Down With The Bombers
The news that the police and security forces discovered an unexploded car bomb in the Haymarket early this morning is a terrible reminder of the dark days of twenty years ago when hoaxes, bomb scares and bag searches were part and parcel of theatregoing in the West End.
The first night of Cats at the New End was interrupted with a hoax telephone call as the cast took their bows. The critics had rushed away to file their notices by then, so it didn’t affect the review coverage.
But when Richard Eyre much later said that critics looked as though they were running for the exits as if their trousers were on fire, he was a little too close for comfort.
Let’s just hope things return to normal as soon as possible. A fully functioning theatre culture and a West End heaving with customers is the best possible rebuttal to terrorists.
The mayor Ken Livingstone could take another leaf out of former New York boss Giuliani’s book; his rallying cry and, above all,example, had Broadway buzzing again within a few days of the attack on the Twin Towers. Come on, Ken: join whatsonstage and start singing the theatre’s praises. Even better, buy a few tickets and call a Press conference!
