How the West got lost

摘要

London's theatreland may suffer from cramped seating and be served by lousy theatre bars, but it still excels at one thing: spreading rumours. So the news that Andrew Lloyd Webber, its most commercially successful son, has been approached by a bidder for all of his Really Useful Group, and by bidders for a handful of the theatres it co-owns, has created a flurry of excitement. Since the theatres that, according to backstage whispers, are the focus of serious interest are all smallish playhouses rather than big theatres that tend to house musicals, it also prompts a question: is it now impossible to make money by putting on plays in the West End?