What do audiences want?

What do audiences want to see when the come to the theatre? The current audiences seem to consist of theatre goers and friends, but maybe if we take a look at cinema for a bit we can draw in new members to our theatre audiences. The award winning movies are often Actions/ Comedies or the 'extraordinary' Dramas. Young guys want to see fighting, explosions, 'cool' or charismatic characters with guns. Young Girls want to see lovers getting together in comic situations. Both want to see something hilariously funny. Lets face it, people want this, if we thespians can deliver the goods then we can bring new people to the theatre. Comments?

Interesting question; and if anyone out there actually has the answer they should run to the Patents' Office, because they'd make a fortune.

Being ever so slightly cynical (who, ME? Never!) I would say that the honest answer is the majority of audiences don't really know what they want, because for the most part they are used to being TOLD what they want.

Anyone else?

Eliot

Hey Jason,
hey Eliot,


This is an interesting question to pose here: what do audiences want to see when they come to the theatre?

I think a question like that is best answered by the audience numbers at already existing shows. I mean, for example- you look at the successes of various musicals- how did they come to be famous? Audience numbers- am i right? That could be a way ??

Also, i believe that lovers of film are not necessarily going to be lovers of theatre. These are two different industries i guess with differing entertainment aspects. I'm not completely sure we could look to film although there have been musicals made of films and films made of musicals etc. Perhaps I'm wrong ...perhaps there is a link...

And with the whole thing of young girls liking the "lovey dovey chic flicks" and guys loving "action-blood&guts", times are changing and those stereotypes are becoming more and more unreliable. Also- if you want too look at issues regarding the audience ,I think it is fair to regard the older audience members as much as the younger.

Interesting discussion.....sorry i can't be that much help!


The Review Master

'Young guys want to see fighting, explosions, 'cool' or charismatic characters with guns. Young Girls want to see lovers getting together in comic situations.'


Glad to see you aren't making any sweeping geralisations that could be seen as somewhat sexist Jason. That would be so out of character for you.

Melissa

"................ because for the most part they are used to being TOLD what they want. "
Elliot don't be such a yanker (Sp?)

Now, having as I do, modesty, humility and the answer to all the worlds problems; I can help here!

Audiences want to be entirely engaged by what they are seeing. THAT'S IT ! !

- and they DON'T want to a) patronised b)bored c)lectured to and I direct this at the authors and producer/directors.

Elliot IS entitled to his opinion ( providing this matches mine ) yours, humbly, Rog

I liked your comments - who are you?
signed Roger Trewick
address: in the sticks with straw in my hair!

Hi Roger,


Glad you liked my comments. I'm the Review Master. Nice to meet you. If you want to see more comments or a review by me simply do a search on me. Thanks.



The Review Master

Okay, i was stereotyping slightly, but in MOST cases guys want action and girls want love stories. Now I am not being sexist here, I know many girls who like war films etc and I myself like the odd romance (Cant think of any right now but I'll get back to you. Although when your thinking about 'target audiences' you have to stereotype/generalise. You cant say "John, Sam, Pete, Gertrude will come to see this show because its their thing. You have to think "Okay this show will appeal to 'teenage guys'" baecause the advertising needs to be directed at the right people. Its no good advertising Ice in antarctica is it. So don't thing I'm a sexist pig because i made a generalisation about a target audience, thats not cool (I've been in enough S**t on this site as it is and am only just getting back in communicae with people).

Jason

Gambiez,

See - I'm ¤not¤ the only one giving you the evil eye about some of your comments...see you at rehearsals young man.

¤evil laugh¤
I suggest arriving in full combat gear.

Buh bye
Babar's Sister

You go girl! See you on Broadway.

The (ahem) "Review Master" wrote: If you want to see more comments or a review by me simply do a search on me. Thanks.

Be very very careful, Roger. Dean Schulze once used a similar line on me, and I ended up going through half a box of disposable rubber gloves (never did find that M & M, either...).

JB

Hmmmmmmm....???!!




The Review Master

Yes Jason,

You did make a "generalisation" ( as i even said in my post somewhere) but who doesn't make generalisations in life? You didn't have bad intentions in your comments, you were just giving your opinions & starting an innocent discussion.

There are times where you may think you're "Knee-deep" in it with comments you made,

but think about it-

If people want to take things in the wrong way- let em!

That's what I think.

I look forward to more topics started by you. Bat on!


The Review Master

Um, Mr Review Master, I appreciate that you can only base your opinion on what you have read here. I however have the 'benefit' of having heard Mr Gamble in real life, and not only does he continue to make gross generalisations about men and women, a lot of his comments in person have been incredibly sexist. That's not to say I don't like the guy, despite myself I actually do. He's just young and needs to think before he speaks. You are quite right though, he has started a number of great debates on this site and I hope he continues to do so in future. Just think first Jase!!!!

