Culture shock

THE stage lights may be about to dim a little, but they must keep burning. The coalition Government's austerity drive means virtually every area of British life faces swingeing cuts but when it comes to the arts, the instrument of choice should not be the sledgehammer but the scalpel.

Savings which force theatres to savage their repertoire or even close are a false economy. This is particularly true in Yorkshire, which can boast some of Britain's leading provincial playhouses. As well as keeping local residents entertained, they bring thousands more people here. These visitors buy tickets, spend time in bars, restaurants and hotels and linger for some shopping. Such income is essential as the region tries to drag itself back to economic prosperity. The four venues, in Leeds, Sheffield, Scarborough and Hull, have also attracted some of the best of British talent over the years. Countless legends have worked at these theatres, including actors like Tom Courtenay and Timothy West and directors like Alan Ayckbourn and Jude Kelly.

No-one in the arts disputes that savings have to be made, but forcing wholesale retrenchment at such a series of major theatres risks sending a dangerous message to the rest of the world about culture in Britain. It could suggest that all the vital enrichment of a night at the theatre, from laughter to tears, introspection to shock, and all the life-changing community work done alongside it, is not important. Put that simply, the show must go on.