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For the record, the misinformation in my letter to the Western Mail responding to Michael Bogdanov's open letter to Jenny Randerson, resulted from the cuts made by the Western Mail editor to fit my letter into his columns. The correct, full letter appears on this web site (surely now the only place to carry on a serious debate). I'm sure Mr. Bogdanov must have read the full letter which makes his attack on me a bit disingenuous. As for my "definition" of what's elite and what's not, I was simply trying to draw out of him a clear statement of his position. His original letter was so confused. He seemed to be saying that there are working in Welsh Theatre, professionals and amateurs and that the Post 16 Education Committee's report would promote the amateurs at the expense of the professionals. Then he's saying that we need this dose of elitism. By this he either means that there are none among the professionals excellent enough to be amongst this elite or he means something else. But he gives no hint of what else he may mean. Further, he cites his international achievements - presumably as an argument for his excellence - to suggest that he already belongs to this elite. This can only lead to the conclusion that he believes that he is in the position to help provide us with the dose of elitism he claims we need. My own position is that it's exactly that attitude that divides us; it's that refusal to believe that there's anything of value happening here in Wales that is most likely to promote the idea of us as the "theatrical laughing stock of Europe". I can't believe that he seriously thinks that the Report would reduce us to a culture of amateurism so he must be arguing something else. When you analyse it, it smells strongly of someone looking for a job. And for him to say that he wouldn't want to run a National Theatre is a bit like Portillo denying he ever wants to be Tory leader (and possibly Prime Minister?!), given that he's campaigned so hard for it in the past. The problems in the Theatre in Wales are not caused by not having an elite; it's because we have theatres like Theatr Clwyd which produces its elitist, irrelevant theatre at the expense of the Theatre which wants to reflect its culture, which, given the chance and the backing of people of the calibre of Mr. Bogdanov, would be a player on any stage, European or otherwise. |
| Western Mail web site: www.icwales.com |
| Dic Edwards e-mail: |
Saturday, December 2, 2000 |
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