National Theater to scale back productions after pandemic slump

Accounts show the theater’s revenue for the year to March 2022 was £80.8million, compared with £100million pre-Covid. Attendance fell 20 percent while the theater staged just 464 performances, about half its normal number. Content on NT Live has been pushed online during the pandemic.

The Southbank-based venue, Schub, says it is also struggling with the impact of inflation and energy costs, as well as Arts Council funding cuts of nearly £1million a year. Some

Layoffs were made. What would the founding director of the National, Sir Laurence Olivier, have thought?

Sorry is the UK way

PR guru and producer Matthew Freud last night won an Oscar for his first animated film. Instead of thanking him, he apologized in British, saying “apologies to my children, my girlfriend and colleagues” for being absent during production. His sister Emma, ​​who has worked on films such as Notting Hill with her director husband Richard Curtis, was proud but also a bit jealous: “We spend 32 years making films and not Oscars. He does one and gets a ducking Oscar.”

Rishi stays away for

PM Rishi Sunak is at an international summit in sun-kissed California. It should make him feel at home – Sunak’s property portfolio includes a penthouse worth over £5million in Santa Monica, where he once wanted to live with his wife Akshata. Although he was in San Diego for a few hours up the coast, we have heard that Sunak has stayed elsewhere. Someone else has to pick up the mail.

Rupert claims he doesn’t watch Succession

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has claimed he doesn’t watch Succession, the series he and his family inspired. It stars Brian Cox as the swearing Logan Roy, head of a devious clan. In emails to a reporter from the Semafor platform, Murdoch said he “never saw it.” It’s not clear if he was serious: Murdoch also said Elon Musk is doing a good job running Twitter. The fourth and final season premieres later this month.

Elton is still rocking at the Oscars

Elton John and comedian Tiffany Haddish beamed at the singer’s 31st Academy Awards party. Heidi Klum wore a yellow dress, perhaps inspired by Sesame Street, while designer Donatella Versace and Vogue China editor Margaret Zhang mingled with Sharon Osbourne and playwright Jeremy O. Harris. At the actual awards ceremony, activist Malala chatted with Rihanna while her husband Asser looked on in fascination.