Media: Despite the Teletubby onslaught, the bard still reigns in Stratford
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Your support makes all the difference.Two weeks ago the Radio Times declared that the Tubbies were bigger than Shakespeare while The Sun has reported queues down the street outside the Stratford-on-Avon shop of Teletubby creators Ragdoll Productions. The tubby tourism stories have been aided by a comment from Warwickshire's tourism director that the town is getting more Tubbytourists than lovers of the Bard.
But on a damp Tuesday morning last week, Stratford-on-Avon still looked very much like a town doing better from its Elizabethan past than its aerial-head present.
"Oh no, no. They're not bigger than Shakespeare," said a woman d'un certain age in the tourist information office. "It's only been the last few weeks people have been asking for the shop. I blame you lot. The papers," she said. "I'll give you a leaflet for the shop and sell you a map for 20p." In Bridge Street it was the same story. "Tellybloody what?" said Mr Singh, a taxi driver from Coventry. I bring people here every day for the Swan Theatre and the birthplace. No one's ever mentioned Tellytubbies to me."
In The Encore pub someone had at last heard of them. He was about 20, had a blonde ponytail and possessed a detailed knowledge of children's television: "They're not as good as Rosie and Jim," said Martin Hicks. "They have a Rosie and Jim canal boat on the Avon in the summer and that's a big attraction." Rosie and Jim are another creation of Ragdoll Productions. "I suppose they would be as big as Shakespeare if you put them on the stage of the Swan," added Mr Hicks. "And I dare say they would probably make a bit more sense than most Shakespeare."
On the streets the identifiable tourists were mainly Japanese, American and Australian; poor souls who have no idea what's about to hit them now that the BBC has sold the overseas rights to Teletubbies. The Encore has a special children-friendly section traitorously called the Mr Men Bar, complete with a Mr Men Menu of kid's dishes. The manager is happy to confirm that there are no plans at present to turn it into a Tellytubby Bar. And no they don't sell Tubbycustard or Tubbytoast.
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