Entertainment must be what the public wants
I'M not a fan per se of The Chuckle Brothers and a lot of the other shows claimed to be "tacky" in the aptly-named Jonas dossier, but thousands of people are and support them by putting their money where their mouth is, both at the Futurist and the Spa.
We cannot all be middle-class, Radio 4 culture vultures. And what relevance to keeping our potentially massive money-earning Futurist is the opinion of the cultural intellectuals who run Jonas that what gets put on there isn't highbrow enough?
Barrie and Brenda Stead know what puts bums on seats and offer a wide variety of entertainment as a result. Some years ago a senior council tourism employee (now retired) confided in me that local councils simply aren't staffed with people who know how to put an entertainment package together, and it's always been the case. That's why anyone blessed with such a talent doesn't seek employment with a local council.
I'm aware that throughout this debate Tony Peers' contribution to the Spa hasn't had the credit it deserves.
Tony puts together a great package of variety shows entirely appropriate to the size of that venue and one that I believe also does well.
You can see where Scarborough Council's dilemma lies, in that it's propping up a theatre that can hold more people and can put on bigger shows while hanging on to a much smaller facility which offers similar entertainment. But if the Futurist was owned by an independent operator, it'd be what's commonly known as "tough luck". Competition, huh?
I had to laugh, though, when I noted Driver Jonas' findings that the Futurist has "fixed seats". What? A theatre with fixed seating? Whatever next? Who handed over good taxpayers' money for a dopey observation like that?
However much pressure various lobby groups try to bring to save our brilliant if dilapidated treasure you can be sure its value as a building site will be the most important factor.
But can we ask for the financial interests of councillors and senior council staff to be published in the very near future?
Mat Watkinson
Stepney Road
Scarborough
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Friday 25 May 2012
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