A 40 per cent tax offset for live theatre sounds like a win for Australian culture. It is more likely to be a win for whoever is already staging The Lion King.In a nightmare couple of weeks for Australian theatre, award-winning commercial productions have cancelled national tours before stepping foot beyond their city of origin. As Waitress and Beetlejuice call it quits just days apart, creatives have begun mourning Australia’s “dying industry”, renewing sentiment that federal support is the only viable lifeline.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles