The problem with theatre is that a desire to be a bastion of democracy and radical social change isn& #39;t particularly compatible with quaffing champagne on an invite-only press night.
And by this I mean we spend a lot of our time convincing ourselves of the social benefit of our work and then working in a way that undermines that impact. And I don& #39;t think we& #39;re very good at acknowledging that on a personal, institutional or sectoral level.
In her recent podcast with Tarana Burke, @BreneBrown talks about how people today really struggle to admit they hold contradictory views. I think that& #39;s one of theatre& #39;s problems. We say one thing (a lot) but we behave a different way (a lot).
Like saying how welcoming we are, but then closing the bar for a Coutts cultivation event. Or charging £5 for a lemonade. Or making our plays to please critics and gatekeepers. Or Press Nights. Or complaining about the elitism of awards but loving it when we get nominated.