725 posts
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Post by theatremiss on Apr 4, 2023 8:05:23 GMT
I’ve been going to theatre for decades and hear people talk about how a theatre isn’t suitable for a particular musical/play and I’ve always just agreed without wondering why. The only thing I think is perhaps the size. So when I look at posts about what might transfer into what theatre and people say it’s not a theatre for musicals/plays, can someone enlighten me. Is it just the size of venue or is there something technical ie set size and getting it in etc.
I feel I should know this but don’t.
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157 posts
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Post by PhantomNcl on Apr 4, 2023 8:31:58 GMT
There are all kinds of factors which might affect it. The size of the stage/wings/flies/orchestra pit would be one of the biggest considerations, as well as technical aspects such as the ability to add traps and other scenic elements.
The size of the auditorium too, especially with touring shows - the building needs to have enough seats to be able to return a profit during the run, which might be limited to a week, so putting a huge musical like Mary Poppins into a theatre with under 1,000 seats would take a much longer run to turn a profit.
Also things like sightlines - a theatre may be great for solo concerts/comedy acts where everything takes place downstage and centre, but if the auditorium curves out much further than the stage, or has overhangs from circles/pillars holding up various floors, there may be too many seats deemed to be 'restricted view' to be able to run a production.
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7,183 posts
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Post by Jon on Apr 4, 2023 11:26:31 GMT
I have to admit the thread title made me think it was about going to be about something else!
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Post by willjam39 on Apr 5, 2023 8:08:08 GMT
Wing space and space for technical elements are a big reason for larger musicals ruling out some venues even if the seating number looks high enough.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2023 11:48:43 GMT
It is not unusual for this comment to be made when a show transfers from a smaller venue into a larger house or when it is put in large venues as it tours. People often are (rightly) concerned about the potential loss of intimacy that might have made a production work so well.
Good directors work with the production team to adjust design and staging and with actors to play to the larger space. Some shows adapt quite well with little being lost and in some cases, some gains made from the additional space available. Others can leave the audience feeling distant and remote from the production.
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Post by mrnutz on Apr 5, 2023 12:38:06 GMT
It is not unusual for this comment to be made when a show transfers from a smaller venue into a larger house or when it is put in large venues as it tours. People often are (rightly) concerned about the potential loss of intimacy that might have made a production work so well. Good directors work with the production team to adjust design and staging and with actors to play to the larger space. Some shows adapt quite well with little being lost and in some cases, some gains made from the additional space available. Others can leave the audience feeling distant and remote from the production. With this in mind, has anyone here seen Streetcar both at the Almeida and in the Phoenix and can give us a comparison between the two? |
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7,183 posts
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Post by Jon on Apr 5, 2023 14:40:20 GMT
It is not unusual for this comment to be made when a show transfers from a smaller venue into a larger house or when it is put in large venues as it tours. People often are (rightly) concerned about the potential loss of intimacy that might have made a production work so well. Good directors work with the production team to adjust design and staging and with actors to play to the larger space. Some shows adapt quite well with little being lost and in some cases, some gains made from the additional space available. Others can leave the audience feeling distant and remote from the production. I do think some shows just can't go into bigger theatres, it's fine for a comedian or a singer to do a 2000+ venue but a one person show like Fleabag or Prima Facie at say the Palladium would lose that connection to the audience. |
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Post by theatrefan62 on Apr 6, 2023 5:40:17 GMT
I also think sometimes the feel of the show can be impacted by what theatre its in
Phantom I've always thought is a case of perfect show in the perfect theatre. Would the shows atmosphere work quite as well at somewhere like the Adelphi, I don't think it would. It would obviously still sell out, but her majesty's does add a sense of setting the moment you walk in.
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Post by sukhavati on Apr 13, 2023 0:57:17 GMT
I also think sometimes the feel of the show can be impacted by what theatre its in Phantom I've always thought is a case of perfect show in the perfect theatre. Would the shows atmosphere work quite as well at somewhere like the Adelphi, I don't think it would. It would obviously still sell out, but her majesty's does add a sense of setting the moment you walk in. Definitely. When you see a touring version in one of the more recently built theatres, there's visual disconnect between the stage environment and the house environment, and not necessarily in a good way. I know the loos and other facilities aren't always the greatest, but I adore an older historic theatre like Her Majesty's or the Noel Coward. Not into minimalist or brutalist architecture, so the beautiful elements of an older building at least up to the Art Deco era, always appeal to me. The only good things I can say about newer houses is that structural engineering has found a way to eliminate support pillars so sight lines can be better, and some have auditoriums "tuned" by sound engineers, but give me the look of an older theatre any day. |
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