Will Theatre Be Waving or Drowning in 2021?
When I wrote part 1 of this article (published early December), we were in Tier 2. Theatres were opening again, with socially-distanced performances. I looked back at 2020 with positivity, because we could look forward to 2021 with hope. There was light at the end of the tunnel. Sadly, that light was the oncoming train. At the time of writing, London is in the newly-created Tier 4. Performances (and Christmas) are cancelled, and you may well marvel at my previous naivety. Nevertheless, for this article, which focuses on what we can expect from theatres in 2021, I won’t just be typing ‘We’re doomed’ over and over. We do have some things to look forward to.
Firstly, it seems that digital will remain dominant, certainly for the first part of the year. Figures released by the Department of Health as I’m typing this suggest 44 more areas may go into Tier 4 - now tier 5. Venues such as Bristol Old Vic, the Minack in Cornwall and Liverpool Playhouse, that currently have live shows, may sadly be forced to close or switch back to online only-content.
The theatre creators and reviewers I spoke to agreed that the shift to online content in 2020 will permanently change the business model for theatres. While it will never replace live performance, audiences will now expect theatres to have a greater online offering.
Maryam Philpott, theatre critic with Reviews Hub and Cultural Capital, predicts that: “some of the bigger theatres are highly likely to launch streaming services of their recorded productions. Once live performances return, I think that theatres will continue to offer occasional live-streamed shows during the run. The Old Vic sold 30,000 tickets to their live streamed shows in 2020, so the demand has already been proven. I would be very surprised if theatres turned their back on this new way of widening their audience and gaining extra income.”
Her predictions are already being realised, with the National Theatre recently launching its own streaming service. Shakespeare’s Globe continues to add free and paid content to its Globe Player and, as mentioned in part 1, The Stratford Festival, in Ontario, Canada, launched their StratFest at Home streaming service earlier than planned due to lockdown. As Executive Director Anita Gaffney confirms: “We plan to continue to invest in our digital content even after audiences return to the theatre. We hope that the broader reach will lead to audiences from around the world considering a visit to Stratford when the conditions allow”.
However, it’s unlikely that smaller or unfunded companies will be able to follow suit. As Liam O’Brien, co-founder of Bottom Dog theatre company in Limerick, comments: “The larger regularly-funded companies will most likely be the ones to lead the way as they have resources that companies like us simply don’t have”. Are they planning more online shows in 2021? “For us, our next show, Gravity (A Love Story) is rescheduled to April and we’re just hoping we can stage it for an actual (live) audience.”
For smaller companies then, income from online shows may not be enough to support them in the long term. Jonathan Goodwin, co-founder of Don’t Go Into the Cellar theatre company, plans to continue with online broadcasts, as long as the income can keep the company afloat. “We’ll carry on at least until spring. I’ve been contacting venues, but many are not open to bookings, so we’re pushing any planned live performances until April or May. The uncertainty is the worst thing.”
Even if live performances can commence in spring, there may still be limitations on actor and audience numbers. 2020 saw many one- and two-hander plays, and I would expect this to continue. Dante or Die, a site-specific theatre company, had been expecting to launch their show Skin Hunger, based on the power of touch, in late 2020. The performance requires three (socially-distanced) audience members to participate in a one-on-one experience with an actor. Skin Hunger has been postponed for now, but is exactly the kind of show I would expect to see this year.
We may be in and out of lockdowns and different tiers for some time. Theatre needs to adapt to these conditions, with smaller, socially-distanced shows, but also with productions that reflect on our experiences of the pandemic in a subtle and imaginative way. Many isolated people couldn’t hug their loved ones during lockdown, something we took for granted until it was restricted. There will likely be many new plays, like Skin Hunger, discussing topics relevant to our Covid experiences.
The pandemic may also change the way we view the classics. In an article in the Guardian, Gregory Doran, Artistic Director at the RSC wrote that he now believes that living through the plague deeply effected Shakespeare and caused a change in tone in the later plays. Most notably, he argues, when Shakespeare changed the traditional happy ending of anonymous historical play, King Leir to a tragedy in his own version.
Therefore, 2021 may bring a reassessment of Shakespeare’s works in light of this theory. The Show Must Go Online (TSMGO), broadcast all of Shakespeare’s plays live on YouTube during 2020, with the actors performing from their own homes, via Zoom. TSMGO was created by Robert Myles, in response to the pandemic. As he explains: “Shakespeare is a global unifier, and is never better than in times of crisis. I believe this is because Shakespeare is fascinated by what it means to be human in extreme circumstances, whether it’s positions of great responsibility, moments of personal crisis, or all-out civil war”.
So we can expect more Shakespeare in 2021, as our own crisis continues. But what do TSMGO have planned now they have completed the Folio? “The Show Must Go Online will continue. It’s a very real dream that we will get to work with audiences in a shared space again, whether mounting some of our favourite TSMGO shows in theatres or working on entirely new pieces”. Like Bottom Dog, they are eager to get back to live, in-person performance.
One of the features of TSMGO that I enjoyed most, was the sense of connectivity I got from being a ‘Digital Groundling’, chatting about the production with other viewers via YouTube comments and social media. I felt connected to audience members and the company itself, becoming familiar with the actors and guest speakers. Even though theatres and their audiences could not physically meet during lockdown, theatre companies, whether digital or in permanent venues across the country, brought the community together. This will be vital during 2021, as we continue to depend on them for inspiration, entertainment and comfort.
The Chichester Festival Theatre had to cancel their entire season but quickly adapted by staging Sarah Kane’s Crave’s fantastic production. This was shown via live stream, but also to socially-distanced audiences before Covid restrictions limited the run. The company have always been deeply involved in the local community, and this increased during 2020. As Helena Jacques-Morton of the CFT says: “When we had to cancel the Festival productions , we were determined to continue to reach out to our community and offer ways for everyone to get creative from home.” This involved setting up an online Elders company, creating a family artwork trail and supplying art resource packs to schools and young carers.
They also supported the city in ways outside their theatrical remit:
Assisting Chichester Scrub Hub to produce over 600 sets of scrubs.
Giving medical staff access to their theatre accommodation.
Delivering meals with UK Harvest.
Lighting up Chichester cathedral to say thank you to the NHS.
CFT, in common with other regional theatres, is more than just a performance venue. They play a vital role supporting their local communities. In 2020, so many theatres, whether nationally-recognised institutions, local theatres or online companies without a permanent venue, have played this same role. They have kept us sane, educated our children, allowed us to have at-home ‘date nights’ and most of all, kept adapting and creating in what felt like a stagnant year.
My strongest prediction for 2021 is a fear: theatre won’t die, but theatres might. For the industry, the struggle to keep afloat is not over, and it could mean the end for many smaller companies and even some bigger ones. So please support your local theatre. Support your distant theatres. Support the rebels on the fringe and the creative geniuses reinterpreting the classics. Just please, please, please support theatre.
Written by Mel Coghlan
Mel Coghlan is a an exams organiser, event co-ordinator, sometime tour guide and spreadsheet queen from London. When not doing all of the above, she enjoys writing, theatre, wine drinking and anything that staves off anxiety. Mel finds talking about herself in the third person disconcerting, but oddly pleasing.