The ghost at the devolution feast has been given a chair

Culture made it into the Devolution Act after all. But competence is permission, not duty, and for most small venues the lease matters more than the grant ever did.

Repayable grants return: who the 400-seat rule leaves out

The Arts Council has found a way to spend the same money twice. Whether any of those shows ever reach your town comes down to a single number buried in the eligibility rules.

Auditions and the Night I Almost Left

There's a peculiar kind of dread when you walk into a room full of strangers who all know everyone but you. How do we fight the Interloper Demon?

Casting the Room, Not the Role

A great cast is a combination, not a collection of stars.

You Don't Need to Memorise It Yet

Learn the meaning before you learn the words.

The £47 Set

Why suggestion beats reproduction, and light does the heavy lifting.

Amateur Means For Love

Reclaiming a perfectly good word from the people who use it as a put-down.