Gary Wilmot has recently secured a part in the popular BBC crime drama series Death in Paradise and is currently developing his own theatrical production, Whilst They Were Waiting, at London's Gatehouse Theatre, running from February 27 to March 22. According to Wales Online, Wilmot described television as struggling a little bit, noting that more people watched YouTube last year than the BBC. He has also questioned whether trigger warnings on old shows are 'going a bit woke', expressing discomfort with the trend.
According to Wales Online, Wilmot described things changing as evolution, making him feel a little uncomfortable but not bitter about it. His comments come amid broader debates in the industry. A new West End staging of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet has drawn criticism after potential ticket buyers were met with trigger warnings alerting them to themes of 'grief' and 'revenge'.
I don't see any harm in it but maybe we are getting a bit woke. It's a rough world out there, but you can argue that it is all going a little bit too far. We don't really need a nanny state but we do sometimes need guidance.
The production, directed by Robert Icke and featuring Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe, opened on March 17 at the Harold Pinter Theatre and runs until June. It remains unclear how widespread the practice of adding trigger warnings to older TV shows and theatrical productions is, or what the official response from networks like the BBC has been. Specific criticisms against the trigger warnings have not been detailed, and audience or industry reception to Wilmot's comments on 'woke' culture remains unconfirmed.
I suppose that TV is struggling a little bit. Like more people watched YouTube last year than they did the BBC, so that's a bit terrible really.
But it is evolution. I don't know if it's for the better or for the worse. There's a new norm for younger people coming and that's fine. Things do change, and it does make me feel a little uncomfortable but I'm not bitter about it. It's just evolution and it's just what happens.
Smaller venues are so important. The ones in areas where they don't have the finances to put big things together. But things don't always have to be big and marvellous.