A Festive Audience for a Festive Performance
Artwork created by South West based artist Helen Williams
Over Christmas I went to three festively themed productions across the South West. It was quite unusual to start the festive theatre season with a Pantomime, in November – oh yes it was (sorry I couldn’t help myself). It was a traditional panto production of Cinderella, including singing, audience participation, a large cartoon-like set and the odd recognisable face from UK soap operas and it took place at the Barnfield Theatre in Exeter.
Now I have a bit of a love hate relationship with pantomimes. In regards to my artistically critical perception I don’t like them. But, as I sat there I realised there are just as many parts to a panto that I enjoy as much as I don’t. For example, the balance of humour that makes the performance enjoyable for all ages, the way the actors don’t take themselves totally serious and are having just as much fun as the children, and the way that it inevitably does make me feel very festive. So I had a decision to make, I could sit there for around two hours and not enjoy myself or I could put that critical eye to the back of my mind and get fully involved and participate. I choose the later and convinced the person I was with to do the same. We left having laughed so much our cheeks hurt (mainly from laughing at ourselves) and with a great feeling that Christmas was on its way.
The second performance I saw was an alternative Christmas show in the studio at Bristol Old Vic. Quite different from the pantomime this was a piece of theatre that was brought to life by five actors who remained sat behind a table with only spot lights, sound effects and table microphones to aid their story telling of a boy who met and helped a Santa like figure on a council estate. The production was by Sleepdogs and called ‘The Morpeth Carol’. The story was told by an adult male character that was remembering his encounter with a strange clocked man on Christmas Eve when he was a boy. To an innocent, festive mind the boy was helping Santa deliver his presents and return to his land. But to a cynical mind the boy had been taken onto the moors on Christmas Eve by a strange man who’d been seen causing acts of violence. Of which made me question my cheerful emotion as I witnessed a beautiful piece of storytelling.
The final production I saw was at the Tobacco Factory Theatre, which was a collaboration between the theatre itself and Travelling Light. This was another production of Cinderella but this time the mainstream pantomime antics had been replaced with the original story of Ella that slept in the cinders of the fire. There was only one scene where I witnessed a cross-dressed sibling and instead of the audience singing along, there was a live band. It was an utterly beautiful production of puppetry, storytelling, comedy, music and gruesome behaviour.
Having seen three very different festive productions there was one thing that all of them confirmed for me, which is during Christmas theatre’s come alive with an audience of all segments, generations and genders. The activity of going to the theatre over Christmas is part of many individuals, groups and families’ festive occasion and celebrating. It made me wonder whether there is another time of year when the target and catchment for audiences are quite as wide. Or is it an acumination of facts that bring such a diverse audience to Christmas shows – one being that they trust the production will be suitable for all ages, two that they will have fun and three that it is a way to celebrate together.
So how then do we, as a sector, develop our engagement with the audiences to Christmas shows that may not attend theatre throughout the rest of the year? How do we retain their interest and provide opportunities to further engage as a group or an individual? But also, are Christmas audiences that much different to our audiences throughout the rest of the year, or is it just a chance occasion when all of the different visiting segmentations of audiences come together to enjoy theatrical entertainment?
Bristol Old Vic’s production of ‘Treasure Island’ back in the summer of 2011 proved that appropriate seasonal programming could attract a diverse audience which had similarities to that during the Christmas period. (You can read a blog about Treasure Island that I wrote here ).
So it’s not impossible and with the right understanding of who your audiences are, both existing and potential, thematic programming can be created and designed to provide ongoing opportunities throughout the year for the whole family to attend and be entertained.
Remember, theatre is not just for Christmas.
