ABSTRACT
There was a three-day conference called “Future Directions” put together largely by the Society of West End Theatres. I was on a panel titled, “What Can the Theatre Learn from the Current Popularity of Cinema?” The presumption of the conference was that the theatre hasn’t got its act together in the same way that film has. It’s difficult not to go into a situation like that without finding yourself defending the theatre. I think a lot of people wanted to say, “We’re not the poor cousins of the film industry, and we have a different set of obligations.” And the film people inevitably were saying, “Yes, but look at the diminishing audience you play to, both in terms of class group and age.” But what theatre can’t do is emulate film directly on any front. That’s what was problematic about the conference. There are some things we can learn. Some film people are terrific on the practical front. But they make their effects through different means.
