Thoughts on ALW

Those who follow me will notice that I have devoted quite a few tweets to critical analysis of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

There are people who have found this funny and people who have found it irritating. Those who agree with my comments, and those that valorise and admire him without question.

Since tweets are rarely a place where we can share nuance, I wanted to write a longer reflection on why I personally mistrust his motives. For me it comes from observing a pattern of self centeredness going back years.

Yes I know he is fighting for theatre which we all love, but I wanted to unpack why I find his manner and actions to be difficult for me.

Firstly, he certainly loves theatre and there's no denying that. But for me it is tiring how he has spent decades really only advocating for himself. It is hard for me to forget that.

He rarely (if ever) shares the spotlight with up and coming musical theatre writers who would value his support and advocacy.

He bought a theatre to "support new musicals" and then never went to a single reading or workshop by any of the writers. Nor did he tweet or support any of them.

I think - if the evidence I have is correct - that the only work in progress he ever went to other than those written by him, was Heathers.

Yes he's fighting hard for theatre's return but as ever it always centres him and his own work.

And yes his foundation gives money to education and music charities and drama schools but to me that seems like a form of legacy and I find his lack of empathy or support for UK writers of musicals to be telling.

When The Other Palace first opened he spent many thousands on a multicam livestream of an onstage Q & A with Lin Manuel Miranda while simultaneously giving no oxygen to up and coming writers. Notice that he always places himself alongside other famous people. But never lifts up talent.

My love and devotion for new musical theatre and my care for new writing unfortunately makes it hard to respect him. This isn't an irreversible feeling, I would absolutely welcome having my mind changed. But everything he posts or says only acts to reinforce his self centering.

Yes he wants theatre to reopen as do we all. But it seems his main desire is to reopen his long running hits and new shows written by him. I just can't find that an enjoyable thing. We need disruption and we need new voices. Now more than ever.

And yes all theatres can and will benefit from the advocacy he is offering. But benefit to others feels like a collateral benefit rather than his aim. Maybe it's impossible for someone like him to help without it looking self centered as he of course has so much to gain from theatre reopening. But I ask again, why so many photos and clips and posts about himself and his shows?

It has become impossible to criticise him in the eyes of some because he is visibly doing "something". I ask, is he the only one, and is the bar really that low?

I would also add that none of the writers I know are jealous of him. They admire his success. But wish he cared a little (a lot) more about sending the elevator back down to enable new talent to ascend.

Sadly it seems those who succeed to the highest levels are often not great at lifting up those that might one day replace them.

I would say that from a mainstream perspective he is definitely making a lot of noise which in the long run I think is likely to help theatre. But I don't buy that this is simple altruistic generosity at play here.

I also feel able to criticise him because I refute that we should put old white men on pedestals at the exclusion of all the extraordinary people doing everything to get theatre working again. This Messiah thing that theatre has with ALW is a problematic reinforcement of capitalist patriarchy.

My other observation is that he seems to be obsessed with aligning himself with celebrities and he frequently co-opts contemporary culture into his self promotion. Taylor Swift, WAP, etc... It seems like the need to retain relevance rather than uplift a new generation who naturally are more relevant and who have new things to say.

The first few months of lockdown, all he did was post self promotional videos and photos and playlists of pop songs. No time or space or advocacy was given to anyone but himself. But when there was a glimpse of possible reopening he began to publicly advocate for theatre and suddenly people began to see this as an act of great altruism and generosity. Where was this altruism and generosity previously? Who I ask will benefit first and most from theatre reopening and things returning to the way they were? Maybe we will all get crumbs when theatre reopens but he will get the main meal.

Yes we all want theatres to reopen. We want theatre back so much. Me included. Yes it feels so important and necessary that people speak up for theatre. But just because he is speaking up for theatre doesn't mean he's speaking up for you.

Anyway, I doubt I've changed any minds but this is where I'm coming from. I have spent every moment of the last 5 years trying to give space and oxygen to new musical theatre writers in this country. I have very few resources, very little money and very little influence. I have watched as those who have much more money and a captive audience do almost nothing. I have watched as those who have risen to the highest heights of UK musical theatre give almost nothing to the talented writers who only aspire to a modicum of success. To follow in their footsteps perhaps.

Yes I have spoken up but what is it about throwing stones at Goliath that makes people forget you're David?

One final thing. All of us can change, we are all able to evolve and grow. It isn't my desire to be antagonistic. It is to show people that there are a lot of talented musical theatre writers who even pre Covid were given almost no systemic support. It is never too late to give them more space, more time, more oxygen. Artists will shape our future, we need new stories and new songs, now more than ever. When theatres reopen I only hope we might have something new to see.