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The Future of Theatre Lies in the Cheap Seats
Dateline: 22nd September, 2002
So, famously, said Peter Brook, and he was quite right.
Let's forget musicals, ballet and opera for the moment, for different
criteria apply there, and look purely at straight theatre. What is the
audience? I have no doubt that individual theatres keep demographic
statistics about their audiences, but they are not released to the public,
nor are there, to my knowledge, any relevant national statistics, so
the best we can do is rely on anecdotal evidence.
Think of the last time you were in a theatre to see a play - preferably
not a West End theatre but a local or regional professional theatre,
either a receiving or a producing house. Who made up the bulk of the
audience? Middle-aged or older? Middle-class?
There'd be a small percentage who were students (concessionary tickets),
some school parties (if the play was one which is studied in school
- also concessions), a considerable number of retired people (also concessions),
but the bulk of those paying full price would be over forties.
Why? Because in the two decades from twenty to forty most people are
too financially committed to mortgages and children to be able to afford
full-price theatre tickets. We should not be considering household income
but disposable income. If you're committed to hundreds each month
in mortgage payments; if the kids need school uniforms and equipment,
trendy casual clothes, shoes, money for CDs, videos or DVDs, school
trips, dance classes, music lessons, holidays; if you need to spend
time and money ferrying them around; if you have payments on the car,
the new kitchen or bathroom, then - unless you are very well off - your
disposable income is small and theatre tickets come low on your list
of priorities.
They'll go to the cinema which, although a lot more expensive than
it used to be, is still a lot cheaper than the theatre - and, as one
who spent last night at the cinema, a damned sight more comfortable
too!
The government has attached a lot of importance to making theatre accessible
financially to the young; money has been spent on attracting young audiences
to theatre. These initiatives may even work, but then we lose them for
two decades of their lives. Will they come back?
Some will, but a lot don't. And isn't it better to have a full house
at half price than a half house at full price?
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