[Kevin Andrew Murphy]

I think the problem is that someone has gotten the idea that "theatre is good for you" without bothering to think about what theatre appeals to whom.

I've gone to shows where I've been the youngest person in the audience. I've been to ones where I've been the oldest. Sometimes it's somewhere in between.

I've had season tickets to my local rep for a number of years, with skips when I've grown too soured with the line-up. My eyes start to roll back in my head when there's the "nostalgia play for the retirees."

It also probably doesn't help people get over the Scwellenangst that people tend to get dressed up for the theatre, and if you're young and not particularly well off, you'll feel particularly out of place in jeans and a T-shirt alongside some of the stuff people put on. Especially to go to the opera.