<\/em>My first job, in 1961, was at the Belgrade theatre in Coventry, the first British civic theatre built after the second world war, with public funds and a subsequent Arts Council grant. My weekly wage was \u00a38, enough to pay for my flat, which cost three guineas, and to eat well enough. Every city of similar size had a repertory company, presenting a new production every two weeks, and crucially providing employment for tyro actors in need of a prolonged apprenticeship in the company of senior players. You learned what you could and couldn\u2019t do and what you could aspire to. Today, alas, there is not a single rep company in the UK and no comparable system for training new talent.<\/p>\n
My Belgrade flat, built to house a member of the disbanded company, now holds the council\u2019s office of outreach and education. What is unchanged since 1961 is the enthusiasm of audiences for lively theatre, classic or newly written. Going to live theatre is still one of the principal amusements in the UK.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/fcda9233be05bef1f2f4194adf49e464a909b91f\/0_0_4913_3931\/master\/4913.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=13f3186652184d4cbdaa3df205654d79\" "\\"Ian")
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