair Smith

Theatre will never be truly diverse without sustainable careers

Opinion | 17 Mar 21

The UK’s drama training sector has made progress in increasing the diversity of its student cohort, but the industry will remain an unviable option for many unless more is done to make theatre a sustainable career for all, says Alistair Smith

Timeline: Theatre and Covid-19

Features | 10 Mar 21

Alongside our in-depth analysis of the momentous effect of coronavirus on the theatre sector, these key dates plot the progress of the industry from the first lockdown to the latest roadmap

Covid-19 a year on: How have theatres fared in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

Features | 10 Mar 21

While all venues across the UK started closing on March 16, the devolved nations took a markedly different approach to reopening from England. Key figures from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland tell Alistair Smith how their varying public health responses to the pandemic had a knock-on effect on the way cultural institutions were able to operate