Theatre is often seen as a very middle-class and expensive pastime; for performers, it can cost thousands over the years to attend singing, dancing and acting lessons and for the audience, a single ticket to a show can cost hundreds of pounds. For some people, an evening at the West End is only possible when combined with a full weekend in London, and every year people spend large amounts of money to go to New York, just to see the latest Broadway phenomenon.
These price and location limitations mean that, for a lot of people, the entertainment and education that live theatre has to offer is completely inaccessible. In recent years, steps have been taken to help combat this, with student prices, rush tickets and ticket lotteries gaining popularity, and UK tours of popular shows heading to even more locations across the country. But is this enough?
With the release of Hamilton on Disney+, it's become possible for people to watch this record-breaking musical from their own living rooms, and there has been increased debate as to how accessible theatre should be: too accessible and some see it as a threat to live theatre, not accessible enough and it alienates a large portion of society. It's also important to make sure that no matter how accessible a show is, that the creative talents involved get the recognition and reward that they deserve for all of their hard work.
As someone who loves performing in and watching musical theatre, I am a big advocate for making it more accessible so everyone gets to experience the pure joy I feel when watching a show, whether that is through cheaper tickets or professionally recorded productions in cinemas, on YouTube, or on streaming services...
But why is it so important to make theatre more accessible?
It attracts new audiences
It might seem like every man and his dog is obsessed with Hamilton but there are plenty of people out there who have never heard, or even heard of, the show and many other popular musicals and plays. By putting professional recordings online, either for free or as part of a paid streaming service, they will be attracting new audiences who would never have paid for tickets to a live show, either because they couldn't afford to or weren't interested, but are intrigued to see what all the fuss is about.
It inspires a new generation
The next Idina Menzel or Andrew Rannells is out there somewhere, and an online recording of a production could be their first taste of theatre and the thing that inspires them to one day be on the stage themselves. While I was lucky enough to grow up with a family who also loved musical theatre, many young children have no one to share their passion with and have no one wanting to take them to see live performances - but with recorded productions, they can see the people that they aspire to be, and see even the smallest details of their performance.
It encourages creative expression and arts education
Unfortunately, a lot of people don't think the arts are as important as maths and science when it comes to education. By making theatre more accessible, and therefore more popular among new audiences, its educational and cultural impact will be more widely understood, helping to show just how important it is for children and adults to experience this form of creative expression and in turn, show it themselves.
It will never replace live theatre
Ultimately, nothing will ever replace the feeling of live theatre; the excitement as the house lights go down, the anticipation while listening to the overture, creating a personal connection with the cast, giving them a standing ovation once it's all over. Even the overpriced ice cream and giant queue for ladies loo. Watching Hamilton on Disney Plus, I still felt an emotional connection to the characters and loved seeing everything up close, but if anything, it just made me want to see it live again even more than before.
I am so happy that three of my favourite stage musicals, Hamilton, Newsies, and Legally Blonde, are all available for me to watch online wherever and whenever I want to, but given the chance I would go to see them all again in person in a heart beat. So, making shows accessible outside of theatres won't stop people paying to go, but it just might encourage more people to do so.
