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Like many people, I have been reflecting a lot during the Covid-19 pandemic. Reflecting on what I enjoy and why I enjoy it. With the majority of theatres physically closed since March 2020, it has given me the time to think about what makes seeing theatre so enjoyable? For me it is really hard to put my finger on because for as long as I can remember theatre has been my passion and it’s something I can’t really put into words. Theatre has the power to transform, educate, inspire and escape you from your everyday. It’s ability to adapt to the times, reflect shifting social and cultural attitudes as well as trying to understand our past has meant it is still as relevant today as it has always been. In this article I wanted to shine a light on unique theatre experiences over the last few months that have bridged the gap between the live and digital spaces.
I took part in Rider Spoke by Blast Theory who are a company based in Brighton in the UK. Rider Spoke came to Newbury for three days between Friday 4 and Sunday 6 June. The show was a bike ride around the streets of Newbury where you were guided by a smartphone app and headphones and at intervals you were prompted to record and share your responses to the provocations. The show originally premiered in 2007 and had been reconfigured to conform with social distancing guidelines. You can find out more about the show here. I found the experience humbling and insightful because it was a tailored experience to my physical journey that I was going on. The ride also enabled me to visit places in Newbury that I had never been before in the time that I have been working in the area. The show made me think of another performance which enabled me to see different parts of a city that I thought I was familiar with and that was Fortnight by Proto-Type Theatre. In both performances the personal connection between the audience member and the location gave pause for reflection and thought.
The performance tells the story of two climbers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates whose descent of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes runs into difficulties and becomes a battle for survival. What impressed me the most was that the live stream itself was cinematic and not only captured the scale and scope of the production but made it a unique and compelling watch. Watching the show at home, I didn’t feel that I was missing out on anything and that it felt that the in person and at home audience was altogether as one.
Originally a stage show that played to audiences in person, Mischief Movie Night is presented by the company behind the critically acclaimed shows The Play that Goes Wrong, The Comedy about a Bank Robbery and the BBC television series The Goes Wrong Show. The premise is simple, each show is an entirely improvised movie made of audience suggestions and performed by an ensemble cast. I watched it on a gloomy January night and it was the just tonic I needed. It’s hilarious and gloriously silly. The ‘director’ makes direct addresses to the audience throughout and makes the experience feel as you are watching it with a group of friends. The company has announced that the show will be returning in the summer of 2021 and I implore you to watch it, Mischief are one of the finest comedy companies around.
Throughout lockdown I have had many of these moments whether it be from finding it on social media to spending time trawling through podcast services to find the next podcast. The Quake was one of those happy discovery moments. It is a drama podcast based around a fictional earth quake and the digital response that unfold, you can listen to each episode in any order and each episode features a different character and their involvement in the story. It was gripping from start to finish and I love the animations that accompany each episode. You can find out more and listen to the entire series here. Letter to My Father by Brooklyn based company M-34 was a similar moment of discovery. I found it when I was looking at EventBrite and it came up as a suggested event. In the performance, actor Michael Guagno reads aloud Franz Kafka’s text ‘Letter to My Father’ into a camera feed which the audience watch virtually. The audience have a choice of 3 camera feeds, imagine you are a security guard watching surveillance cameras and you have the effect. The feeling of watching someone divulge their inner feelings felt very personal and in some ways unnerving because it felt as if you were intruding on their personal space. It was utterly gripping though and again, the role of audience was not altogether passive, it was interacting with a device which we have become overly familiar with over the course of lockdown (our phone) but looking to use it in a new way. You can find out more about the show here.
It is wonderful to be able to watch theatre shows in person again having spent many months watching or listening to things virtually but we mustn’t feel as if we have to revert back to things as they were before. We have shown that in the midst of intense adversity and challenges we have risen to it with determination and belief that has produced amazing results and new ways of working. Digital as a concept has broadened our abilities to engage audiences meaning work can be presented outside the boundaries of the theatre building.
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Experienced Theatre professional with a demonstrated history of working in the performing arts industry. Skilled in marketing, event management, presenting, workshop leading and working with young people.
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