“The Show Must Go On.”
Live Broadcasting And The Future Of Theatre.
The Theatre. A sacred space for storytelling that’s pretty much existed since man could speak.
For a millennia, we’ve honored these spaces as a place to congregate as a society to celebrate the stories which have come to define us.
As a bridge for culture and change, our experiences in the theatre furthermore have the power to inform our overall perspective on life and each other.
By showcasing our similarities and differences collectively, there’s no denying the significance of such a time-honored tradition.
Yet as our society continues to battle the ongoing threats of Coronavirus, we’re left with little choice but to shut down our beloved theaters and suspend live performances in the interest of public health and safety.
This invariably means empty venues and more artists and craftsmen/women out of work.
So what do we do? How we can continue to honor the boundless gifts of live performance in a socially-distanced world? What does this mean for the future of theatre?
All very valid questions which I attempt to answer in this deep dive.
One thing’s for sure though…
“The Show Must Go On”
No, I’m not talking about the hit track from Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film adaption of ‘Moulin Rouge!’
But I am going to talk about how that particular sequence was filmed and how Luhrmann, twenty years before the coronavirus pandemic, offered us a glimpse of the new and exciting possibilities of live-stream theatre.
But what do we mean when we talk about live-stream theatre?
The Core Concept
Essentially, we’re talking about theatre performances being broadcast live in any home and territory around the world.
Let’s say a new show off-broadway, starring James McAvoy is playing at the the legendary Public Theatre in New York City for a 30-day run. Audience members would still be able to purchase e-tickets set for a specific date and time despite not being in physical attendance.
Now, if only for the sole purpose of driving up demand and establishing a more exclusive viewer experience, each e-ticket would come with its own code that limits access to the show to that pre-determined date and time. (Much like a traditional theatre going experience).
Exclusive broadcast rights would go to the highest bidder (ie. Netflix, Amazon, HBOMax, etc.)
The Benefits
It doesn’t really take much to see the potential for such a hybrid approach to storytelling.
From fully utilizing what would alternatively be empty venues and stages to accessing a global audience, we can truly begin to challenge how we tell and share stories in a post-pandemic world.
But the primary benefit in my opinion is putting our talent and craftspeople back to work again. By combining the best of theatre production with live broadcasting, we can begin to reimagine both theatre and cinema respectively and in the process, create something entirely its own.
The Birth Of An Art Form
I find that the overall concept of merging theatre and broadcasting preserves all the aspects of theatre which we, as an audience know and love while expanding it’s viewership beyond Broadway or London’s West End.
As an example to this, I look to the National Theatre (NTLive) in London as a leader in this bold, emerging space. But none of what we’ve discussed so far is necessarily new.
On May 16, 2013 the NT Live broadcast of This House played to 45,000 people in cinemas around the UK. That’s equivalent to selling out the National’s main auditorium for more than five weeks solid. Another 20,000 watched overseas. More will follow with encore screenings. Since the first such broadcast in 2009 — when Helen Mirren’s Phèdre was seen by 50,000 people worldwide — NT Live has achieved a total audience of 1.3 million.
Parting Thoughts
As a writer/producer in my own right, I’m constantly trying to push the boundaries of what’s possible in storytelling.
Even more so now that we find ourselves under the constant threat of lockdown and quarantine mandates.
I certainly look forward to what the future holds as well playing my part to help shape it.
Thanks so much for reading!
Thoughts, questions, comments? Let’s chat!
The National Theatre Live is an initiative operated by the Royal National Theatre in London, which broadcasts live via satellite, performances of their productions to cinemas and arts centers around the world.
For Ticketing & More information visit www.ntlive.com
