ALTHOUGH I agree with Derbyshire-born actor and patron of Quad John Hurt concerning our lives needing more than work, eating and sleeping, I draw the line when he assumes that the only way to divert us cultural philistines is to frequent our local theatre.
Going to watch a play isn't everybody's cup of tea. I don't feel the need to watch a Harold Pinter or a Shakespeare play.
A good movie with an entertaining storyline and reasonable action would do me fine, but I would be hard pushed to feel the need to nip down the local theatre.
The same applies to books. If it's supposed to be a good read, then I will wait for the movie version to come out.
Mr Hurt is just as popular for his movies, which put him into the public eye (as opposed to being in the insulated theatre) in the first place.
I remember the Elephant Man and, further back, he played a disturbed ex-soldier from the First World War in The Ghoul.
So, Mr Hurt only went as far as the merits of going to enjoy a play to distract you from everyday worries and living, and he was right, in as much as it being entertainment – but entertainment for the chosen few.
Fortunately, Quad has opened up its cultural diversity and started showing more mainstream movies, not forgetting classic TV shows of the 60s and 70s.
Hopefully, Mr Hurt, as patron, will embrace a wider horizon of entertainment, and accept that popular culture is just as worthwhile to view as the jolly old theatre.
Joe Coleman
Tewkesbury Crescent
Chaddesden
