What will the world of theatre look like after the pandemic?

When a fire starts to burn, it catches everything in its path. Such is the trajectory of 2020, where incendiary questions, revolts, and pandemics have become inextricably linked under the current global shift. If life imitates art, and art reflects life, it is no wonder that the face of theatre is changing forever. We could consider what theatre will look like in light of the many events that have happened this year, but most immediately we can ask what theatre will look like after the pandemic. To do this comprehensively, it is necessary to think about what has already changed, both in theatre and in the wider world, and what theatre could look like, its greatest potential beyond financial or structural restraints.

At the start of lockdown, the closure of theatres felt like a distant, then temporary, reality. Faced with the prospect of staying afloat with the curtains closed, venues around the UK got creative. Many theatres have released recordings of past shows and new virtual performances either for free or for a price, allowing audiences to attempt to recreate the theatre-going experience in their own homes. This sudden abundance of archived performances, publicly available to audiences near and far, with simultaneously absolute and non-existent physical barriers, raises pertinent questions. Would these archived recordings have surfaced had it not been for a global pandemic? Without naively assuming inherent or universal accessibility of online events, it is irrefutable that a wider range of theatregoers have been able to access theatre in its new virtual forms. With the arts industry purportedly aiming to be inviting to all, we must question why online access to theatre hadn’t previously been made available to those unable to access it for reasons be they physical, sensory, economic or otherwise. But what does this have to do with theatre post-pandemic?

In order to rebuild an industry, a hub, a home and all of the things that theatre is to us, it is necessary to consider what the essence of theatre is. What is the part of theatre that we can’t live without: is it the buzz of hearing a story told in an anticipating, crowded room, or is it who you hear the story with? Is it about the lighting, sound and movement coming together on one stage - mere feet away, or through a screen - or the inimitable moments that differentiate otherwise identical showings? This is what we must hold on to in the wake of the pandemic, and it is also what separates those of us who have engaged with theatre more than ever throughout lockdown, from those of us who feel like something is missing.

In tandem with the reflective questions of what theatre means to us, we cannot ignore the context surrounding its current and future state. The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement around the world sent theatres into a flurry of declarations, quotas and apologies. While some theatres, such as London’s Lyric, have released statements with vague intentions to consult and improve their practice, other institutions have taken a more transparent approach and joined the PullUpOrShutUp campaign which calls on companies to publicise the number of Black employees and their positions. The campaign has accompanied commitments to increased accountability and action for some theatres, including the National Theatre of Scotland. Additionally, it has brought to light practices that were heretofore obscured and accepted by some of the foremost theatres in the UK such as the Old Vic, who published that none of their staff or senior management are Black. These changes must not be so two-dimensional as to be stuck in words and statements.

Two of the key demands of the Black Lives Matter movement are the abolition and defunding of police forces. When contextualising these structural shifts in the world of theatre, we would need to look at which institutions and practices are not serving us in the way they set out to, and consider where their foundations can be dismantled and repurposed to foster an industry that invites everyone to imagine, create and enjoy. Balancing this with the newly inclusive nature that theatre has for some audiences, it is vital to take time for introspection and reimagining as well as adapting to the current climate and its needs.

Reimagined theatre must not consist solely of hiring Black people in the industry who are equipped with the relevant skills and experience. Rather, we must stem the issue at its core by ensuring that there are clear routes to the resources and experience that young people and theatremakers early in their careers need, in order to shape the stages of tomorrow. This, in turn, will ensure that no theatre in years to come will have a body of staff that paints a demographic picture so disparate to society and, crucially, dictate who should be in these spaces. Additionally, and I would argue as a result of this, there should be fewer shows that ostensibly poke at the surface of ‘race’ but in actuality give white audiences a sense of accomplishment for having engaged with a taboo conversation. Instead of revisiting colonial Africa or watching a white man realise that racism might be bad, the new face of theatre should showcase the stories that are currently drafted in the notebook of someone who didn’t get onto the playwriting course, or in the mind of a group of friends who dream of having their own theatre production company.

All reflections and wishes for theatre post-pandemic are plagued by the constraints of the economy. The aforementioned balance of careful introspection and emergency adaptations is skewed by the need of every venue, no matter its size, to somehow survive with their doors closed. Though we might celebrate the accessibility and variety of shows available online, it is difficult to imagine how theatres would have reacted to the pandemic if it weren’t for the accompanying financial pressures. However, it is a necessary reimagining if we are to welcome back a theatre with priorities that more closely align with its aims and values. Ultimately, however, when theatre reappears in its physical form after lockdown, it must take into account the limitations of financial pressures but also look beyond them to imagine a boundless industry; similarly, we have to think about what we look for in theatre, and what we take from it. It is only with this reflection and a subsequent call to action that theatre will reflect us all.