Thoughts about Theatre, and in particular free and easy REVUE!

   More thoughts in support of informal arrangements for stage and seating... I so enjoyed our last Revue, what with the fabulous backdrop, songs from Peter, dancing with Leroy, Richard & Trsh's skit on Romeo and Juliet, everyone's amazing efforts, all more or less in the round, with an intimate semi-circle of space for performance so that everyone surrounded the players and was much more involved as a result. 

   Theatre has moved on in those terms, I'm not sure I'd go for immersive theatre, the majority are far too nervous to do anything unrehearsed, but just being closer is much more immediate. A stage is one way to get to see, but far too removed for me, more fun for the players than the audience! 

   And I didn't much care for the WI for their archaic approach to a speaker out front with dutiful rows of ladies listening but not contributing. We did try and change it with much more audience involvement, including food, drink making Venetian masks, singing in the round etc., but then it just went back to the same old, same old, with many boring speakers,  so i gave up (I know Trish is trying to change the format). As a lecturer, we always had to involve our students, the old days of standing at the front spouting are long gone. The only time I think it works is if you are a good story teller...

   The Murder Mysteries have always worked for the same reason, involvement, mingling with the actors, and the quiz and curry nights too.  Another element which works fantastically at Hatherop is that players come on set from all angles, so you never know where it will be next, from behind, which side, in front, over there... So there are elements of surprise, breakouts of singing too: I can't take too much of that but in small amounts just breaks up the dialogue so it was very, very varied.

   Lynne Savege