Alistair Smith

After 20 years at The Stage, and two decades after theatre’s funding taps were turned off, editor Alistair Smith embarked on a tour from the tip to the toe of the United Kingdom, taking in productions across the four nations and speaking to those behind them, to discover how this period has shaped the industry we see today

While theatres may be facing numerous challenges, attracting audiences does not appear to be one of them, says editor Alistair Smith, after visiting 20 theatres around the UK

The government’s increase in employer’s national insurance contributions amounts to nothing less than a huge cut to theatre budgets amid an already challenging time for the industry

Excellence and inclusion need not be exclusive. The Donmar Warehouse’s all-female Shakespeare trilogy set in prisons, which is the subject of a new documentary, was an example of how both can co-exist superbly

This week The stage publishes it’s second regional ticketing survey findings, Alistair Smith discusses the key takeaways

Kitsch, traditional, high-budget show delivers on scale, Christmas camp and high-quality musical performances

Alistair Smith discusses the National Theatre’s cut to its primary schools touring programme and where the responsibility lies going forward

This week Alistair Smith discusses what he has discovered on his UK tour so far

Despite widespread optimism in theatre around Labour’s return to government, the principal impact of its first Budget is a damaging increase to employers’ national insurance contributions that will be felt in both the commercial and subsidised sectors and will affect theatres’ ability to employ staff

A majority of freelance workers in the arts are in a precarious position but ACE and the government will need radical ideas to remedy the situation, says The Stage Editor Alistair Smith