Broadcaster Libby Purves slams BBC for ‘ignoring’ theatre unless celebs are involved
Broadcaster Libby Purves has criticised the BBC for "ignoring" theatre unless celebrities are involved.
The former Radio 4 host, 67, accused the Beeb of swapping serious discussion for "chatty promotion".
Her comments come after Giles Coren, the new presenter of BBC's Front Row TV show, was criticised for saying he had not been to the theatre much in the last six years, that the seats were uncomfortable and there should be better access to the toilet.
Purves told Radio Times magazine that "the BBC has been largely ignoring our broad, diverse live theatre culture for years, except when it involves screen celebrities".
She added: "It avoids critical discussion and knowledgeable argument, opting instead for chatty promotion."
She lamented the "BBC's lacklustre approach to covering" theatre.
The notion that the theatre is "elite" and "just for "luvvies" was "unfair", she said, adding that British theatre was "on a roll" and "a magnet for Hollywood stars" such as Nicole Kidman and Kevin Spacey.
"More people watch live theatre every year than Premier League football matches," she said.
Purves said of the new Front Row presenters: "They are so green that one wonders if they could find their seat, let alone the bar."
The theatre critic signed off from Radio 4 show Midweek in March following more than 30 years on air.
Her former radio show Midweek was replaced with a pre-recorded, presenter-free 30-minute interview series.
