Theatre from the sofa: from the South Bank of the Thames to Broadway in one evening.

For many a theatre lover, watching from the bench will be swearing in church. The atmosphere in the theatre and direct contact is missing. Totally true, and yet the advantages of sitting comfortably, watching when you want, subtitles and the on-demand W.C. break are also worth something. While enjoying a fireside chat, you're not looking at anyone's back of the head.

No sniffling, no snorting and no elbow-fighting with your neighbour. You can go to any performance in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, you have to organise the not unimportant post-show chat with your fellow theatre lover yourself via Skype, but the programme booklet, on the other hand, is always available. 

Digital theatre

Digitaltheatre, bank theatre - or whatever it will be called, because it is that new - brings innovation. Through web portals, performances play long on the circuit. Performances you wouldn't otherwise have seen suddenly come within reach. That is quite tempting. From the south bank of the Thames to Broadway is possible in one evening.

It has its own charm. Comparable to earlier studio films, it is not really. And also the VHS tapes of Play of the Week you can safely leave at the thrift shop.

Theatreflix

For the past three months, Theatreflix in the Netherlands into an aftermarket to give shows a longer life. In the first experiences, locally in Amsterdam at Salto TV, the enthusiasm and audience did not disappoint. Now, with the affiliation of theatres Bellevue and Krakeling and with partners such as Toneelmakerij, van Engelenburg, Groots en Meeslepend and Stip, Theatreflix is becoming a serious player. Free sector and subsidised companies are both welcome there. Performances are also accessed weekly from the heritage 'Bijzondere Collecties' which houses the archive of Theater Instituut Nederland. 

Still, streaming will remain a limited market for now. Because a tradition to broadcast theatre integrally on television is lacking, is a long way to go. The catalogue is not very rich at the moment. So is the price (€10 for six months). It is pioneering and dividing energy for founders Tony Minnema (former artistic director of Fijnhouttheater) and Emile Ripke. One from a technical video recording background, the other familiar with strategy and business and revenue models. Both theatre lovers. It is a service to the industry and a way to reach other audiences. Trailers of new shows are also on the platform.

Laptop

Tony Minnema: "The idea is to get people hooked on theatre with laptops. We want to create more awareness for the phenomenon and re-educate viewers about its power. People who don't go have forgotten what it is.'

'Digital theatre is a different experience. There is no retake, the camera is relentless. A close-up of a sweaty actor going through the hole, how more real can it be? In the back row in the theatre, you don't see all that.'

The platform works both ways: offering performances but also bringing viewers to the venue. 'You need each other as audience partners.' Theatreflix plans to work with advertisers, but it must remain an enjoyable entity to watch.

The Nation

In theatre, with limited resources, they often manage to hold the tension for a long time with intriguing acting. On camera, this is less interesting than in the theatre, but apparently still interesting enough. Eric de Vroedt is already experimenting with The Nation whose first three episodes are on Youtube. But he is not a director with camera eyes. In that respect, it really seems to be a separate, challenging top-discipline for makers who master both subjects, theatre, film and TV. Judging by the dwindling number of viewers, it might have managed to lure people into the auditorium for the other parts. But we don't know. It is too early to draw conclusions attached to it.

Daystand The Nation youtube

episode 1 (4,657 views)

episode 2 (1,528 views) 

episode 3 (1,357 views)

Drama on TV

There are more examples of such convergence. Peter de Baan brought to TV for the occasion a stage version of A Christmas story on the consequences of gas drilling in Groningen. Wonderful to watch as an experiment, but as a semi-improvised whole, it delivers too lean a plot for its ample playing time. It continues to hold something of a making of What you are looking at.

TV versions of Nathan Vecht Artificial heart and Aaf Brandt Corstius Fiftyfifty show a good balance. With few play locations and entourage, adapted stage versions are brought as television films. But these productions can hardly be called theatre already, the boards are invisible to the audience.

International indulgence

Aaron Sorkin is working in the US for NBC on a remake of the stage version of A few good men. The production is a follow-up to an earlier musical on TV: Hairspray Live. Because it was broadcast around Thanksgiving, it attracted a mega audience. The sequel has already been delayed a couple of times (now to 2019) indicating that translating drama into images is no easy task. 

National Theatre Live, on the south bank of the Thames in London, streams to cinemas. Live opera and ballet deliver the most beautiful registrations for now. And Shakespeare fans - how could it be otherwise - are at their best for now. Via Digitaltheatre there is certainly more to see, including new adaptations of other classics and contemporary work from literary tradition. The best of Broadway can be followed closely via Broadwayhd.

Producing for digital theatre

Catching the new audience may require adjustments and new forms of creativity, starting as early as the writing of stage texts. There are also wishes for things that usually come with a bought quality DVD so that dhe whole mishmash of trailers, teasers and interviews, extras can be offered bundled on one platform. 

Given foreign developments, it seems at the moment that industry association NAPK can get to work for a new standard industry contract. The past since the introduction of the internet shows that change is often better embraced, rather than ignored. Tonight the National Opera with Die Walküre.

Podcast Theatreflix

Next week, colleague Wijbrand Schaap talks further with Tony Minnema and Emile Ripke of Theatreflix about rights and revenue models. Questions can be sent in.