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Post by smithfield on Jul 11, 2024 11:38:42 GMT
This question is similar to one I asked about the Jermyn Street and Orange Tree theatres. How would you characterise the audience, aspirations, and artistic visions of the CFT and the Theatre Royal Bath (including the Ustinov)?
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Post by Jon on Jul 11, 2024 12:02:24 GMT
The short answer for CFT and Bath is old.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 11, 2024 12:31:06 GMT
As Chichester is very commercial driven i would say its audience is pedestrian
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Post by danb on Jul 11, 2024 15:43:30 GMT
Bath is great for smaller touring productions as stuff ends up looking impressive on the stage & the energy of the auditorium is amped up. ‘Six’ was particularly impressive in there. As for their original output; I only really have ‘Into The Woods’ to go by. It is a beautiful theatre near to restaurants etc and a ten minute walk from the station. The audiences matched the individual shows rather than a Bath ‘type’ when I have visited.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 11, 2024 21:44:13 GMT
It is very rare you get a standing ovation in both locations and there is a very good reason for that.
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Post by alicechallice on Jul 11, 2024 22:46:58 GMT
Can I just see if I get any support on calling time on the amount of blatant age-ism that is creeping into various discussions on here regarding regional theatre?
I've seen two shows at CFT today and both attracted a diverse audience age-wise.
There's a sense of elitism that comes with there being such a London-centric population on here & it comes across as deeply unpleasant sometimes.
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Post by danb on Jul 12, 2024 10:02:14 GMT
Can I just see if I get any support on calling time on the amount of blatant age-ism that is creeping into various discussions on here regarding regional theatre? I've seen two shows at CFT today and both attracted a diverse audience age-wise. There's a sense of elitism that comes with there being such a London-centric population on here & it comes across as deeply unpleasant sometimes. Quite! I’m can’t comment on Chichester as I’ve only been once and that audience was a ‘South Pacific’ audience as opposed to a Chichester one I would say. My then 19 year old son definitely felt like the youngest person there on that midweek matinee. But Bath has a diverse spread of uni students, well off retirees, arts lovers, and folks from the numerous deprived estates on its outskirts all enjoying themselves. BANES are doing their utmost to keep cars out of the city so public transport is king (without being in any way resplendent). I would expect this to become an issue for attendance soon if they get their way. I can get there and back on the train from Weston in the week, but not at the weekend.
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Post by smithfield on Jul 13, 2024 11:44:57 GMT
Can I just see if I get any support on calling time on the amount of blatant age-ism that is creeping into various discussions on here regarding regional theatre? I've seen two shows at CFT today and both attracted a diverse audience age-wise. There's a sense of elitism that comes with there being such a London-centric population on here & it comes across as deeply unpleasant sometimes. Because I initiated this discussion I was initially reluctant to join in support of your comment--but you are so correct and I am so glad you spoke up. I have been to theatres in London--including the more cutting-edge venues such as the Donmar, the Arcola, the Almeida, Southwark Playhouse, the Park Theatre, Finsborough Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith, the Bush, the Hamstead, the Old and Young Vic--and by and large the audiences are middle-aged and middle-aged-plus. In pursuit of the right-on young people, too many theatres show contempt for their core audience. The "old" theatregoers of today were the theatregoers in the radical and innovative theatre of the 1960s and '70s. They know a thing or two and their taste and critical discrimination has been refined by decades of theatregoing.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Jul 13, 2024 11:48:09 GMT
The amount of ageism on this board never ceases to amaze me, usually from the same people. If this was racism or homophobia the threads would be shut down quickly.
To be honest even the original post has undertones of encouraging ageism
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Post by ceebee on Jul 13, 2024 13:00:57 GMT
It is very rare you get a standing ovation in both locations and there is a very good reason for that. Standing ovation last night at Oliver for what was a good but not outstanding production.
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Post by Talisman on Jul 13, 2024 14:03:23 GMT
It is very rare you get a standing ovation in both locations and there is a very good reason for that. Standing ovation last night at Oliver for what was a good but not outstanding production.
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Post by Talisman on Jul 13, 2024 14:03:45 GMT
Standing ovation last night at Oliver for what was a good but not outstanding production. This often says as much about nature of audience as it does about production.
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Post by smithfield on Jul 14, 2024 4:25:53 GMT
The amount of ageism on this board never ceases to amaze me, usually from the same people. If this was racism or homophobia the threads would be shut down quickly. To be honest even the original post has undertones of encouraging ageism I wrote the original post and I was not encouraging ageism. I'm d'un certain age.
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Post by kit66 on Jul 14, 2024 7:36:00 GMT
The amount of ageism on this board never ceases to amaze me, usually from the same people. If this was racism or homophobia the threads would be shut down quickly. My thoughts exactly!👍
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Post by PineappleForYou on Jul 14, 2024 19:43:15 GMT
I don't think it is untrue or ageist to point out that Chichester's main demograph is older theatre goers. There is nothing wrong with that. That's its bread and butter. It's not a mistake that their summer show is generally a safe classic musical that grandparents can take their grandkids to. The line of buses to pick up the pensioner tours after a show is evident to that business model. Chichester does them well though and their audience still want a solid production rather than something reheated.
I do think it might be changing though. The new regime's season certainly feels like they are less targeting a older demograph. But Assassins last year shows that less traditional material doesn't particularly sell in the main festival theatre as that was half empty.
I'm lucky enough to still make use of the Prologue ticket scheme for under 30s and I have never been to a show at Chichester where all the Prologue tickets have been taken. The theatre is next to a university so it's obviously not hitting this demograph.
