Dame Judi’s alarm over theatre funding lost to pay for Games
Dame Judi Dench has called for arts funding to be ring-fenced after accusing the government of diverting money from theatre and film to pay for the 2012 Olympics.
She fears smaller theatres could be forced to close and is "alarmed" at the amounts "siphoned off".
Dame Judi, 75, who is to play Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, said: "I want to play the role, obviously, but I'm also doing my bit to keep [the theatre] open. I am concerned that they've taken a lot of the subsidy to the arts away for the Olympics."
Speaking in The Times, Dame Judi said lack of funding has been compounded by the recession and actors are struggling to find work.
She said: "There's no question that the recession has had an effect on the arts, especially on British films. Things are not being greenlit as much and it is more difficult for people to get work.
"When you go abroad people always talk with such love about British theatre, but the irony is that it's not appreciated by the Government as it should be. The state of the arts has always been, and will always be, precarious. But there is something so alarming about the huge cuts made to companies, particularly when you read of the astronomical amounts some people are earning, like bankers."
Dame Judi, 75, who stars in the BBC's Cranford Christmas special, said that arts funding should be protected. "I mourn that there are so many repertory companies that aren't around any more," she added.
Her comments echo those of other leading figures in the arts who have complained the Olympics bill is eating up government subsidies.
Richard Pulford, from the Society of London Theatre, which represents theatre owners and managers, said in June that talks with the Government to tackle the massive backlog of repair work for West End venues had faltered because of "the baleful impact" of the Olympics.
The UK Film Council, which funds British films, faces a 15 per cent cut equating to £19.95 million in its lottery funding.
It has been told the money is being diverted to the Olympics.
