Blog: Theatre - Is It Dying Out Among The Young?

I've seen it. Have you?

Enjoying an evening out at the local theatre, excited to watch the show you booked weeks ago and have been counting down the days to...

Five minutes until the performance begins. A couple more people filter into the auditorium and find their seats. You look around. The room is half empty, the middle three rows have no one sat on them. The clock turns seven thirty – the show should be starting any minute now. You eagerly turn around, trying to spot members of the audience a similar age to yourself. You realise you're the youngest person here by about twenty five years. The play begins.

Many times I've been to see an outstanding show with an incredible cast that I've thoroughly enjoyed, but unfortunately the attendance has been really low. It's not just poor for profits, but it must be disappointing for the actors and all involved to put on such an amazing show night after night, and have few people turn up to enjoy it. Not only that, but people, especially those of a younger demographic, are actually missing out from not going to the theatre – I know for myself that it's a lovely time to just get lost in a new world, to spark creativity and imagination, two things that I think young people need more opportunities to display in the world today, and to have a couple of hours escape from whatever other difficulties we have going on in life.

So, why are so few people, especially younger people, neglecting going to the theatre these days? And is this an art form that risks dying out in the coming years?

I conducted a survey of a few young people aged between 15-20 and found that of this sample, one third of them go to the theatre only once a year or less, and if given the choice, 55.6% of those surveyed would rather spend their evening watching a film than going to see a show at the theatre. So, why is this?

One major factor identified is cost – all right, theatre makes for a lovely night out, but we can't ignore the issue of money. With tickets often costing a minimum of around twenty five pounds, it is much more cost effective to buy a cinema ticket, or even stream a film online, for ten pounds or less. Many university aged young people also have costs to take into account that in past decades might not have been so prominent, such as mobile phone bills, car insurance that is ever rising, inflation on basic necessities such as food and toiletries, not to mention the rent of an apartment or uni accomodation. With so many more essential things to spend their money on, the price of a theatre ticket just isn't sustainable for many to afford on a regular basis.

Going back to the survey results I mentioned earlier, when asked the question ' what would encourage you to want to go to the theatre more?' the replies were overwhelmingly money conscious, with answers such as 'lower cost', 'affordable prices', 'cheaper tickets' and 'if it wasn't so expensive'.

But how can we make theatre this much more accessible to young people, while still remembering that what is run is a business seeking to cover its costs and make a profit? The solution that I have to offer is this: we all know of loyalty cards. That free drink you get at Costa coffee for being a regular customer, that ten percent off discount from Pizza Hut on your birthday, that Tesco clubcard price cut...what if local theatres created their own 'loyalty' scheme? Let's say, a theatre has three different shows on a month, running for around one and a half to two weeks each. Why not create a system whereby for every five tickets bought by the same person, you get your sixth half price? Not only will it offer an incentive to people to bring their friends along and book together to ensure they get a discount, but it will also encourage them to come back for the show next month to take full advantage of their half priced ticket. The theatre sells more tickets, more people are sat in seats, but they also feel like they're getting a bargain by the discounts they're given. And what about a theatre yearly membership scheme? Sign up and pay an upfront fee at the beginning of the year, and then every ticket that you buy over the year has a reduced price? Profits will go up as people buy more tickets because it seems like they're saving money, and who doesn't love a bit of that? Meanwhile more young people are able to come and enjoy the art of performance! Or what about a show bundle? How about offering buyers ten percent off if they purchase a ticket, programme, packet of sweets and a drink all together? And if advertising goes up demonstrating to potential customers what an amazing Christmas or Birthday present these ideas would be for their loved ones, then can you imagine the results!?

Does a theatre also want to not only sell tickets, but also contribute positively to their community? Which will thus increase their brand awareness, and earn them a positive reputation amongst those in the community? And it will fill seats...

My local theatre is the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme – did you know, in Stoke-On-Trent (next door town) there are over 1000 children being looked after in care by Stoke City Council? A number that unfortunately is only continuing to rise. What if, twenty four hours before a show, half of the unpurchased tickets were donated to a care centre or care home nearby? So children in heartbreakingly difficult situations can have the joy of experiencing live theatre for themselves, a luxury that would otherwise be denied them. These children could be given the experience of a lifetime, sparking their own creativity and possibly inspiring the next generation of not only theatre goers, but also theatre makers! This would have a positive impact not only on the children themselves, but also for the performers...say goodbye to the days of half empty auditoriums. Say hello to the new era of acting in front of a room of adoring young people every evening, having the privilege of transporting them to a whole new world, escapism from the present trying times, and that rapturous applause and cheering you get from an auditorium filled with children and teenagers is like nothing you've heard before. And the theatre doesn't lose a single penny by giving these tickets, because they're only the ones that are otherwise unpurchased anyway. Otherwise empty seats, filled up to create an unforgettable evening for so many young people, and at zero cost.

So, in answer to the question, is theatre dying out among the young? No, I don't believe so, I don't believe that theatre will ever truly be replaced because it holds such a special place in the hearts of so many, but I do think that in order to continue to be successful and inspire a new interest in the forthcoming generations, that theatres need to learn to be more innovative, and adopt certain ways of doing things to meet the needs of their audience, and say goodbye to the days of auditoriums with a spare seat to be found at show time!