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Post by smithfield on Jul 16, 2024 13:28:27 GMT
I don't think it is untrue or ageist to point out that Chichester's main demograph is older theatre goers. There is nothing wrong with that. That's its bread and butter. It's not a mistake that their summer show is generally a safe classic musical that grandparents can take their grandkids to. The line of buses to pick up the pensioner tours after a show is evident to that business model. Chichester does them well though and their audience still want a solid production rather than something reheated. I do think it might be changing though. The new regime's season certainly feels like they are less targeting a older demograph. But Assassins last year shows that less traditional material doesn't particularly sell in the main festival theatre as that was half empty. I'm lucky enough to still make use of the Prologue ticket scheme for under 30s and I have never been to a show at Chichester where all the Prologue tickets have been taken. The theatre is next to a university so it's obviously not hitting this demograph. I think if you read some of the comments you will detect a nasty streak in talking about the demographics.
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Post by SilverFox on Jul 16, 2024 14:42:02 GMT
I think that the average age of the audience will vary from theatre to theatre, but with a very broad brush, theatre-goers have generally been of the older demographic (I am a poor old pensioner - sob - myself), but when I started theatre-going many decades ago I thought then how old everyone (else) was. It is possibly partially down to students etc giving up on theatre due to family / babysitter / financial constraints, but returning later in life. There have been countless scare stories of how when "this" generation die out, then theatre will vanish - yet somehow it struggles on! I almost always prefer to see something new, or a new take on an older show, but my main worry is that there are fewer routes for advancement amongst the writers and practitioners now than there used to be. Many theatres cannot afford to take risks, and those that do find meagre take-ups on small scale successes - eg Operation Mincemeat. The bean counters have triumphed. I am sure that some of the smaller theatres in Bath will cater primarily for younger audiences, and I don't just mean the Egg.
I saw an excellent, re-imagined, tour of Oh! What a Lovely War recently at a private school venue. Before going, I was horrified at the poor ticket sales, but on the night there were numerous students, out-numbering the wrinklies (I am one, I can say that). No idea if there were on comps or not, but they were plainly sitting in areas not sold according to the online plan earlier in the day. The demographic there on that night was definitely young, but it was the oldies who had prebooked.
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Post by Jon on Jul 16, 2024 14:52:38 GMT
Theatre will never vanish or die, it's been going for 1000s of years and then some.
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jul 17, 2024 6:27:03 GMT
The amount of ageism on this board never ceases to amaze me, usually from the same people. If this was racism or homophobia the threads would be shut down quickly. To be honest even the original post has undertones of encouraging ageism That’s what I love about going to Chichester. It is why Chichester is so endearing for me
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Post by Jan on Jul 17, 2024 6:52:18 GMT
Theatre will never vanish or die, it's been going for 1000s of years and then some. Correct - that's why I think it's odd for some theatres to perpetually target younger audiences, that is a very modern idea from the last 30 years or so, which theatre has managed fine without for centuries. "But where will the next generation of theatregoers come from ?" they say. The same place they have always come from without such interventions. Also if you always target younger audiences you will lose them at the same rate you gain them. I'd be interested to see the detailed figures for theatres running big under-30s discounts as to how many they retain when they are over 30.
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Post by claireyfairy1 on Jul 17, 2024 7:55:03 GMT
I think the reason is the funding models of theatre these days. Theatre has become more and more expensive, locking out a significant portion of the population, including young people who generally have less disposable income. With the steep ticket price increases coupled with the unstable economy that has impacted young people in particular ways (housing, tuition fees, etc), we will see fewer young people attending theatre. Add that in with the cuts to arts in education - fewer school trips to the theatre, no drama in schools, etc - and we're seeing a potential huge impact on the demographic of future theatre goers.
Will theatre as a concept die? Nope. Will individual theatres suffer? Yes. Will the commercial viability of theatre be maintained? Less sure. We will likely, as a result (and we're seeing a lot of it already), see more commercial productions based on films and TV shows and other media, stunt casting in mediocre shows, and be left with little opportunity for new writing, experimental and diverse storytelling, risky and controversial shows, to be made and seen widely. Theatre has the potential to lose its power as a medium tbh.
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Post by Jon on Jul 17, 2024 16:10:41 GMT
I think the reason is the funding models of theatre these days. Theatre has become more and more expensive, locking out a significant portion of the population, including young people who generally have less disposable income. With the steep ticket price increases coupled with the unstable economy that has impacted young people in particular ways (housing, tuition fees, etc), we will see fewer young people attending theatre. Add that in with the cuts to arts in education - fewer school trips to the theatre, no drama in schools, etc - and we're seeing a potential huge impact on the demographic of future theatre goers. Will theatre as a concept die? Nope. Will individual theatres suffer? Yes. Will the commercial viability of theatre be maintained? Less sure. We will likely, as a result (and we're seeing a lot of it already), see more commercial productions based on films and TV shows and other media, stunt casting in mediocre shows, and be left with little opportunity for new writing, experimental and diverse storytelling, risky and controversial shows, to be made and seen widely. Theatre has the potential to lose its power as a medium tbh. Theatre will never lose its power and new writing will always be a thing because you can't just have revivals and adaptations. Theatre's USP is the fact it's live and that what gives it a huge advantage over TV and film.
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Post by claireyfairy1 on Jul 18, 2024 15:28:05 GMT
If you speak to any playwrights these days, unless you're James Graham, getting a new play into the west end that isn't based on a book or film or tv is very very hard. Most playwrights are turning to tv to get money and we are losing exceptional talent.
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