Tibbie Dunbar wrote:
scunnert wrote:


Our audiences are aging and dying off and not being replaced by younger "bums in seats". Too much competition from cinema, DVD's, television, and game cubes. Theatre must seem awfully dull to the young. To have to listen to dialogue for a couple of hours? How tedious!

I think theatre is popular with youngsters around here, scunnert. Two of our local theatres produce or stage productions specifically for young people particularly during school holidays. They also produce packs for schools that link performances to the curriculum and key stages and they don't have to go all through the palaver of getting a load of youngsters to the theatre; the group will actually go out to schools to perform.

We also have a number of Arts Centres throughout Hampshire that get youngsters involved in theatre production. Along with Youth theatre and Drama clubs for different age groups, they also run workshops on music, dance, set design, and even a 'How to Audition' workshop.

I would say theatre is pretty healthy in Hampshire

Well it seems to be alive in your area - I'm jealous.

Don't get me wrong - we do a lot to encourage kids to get involved. We have really fine drama departments in the local high schools here - each complete with a fully functioning "little theatre" that seat a couple of hundred - and they do very well in the Sears Drama Festival. tinyurl.com/6o6clj

In addition one of my theatre groups holds workshops in all aspects of theatre and summer camps as well. We also stage a couple of shows a year with large casts of kids (a guaranteed way to get bums in seats). For sure, there is no shortage of kids wanting to get on the stage (and work backstage) - the shortage is in young adults coming to see shows.

Our theatre seats about 750 and twenty years ago we would sell out most shows. Now a good night is 3 - 400. However, if it's a musical with lots of kids we'll sell out - but it's family and friends who will only turn up if their son or daughter is on stage. These are the shows that make us financially viable and underwrite the other shows that lose money.

I don't think we'll last another twenty years at this rate. We're losing about 15 - 20 from our audience per year.