6 June 2025, 10:45

By Johnny Jenkins

Dame Rosemary Squire knows a thing or two about theatre.

As co-founder of the Ambassador Theatre Group - one of the most powerful forces in British theatre - her recent comments about run-times being too long should carry real weight. And she’s absolutely right.

Theatre shows in London are getting longer and not always for the right reasons. I love going to the West End, but lately I find myself checking my watch more than I used to. It’s not that I’m bored - far from it – it’s that so many productions seem reluctant to end.

No matter how strong the performances or the writing, I often leave thinking the same thing: that could’ve been tighter. A third shorter, even.

There’s a kind of theatrical sprawl creeping in, as if longer........

© LBC