Do you really believe theatre is for everyone?

I grew up watching theatre from behind pillars. Throughout my teenage and university years it became normal to watch a show knowing I would only see about 60% of what was going on – except for the opera, when I’d be lucky to see 10%. In those days, opera was for listening to from the extremely restricted view seats at the edge of the amphitheatre. 

When I first started working at a theatre box office, the top price tickets would often cost the same as what I earned from a long shift. At one venue I couldn’t get a free staff ticket to our own pantomime because of the venue’s policy around maximising income – I couldn’t afford to see the show I was selling. 

A history of access

According to figures from the Society of London Theatre, the average ticket price in the West End was £52.17 in 2019. Contrast that with the national living wage for those aged 23 and over of – £8.91 per hour or as little as £4.30 for apprentices – and you start to see how theatre in the capital has become inaccessible to many. 

Forgive me while I pull out some classic theatre history, but if you were hanging around a city centre during medieval times you were likely to see a cart wheel into town with a bunch of tradesmen who would give you a punchy summary of the Latin stories being told in churches. This work was performed for free and was about as accessible as we, the modern theatre, could hope to be. Fast forward to the days of Shakespeare and for a penny, roughly the same price as a loaf of bread, you could squeeze yourself in as a groundling and stand as close to the action as possible. 

In more recent history, one of my favourite theatre leaders, Lillian Baylis, was running the Old Vic at the turn of the 20th century on the principle that high quality work should be available for everyone, with tickets costing just a penny and tuppence. She went on to rebuild Sadler’s Wells and found the companies that became English National Opera and the Royal Ballet. I wonder what she would think about the pricing structure of opera today? 

Leading the way

On becoming Executive Director of the King’s Head Theatre in 2017, I was repeatedly told of the theatre’s maverick spirit. Our founder, Dan Crawford, and Lilian Baylis are often both described as mavericks, and this is a word we continue to champion today. Like a tugboat dragging a cruise ship out to sea, non-subsidised venues have the power to lead the way.  

Running a venue based behind an old-fashioned boozer has its advantages: while we stage opera, no one comes to the venue in their glad rags. The box office staff know 20% of the audience’s names because they’ve been coming for decades, and you are guaranteed to bump into at least five people who will tell you about the time they performed at the venue. It’s unpretentious, unfussy and accessible. 

As we’ve carried forward the maverick spirit, we’ve had to bring into line things that weren’t an issue for medieval mystery play producers. Since 2010, the King’s Head Theatre has been a champion for fair pay and we believe that artistically excellent work should not be made for free or the equivalent of ‘pocket money’. This brings us to the dilemma so many forward-facing theatres have struggled with in recent years: how do you balance the increasing cost of making excellent work with a desire to keep prices as affordable as possible?

The power of digital

Taking work online has real power. A 2016 Arts Council England study on digital theatre found that audiences who streamed theatre online were younger and more diverse. Digital theatre is by its very nature accessible. A year after Covid-19 closed the doors of the King’s Head Theatre, we have launched our first ever digital on-demand season, Plays on Film. One of the barriers for emerging companies in the digital theatre landscape is the huge expense of creating high quality footage. Through this season we are platforming five incredible shows, providing them with the tools to ensure their work can be viewed around the world – and more than 50% of ticket sales go directly to the artists and companies.

The Plays on Film work includes drama, comedy, and musical theatre, helping audiences feel there is something for them while encouraging them to try something new. As a venue known both for its award-winning opera and LGBTQIA+ work, we are always interested in the crossover of audiences. "Yes, I know you’ve booked for Tosca but maybe you’d also enjoy the late-night piece on afterwards, F*cking Men?"

We’re also doubling our efforts on our free online training. Since the first day we shut last year, we’ve been producing KHTonline, a lunch-time live stream providing a foot in the metaphorical door of the industry. Everyone should be able to not just see great work but make it. Training is increasingly expensive and often necessary to grow your portfolio, which is why we’re providing a weekly learning experience. 

Theatre should be for everyone – on stage and off stage. If you’ve ever been to a large opera house or a Broadway musical, you may have asked yourself how you should dress or whether you can afford a house wine at the interval. Digital spaces remove many of the barriers for audiences, flinging the door open with a flashing neon sign that says you can BYO. If you truly believe everyone should be welcome at the theatre, then pull up your sofa and get comfy. Digital theatre should not just a temporary measure – it should be here to stay.

Fiona English is Executive Director of the King’s Head Theatre.