cabaret style seating
Thu, 13 Oct 2011, 07:45 amGordon the Optom11 posts in thread
cabaret style seating
Thu, 13 Oct 2011, 07:45 amI was looking forward to seeing ‘Educating Rita’ at the Koorliny Centre, until I went to book on-line and found out the seating arrangements. It is cabaret style, which I don’t like under any circumstances. Koorliny had this for their recent short plays season, which wasn’t too bad, but for a proper full length, quality play what has possessed the organisers to have the whole audience sitting sideways to the stage? About a third will also have their backs to the actors.
A table in the centre of the chairs usually means that there will be drinks clinking, packets of crisps crackling away and not to mention other home prepared goodies that will stink the place out.
Sorry but I think I may very regrettably give this show a miss.
Tables vs Tiered
Sun, 16 Oct 2011, 06:58 amI agree with Gordon, Dormaara and Joe. All have raised valid points.
Yes Joe, the "warm props" (cruel - but accurate) have the additional workload of punter distractions instead of an immobile background to work against, yes Gordon there are the problems of less than perfect sightlines and noisy, sometimes UN-savoury nibbles and yes Dormaara it does depend heavily on the show as to whether or not cabaret seating "works".
Like Dormaara I too remember shows where the seating actually enhanced the appreciation of the work being performed. Strangely enough, the show I was thinking of was also at Koorliny - the show? "CABARET" - one which I seem to remember brought the company glowing reviews.
I also know of one company in particular that performs one or two evenings of every production they mount in cabaret style seating. Evenings that are usually the hardest to get seats for and are looked forward to and relished by their punters.In this age of downloadable movies and digital "at home" entertainment, all our Community Theatre companies are hard pressed to achieve desirable audience numbers and Koorliny (in particular Kwinana Theatre Workshop) struggle harder than some others due to their "out-of-the-way" location. With this in mind I ask that people give the production the opportunity to be seen before dismissing it out of hand as "not worth the effort" in a public forum.