6.+Contemporary+Theatre%2C+Verto%2C+F24

THREE TYPES OF LONDON THEATRE

Fringe Theatre

  • Small scale, experimental theatre

  • Usually unfunded, often located above pubs

  • Equivalent to Off-Off Broadway in NY

West End Theatre

  • Mainstream, professional, commercial theatre

  • For-profit; over half of all theatre seats in London

  • 42 theatres with approximately 56,000 seats

Not-for-Profit / Subsidized Theatre

  • Non-commercial theatre run like charities

  • Relies on government funding, donations, and box office revenue

  • Total of 135 not-for-profit theatres in London with an average of 370 seats

DETAILS ON WEST END THEATRE

  • Over 15.3 million attendance in 2019

  • Accounts for c. £800 million in box office revenue

  • Represents a significant portion of London's theatre scene

NOT-FOR-PROFIT / SUBSIDIZED THEATRE

Characteristics

  • Example theatres: National Theatre, Almeida Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, etc.

  • Catering to various audiences with in-house productions

  • Often transfer popular works to the West End

National Theatre

  • Established in 1949; inaugurated in 1963

  • Houses three theatres (Olivier, Lyttelton, Dorfman)

  • Received 450 major drama awards since inception

  • NT Live broadcasts plays to cinemas worldwide

FRINGE THEATRE

  • 47 venues; total of 4,000 seats in London

  • Represents only 3% of total theatre audience

  • Known for experimental works and new voices

JOURNEY TO CONTEMPORARY THEATRE

  • Broken into significant periods

1. Post War Drama (1945-1959)

  • Rise of realism and musicals to lift spirits post-war

  • Key works: "Streetcar Named Desire", "Death of a Salesman"

2. Revolutionaries (1960-1979)

  • Theatres Act 1968 ended censorship, encouraging avant-garde pieces

  • Responses to Vietnam War and gender lines blurring with key examples like "The Rocky Horror Show"

3. Thatcher’s Britain (1980-1990)

  • Birth of mega musical and discontent with capitalism

  • Popular pieces include: "Les Misérables", "Cats"

4. Cool Britannia (1990-1999)

  • Noted for edgy, shocking performances; "in-yer-face theatre"

5. New Millennium (2000-2009)

  • Shift to site-specific and new media theatre reflecting postmodern influences

POSTMODERNISM IN THEATRE

Characteristics

  • No single "correct" interpretation

  • Blurring boundaries between different artistic mediums and between audience and performers

Historical Roots

  • Expansion of personal expression and narratives in the audience's experience

PERFORMANCE PRESENTATION & CRITIQUE

Scene Study Activity

  1. Choose from:

    • "Death of a Salesman"

    • "Oh What a Lovely War"

    • "Top Girls"

    • "Shopping and F**king"

    • "The Pillowman"

  2. Research the chosen play and answer key questions about themes, societal links

  3. Choose a pathway (writer, director)

NEXT WEEK

Details

  • Where: Verto

  • When: 1 pm

  • What: Final Quiz & Writing Workshop with Guest Speaker