An essay on the future of theatre…
This is one of [intlink id="41" type="category"]a series of blog posts[/intlink] about interactive theatre and theory behind our work in this field.
Despite the rise of television and film – so proficient in producing artistically complex drama and comedy and delivering it to people – predictions of the death of theatre appear currently to have been misjudged. The breadth of culture and the desire for new stories and experiences seems more than capable of supporting a wide range of art forms. It seems to me however that, in order to maintain a place as one of the main players in British culture, theatre still needs to develop an identity, distinct from television, radio and film. Furthermore, this identity is one which is yet to be fully embraced – and can give us the best indication of the future direction of theatre.
Despite its successful co-existence, the need for theatre to justify its existence in the face of television, radio and film can be seen in the history of the previous century. Prior to the prevalence of recording and broadcasting technology, the last major development in theatre was naturalism. Television and film however are a much better, if not perfect, medium for realism. Since the first emergence of popular film in the early 1920s, theatre instantly retreated from the pursuit of realism, with such practitioners as Brecht, Artaud, Dario Fo and Grotowski at the helm.
To identify the identity of theatre, as distinct from film, television and radio, we can start by considering what the distinct feature of theatre is not. It is not, for instance, theatre’s ability to convey and discuss complex philosophical, moral or political ideas. Certainly, theatre has a tradition for being more wordy and thoughtful than its bright, action-packed brothers – film and television. Presumably this is a result of the classism of the arts – with the middle classes and intelligentsia more likely visit the theatre (and opera) than the working classes for whom television and film are more relevant. This picture can be seen to be blurring today, with film and television clearly up to the task of delivering thoughtful and intellectually complex works. Certainly however, we must admit that there is nothing essential to theatre that makes it any more suited to complex or intellectual writing than any other form; if this is currently the case, it is the result of circumstance and we can’t necessarily expect it to continue.
Although commonly cited, the essentially live nature of theatre cannot be seen to be its distinguishing feature either. Certainly, theatre performances have a somewhat special quality because you know they are being performed as you see them – and the experience is therefore unique (at least temporally). The event you are witnessing is linked, inextricably, to the evening you have chosen to witness it. But theatre by no means has the monopoly here. Many TV shows are recorded the same evening they are broadcast and many, such as morning shows and the news – go out live. Most radio stations obviously go out live as well, giving the same sense of excitement and enabling phone-ins. A recent episode of ‘Two Pints Of Larger And A Packet Of Crisps’ was even broadcast live on TV – the result being as dull as any of the other episodes, despite the novelty that things could go wrong at any point. Technological limitations in early television in fact meant that all dramas had to be performed and broadcast live – and yet there was no danger that this would render theatre unnecessary.
Being a medium for intellectual ideas and being live, then, cannot be seen to be the key to theatre’s distinct identity. Which feature then should we be concentrating on? The best offer to me seems to be immediacy. All theatre performance is fundamentally immediate: it happens right before you, in the same room or area of ground. Immediacy is not only necessary (being live is at least necessary) but it is also sufficient and unique. Any artistic performance which is immediate must be some form of theatre, and such immediacy cannot be recreated by film, radio or television.
…to be continued…
This is one of [intlink id="41" type="category"]a series of blog posts[/intlink] about interactive theatre and theory behind our work in this field.
- Update: [intlink id="77" type="post"]part two[/intlink] of this essay has been published. [intlink id="77" type="post"]Click the link to read on[/intlink].
