Editor: Freya Parr introduces the Spring Term 2 issue of D&T.
It's tempting, when trying to engage young minds and get them excited about theatre, to celebrate the spectacle of Lion King, the powerful storytelling of Phantom of the Opera or the raucous comedy of The Book of Mormon. But these hit West End shows aren't made in a vacuum.
Certainly, some have big names attached to them, so will always have had a platform, but what about shows like Six, which started life at the Edinburgh Fringe, and transferred their way into the heart of the West End? And it's no different in the US. Hamilton – now one of the biggest musicals in the world and a major cultural export – first opened in the off-Broadway Public Theater.
Without thriving Off-West End venues, many of these more examples of wholly original storytelling would never get the opportunity to become part of our cultural canon. What's more, it's these venues that are often at the helm of community engagement and education projects, so safeguarding their future is important for myriad reasons. Izzie Tyner investigates these in her feature on p22.
Elsewhere this issue, we're shining a light on some more accessible forms of theatre to appeal to a wider range of audiences and students. Our Performing Arts feature explores the potential of puppetry in engaging harder-to-reach students (p23), while our Practitioner Focus this issue is Eva Sampson, who creates relaxed and tailored performances for families and children with special needs (p32).
We also meet some of the people at the heart of the theatre industries: Alice King-Farlow, head of education at the National Theatre, joins us to reflect on the recent challenges and successes of the organisation's education and outreach projects (p14), while our writer Tom Lydon meets musical theatre star Ruthie Henshall (p18).
It's been about a year since I hung up my hat as editor of Drama & Theatre, and it's been a joy to briefly be back at the helm, working on these fascinating features and delving back into the endlessly evolving world of theatre education.