The show must go on as they say, but can it? Bringing the Audience to the Theatre took a U-turn during the pandemic leaving communications staff with the new strategy of bringing the theatre to the audience.

Theatres were probably one of the worst-hit entertainment industries during the covid pandemic. Whilst similar entertainment venues like cinema had the option of between lockdowns when restrictions relaxed, to reduce the capacity of their audience and show more films throughout the day to increase their revenue. This was not an option for theatre.

It was not sustainable for theatres to produce numerous shows a day both for practical and financial reasons. This led to a new approach in their marketing strategy by bringing the performance to the audience through online platforms, social media sites, radio, and television.

An increase in the use of the internet during the pandemic helped communications staff to target audiences using digital devices. They used email marketing to help maintain loyalty with their customers and to connect to their social media platforms which became a crucial means of embracing and communicating with their audience.

Taking matters even further The Royal Shakespeare Company in London became the pioneer for a Virtual Interactive Play. Actors wear sensors that create their body movements into an animation. Using mobile or computer devices the audience could become a virtual part of the play such as a firefly with other audience members being one of the thousands of other fireflies.

Being adaptable became a key skill for any communication professional to have and they seem to become comfortable with these new strategies of communicating to their audience.

Certain aspects such as Radio Theatre did not hold as many challenges as the processes were essentially the same.

Limiting their print media and focusing more on digital media seems to be the pattern for most theatres.

It’s very much a case of curtains up and let’s go on with the show, but on a different platform!