h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Having secured my post-grad. place at one of the finest drama schools in the country, i thought i'd better start reading again.Not that i'm intimidated ny the fact i'm going to the school laurence olivier attended or anything, but i am generally bricking it, yes i'll admit it. (excited too mind, it's a bit of a dream come true and all that. i thought i'd begin working my way through the huge pile of unread theatre books i have by reading Theatre @ Risk by Michael Kustow. well THAT cheered me up i can tell you. i wouldnt mind, but it's all true. This guy was one of the commisioning editors for channel four when it first started. remember that? it was so radical, televising innovative and challenging theatre from all over the world, made by the likes of Peter Brook. What do we have now, then? that's right, endless rehashes of frankly tired camp humor from the Graham (OH LOOK AT MEEEE I'M GAY) Norton show and yes, even MORE big brother? CHeeerist almighty. Ok, we do have BBC Four for cultural screening, but it just doesnt take the same risks. It is, as Kustow rightly points out, an indiciment of our declining interest in public funded theatre, and the shift in our culture towards all things screen orientated - computers , television and film. but he is also right when he asserts we cant get what we can get from the experience of live theatre from these mediums: for one thing, the ground-breaking work that becomes the mainstream of tomorrow is done in the theatre. the voice of dissent we will not hear on TV comes from theatre - the mirror we hold up to ourselves is theatre.The reality is that without the hotbed of creativity that our theatre industry should be (which means more money and new audiences must be brought in to revive the ailing industry) then the world of radio, tv and film will be a MUCH poorer place - but more importantly, we will be much poorer as a society. And i'll be out of a job. god THAT IS a worry.

You brag about your credentials, did you know that? I don't, and I doubt I would if I had any.

I feel the necessity to expose you for the person I know you are. HELLO PEOPLE, SHE'S A LUSH! HELLO! SHE SOAKS UP THE SUDS LIKE A SPONGE!

NOT true, my love. i suck them dexterously. least said about that the better.