Government-subsidized drama is not exactly new to Britain. The idea of a National Theatre dates back to the 1840's, and from the early days of the Second World War a steady trickle of Treasury money has gone to the theatre. The wartime organization that controlled these grants (the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts) and its present successor (the Arts Council) both gave their main attention to helping worthy companies in the provinces; their funds were meagre. What has happened in the past six years is that the claims of London have at last been recognized and there is now a good deal more money than there used to be. These two things have transfigured the theatrical landscape.