"Life is pandemonium!" - COVID-19 and Theatre

INTRODUCTION:

COVID-19 wrecked havoc across the world impacting sector after sector. When stuck inside, there was not much else to do except fall into the trusting arms of the arts. Despite the arts industry becoming the natural form of escapism for the past 2 years, it was apparent that the way the industry was treated by others may not have been the greatest. Regardless, the day the theatres and other entertainment venues were allowed to reopen was a blessing for many and they wanted to relish in the moment of hearing a live overture once more. But can it be said that attitudes regarding theatre etiquette, new productions etc. have changed since pre-pandemic?

When the curtains finally rose, the lights on the marquees turned on; once again, it brought a new wave of life to the West End, albeit with some changes. Nevertheless, despite smiles and laughter being dampened by face coverings and some audiences slightly smaller due to social distancing regulations, it was still great to see people back and keeping the industry alive.

Audiences: First Impressions

It is fair to say that without audiences, shows will not be able to run. Naturally, the audience‘s ticket sales are the ones that help to bring in a profit to a production. However, since the theatres reopened it can also be said that audiences attitudes have changed (both negatively and positively) but what impact did this have on the reopening of the industry?

Certain avid theatregoers, much like myself, were itching to get themselves back in the velvet seats, and the new COVID restrictions were not going to stand in our way! The ecstatic feeling of being back in an auditorium once more and being able to watch live theatre again was unmatched but along with the theatres reopening, it brought a new type of theatre crowd to the mix. Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to experience live theatre for the first time or being over-excited to be back after being stuck inside for nearly 2 years, but recently there seems to be something in the water with certain audiences and their attitudes.

“Theatre Twitter” has seemed to be the first place to hear about the audience's behaviour since reopening, with both patrons, and performers alike sharing their thoughts on the matter in great detail. I understand that there is this form of stigma around theatre and those “privileged” few who attend, the so-called “common sense” for theatre etiquette some audiences might not be so familiar with.

I have both witnessed/experienced these audiences first hand. Now it should go without saying that it is not all patrons! It is becoming very easy nowadays to generalise bad instances/behaviours to a whole audience of a thousand plus people, when it is the 1% who decide to make the wrong choice. Most of the audience have been grateful and understanding regarding their experience at a venue and sometimes even making the Front of House staff’s job that little bit easier.

Regardless of what happens on either side of the curtain, one thing is for certain, it is good to be back!

New Theatre: New Future

During the pandemic, it became even more apparent that theatre had become so much more than simply a show on stage. With the rise in adaptations, revivals and streamed performances, to a certain extent theatre has become more accessible to wider audiences.

Despite streamed and televised pro shot versions of productions, there is still a fair amount of limitation to how far these productions will reach as some streaming platforms still require some sort of fee to access their content; whether that be a subscription to a streaming service (Disney+) or a one off payment for an e-ticket/streaming link (Stream.Theatre). Although a production company makes an effort to provide accessibility to a wider audience, there will unfortunately be some form of limitation. Nevertheless, the effort is being made by theatre companies, and they should be commended for this!

Like many things in the industry, there is still a long way to go to accommodate those who need it.

During the pandemic, many found comfort in TikTok and used this to their advantage. Utilising the short viral video platform as a creative outlet, a trial run, you could say, of their new material. This method, against all odds, has been a great success with the streaming of the Ratatouille musical and the Grammy award-winning Unauthorised Bridgerton Musical - both great successes of the famous social media platform. Theatre seems to be stepping away from the traditional studio trial setting and moving towards more of an independent backing and a cult following on social media to help promote/support upcoming creatives work.

But is this necessarily a bad thing?

I have to argue, not really. If anything it is slightly easier to get work out there and to also find a further creative team or even a cast through the duet feature or from other users applying their sound to another’s video. On my ’For You Page‘ there are always other users demonstrating their creative abilities, from choreography to scenic and set design. Overall, TikTok continues to be a new platform for theatre creatives to use and will continue to grow their work.

Swings and Understudies: The New Superhero's?

It is a must that without the swings, understudies, and standbys have been (and always have been) the saviours of the theatre realm. Even more so in recent years, with COVID taking down cast members. It definitely has been "swings'' and roundabouts for them and as per deserve all the recognition and praise for their work.

Even more-so, recently, these roles in the industry are being acknowledged for the amount of effort and quick changes they are put through. JJ Neiman (Book of Mormon, Broadway) has been open in their challenges with being a swing on Broadway and taking us through his process of learning each track via social media platforms giving their audience an insight into the daily workload.

The efforts made by performers and creatives alike to keep a show on its feet truly shows the dedication and quick adaptability of those in the industry. Although the praise is more there, it’s always interesting to see different interpretations of characters and that actor‘s take on a role. It allows audiences to see another side to the characters that we all know and love, to see humour that wasn’t normally there, or the see-another moment of vulnerability; all of which makes these characters that little more “real” (... and this is just the acting side of things).

Nevertheless, the swings, covers, understudies and stand-by’s of the theatre world have once again dominated the performance game.

The Finale

There’s so much to comment on when it comes down to the nitty gritty on the impact of the pandemic on theatre. That’s not to argue that the work continues as the lingering impact of the pandemic and support from external factors still are needed. Cyber does not fit the bill for many...

But with all that’s said and done, the pandemic certainly had an impact across the board. On the surface level, the effect the pandemic had on the entertainment industry has left a bittersweet taste in the mouths of theatre-goers and creatives alike. But the one thing that can be agreed upon is the efforts made and the work, from all sectors, that has gone into getting the theatre its rightful standing ovation again!