Theatre has been an integral part of society for millennia, with its origins dating back as long ago as the 5th century in Ancient Greece. The coronavirus pandemic has seen theatres and playhouses struggle financially and at times their futures have seemed uncertain. However, a recent announcement by UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has seen a £1.57 billion lifeline handed out for Britain’s cultural sector including theatres, arts venues and museums. In this article the future of theatre will be discussed, as well as how it will adapt after covid-19 and critically, why it is still a fundamental part of our society today.
My interest in drama and theatre was sparked when I auditioned for a role in the year 9 play at my school- ‘Robin Hood’. I had no prior acting experience but I was cast as Little John and loved every minute of it- I enjoyed it so much that I even picked to do GCSE drama in year 10 and 11. Over the last two years, I was in two ‘devised’ plays- ‘Detained’, about bullying in schools and ‘Two Worlds’, a dystopian future about social inequality. Additionally I did a monologue and duologue from Greek theatre and was part of wider school musicals ‘Grease’ and ‘Sister Act’. I was also starting a LAMDA award just prior to schools shutting down.
I have been incredibly lucky to be able to do all of this, and it has given me so many great experiences and skills I wouldn’t otherwise have. I’ve acquired more confidence, interpersonal skills, cultural knowledge and teamwork abilities and this is just the start of what drama has given me. I know my classmates will feel similar to me and we were incredibly lucky to have a top class drama teacher, who, with colleagues is increasing interest in drama exponentially at my school. This is why I feel theatre is so important and an aspect of society we must grow and preserve.
With technology, we are now able to watch recorded performances online. Some websites such as ‘Digital Theatre’ charge a premium to watch their drama, whilst the lockdown has seen the National Theatre upload filmed plays to YouTube for free. I have watched nearly all of these, and the quality and diversity of the plays has been excellent. Some of my personal favourites include Shakespeare plays such as Antony and Cleopatra, Twelfth Night and Coriolanus, modern plays like A Streetcar Named Desire and This House and historical ones such as The Madness of George III, Les Blancs and Small Island. Watching these has allowed me to experience stories and parts of history that I previously didn’t know about- theatre is not only entertaining but educating as well. This is another key reason why we should preserve theatre and drama- it allows stories to be told in special ways.
For example, I recently watched ‘Les Blancs’ by Lorraine Hansberry. The title means ‘the Whites’ and the play is about an colonised African country bordering on civil war and how the colonists have affected their lives. Watching this on stage was incredibly powerful and moving and seeing the pain and struggle the African natives experienced really hit home how ingrained racism is in our history and our society. The way theatre can do this is unparalleled and it’s power is immense- the play made us feel as if we were actually there and think about what we should do to help. Hundreds of thousands of people watched this, which leads me on to my next point- how theatre should adapt to the 21st century.
National Theatre at Home should continue, at least in a different form because it has allowed a series of incredible plays to reach audiences it would never in normal times. The impact these performances has had on me is huge and I’m sure I speak for many other theatre lovers when I say this. If theatres are to survive, a widespread online performance streaming service should be set up so the experience we’ve enjoyed over the last few months can continue. When the doors eventually reopen, only a small portion of the massive online viewership NT at Home has had will actually be able to visit- this needs to change.
Unfortunately, the National Theatre has confirmed the free YouTube performances will conclude in a few weeks. This is hugely disappointing news to many people around the world, who as previously mentioned, will not be able to return. The covid-19 lockdown period has shown how much interest there still is in theatre and the arts. This opportunity to expand the popularity of drama and theatre should not be wasted.
**if you have also been watching these performances/ will be watching them please consider making a donation to the National Theatre (click the link below)
Another interesting read Harry thank you – hadn’t realised you’ve been involved in a Grease production too -that is a great show. I agree with you about keeping NT live streaming to bring theatre to a much wider audience – I’ve been to a few of their live screenings in local theatres, but there must be many people who would benefit if it was also available to watch on-line. Glad you’ve alerted me to it coming to an end – I have a lot of catching up to do before it ends!