Melissa

Hi Melissa,


You are also entitled to your opinions and I don't know you or Jason Gamble in person. (sorry Jason- I don't mean to talk about you as if you're not here nor speak for you)

I do say though that we all at sometime in our lives make gross generalisations or even ignorant comments with which we did not have bad intentions.

It's just human error. But like I said, I don't know anyone here personally.


The Review Master

Tricky one. I think there's some truth in the theory that audiences want to see the same things movies give them, although, as has already been pointed out, we're talking about two very different mediums.
I think it's an attitude thing. Whereas film has always been consumed and accepted by the public at large (And so always keeping a focus on issues and/or styles they know the public can relate to), theatre still has elitist connotations harking back to the days that only intellectuals and the upper-class saw plays. Hence, it seems to me that a lot of theatre people have been conditioned into this attitude too; everything has to be very 'serious' and 'arty', which is great for an audience who go to the theatre already and are used to it, but maybe not so good for your average common-or-garden-variety 'Man On The Street' who sees theatre as basically being Shakespeare and nothing else. When it comes down to it, people want good stories about things they can relate to. Most importantly, however, they want to be entertained, and by that I don't mean 'dumbed-down' (Hey, if guns n' boobies were all it took, 'Tomb Raider' would be the most-loved film of all time). People take Shakespeare so blinking seriously: He was writing for the rabble! He had to make his plays compete with bear-baiting so he put in all the sex and violence to bring the people into the theatres. Yes, they were great plays which dealt with universal issues, etc. BUT he made sure the general public would enjoy it. If Shakes were here now, he wouldn't be writing 'Hamlet'. He'd be writing plays like 'Bouncers' and 'Shopping And @!#$', plays which do attempt to give the public what they're looking for but get largely ignored by the public because, y'know, theatre 'doesn't do' that sort of thing. Maybe we should be putting plays like this up more often, and perhaps people'll start getting the point.
Bloody hell, this is a long post. I'll wrap this one up; we all have to be careful not to take ourselves too seriously, because the public have been conditioned to expect po-facedness from us all. It is possible to entertain and fulfil, we just have to let the public see that, and that ain't gonna happen if we keep putting up eight million Shakespeare productions a year. Well, hope I put my point across (Probably didn't-there's something about the Net which makes all my writing skills go bye-bye)

Okay I'm putting an end to this whole 'Jason is a sexist pig!' routine. I have the deepest respect for women (not sucking up) they are just as intelligent, just as capable of achieving things as men are. If i ever say anything sexist it is because i feel that the people i say it to will understand that i am in no way serious. Throughthe past people of the opposite gender to myself have said some very sexist things eg "Stubborn men!", "Always with sex/ sport/ fighting on the brain.". Now i agree with some of these traits in some/most men. It is the same with females. Some/Most females like to shop, do hair/makeup etc but that isn't exactly a bad thing, it is just a common female trait. Some men have these traits too, i like to shop (without the makeup) I'm fussy over my hair and clothes. Any generalistaions came about because they were common traits. If i ever say anything that seems sexist, i apologize (again) but unless i am two feet away from you screaming my head off with sexist remarks, i really don't mean them, just say them back to me and we can play sexist tennis? Just as a last point, I am against feminism but 100% for equality. This makes me an equalitist, Babar helped me see that this was better than antifeminism which was really the wrong word to use. Ta!

Jase

I, for one, want intelligent thought-provoking theatre - I like to leave the trheatre and perceive the world in unexpected ways - I want theatre to offer new ways of seeing, thinking and feeling about the world.

Don't give me your trite musical rehashes, don't trot out second rate scripts, don't give me something that everyone else is offering - give me a challenge - shake up my preconceptions - take your ideological hammer and smash my cherished values...

"Action" is the realm of film - theatre need not compete with film - it is a different aesthetic, a different form, a different medium, a different experience - theatre can respond to the immediacy of an audience - theatre is about transformation - theatre can offer new truths...

Theatre is what I want - I don't want cheap shots at trying to recreate film on stage - I want to experience "man in a mess" - I want to think - leave "entertainment" to the purveyors of popcorn - reclaim the heart of theatre - it was ritual, it was community, it was alive... it can be again!

I will continue to walk out (loudly) of theatre that does nothing but pander to the producer's preconceived ideas of "what audiences want" - theatre is in the realm of ART - there, I said it!! The creators - the practitioners - need to have something significant to express/explore/ponder - if not, don't waste my time - catch me at the video library!

YEah good on ya Flinny boy
Too bad u only stayed with us for a term, but at least u know what u want.