Creation Theatre urges productions to embrace digital technology - BBC News

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Annabelle Terry acting in Grimm Tales from home

The theatre industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, but one company is thriving after embracing digital technology. Creation Theatre is urging other companies to follow its example, and says its online plays are good for the environment too.

"My internet cut out just as I was about to do my big speech and I went into panic mode."

Annabelle Terry is a veteran of six Creation Theatre digital productions now.

She has played the co-lead in Romeo and Juliet, and she's been both the Wicked Witch and the Wizard of Oz.

But her first experience of this new way of working was on The Tempest.

"It's become second nature to me now but when we took the plunge to do digital theatre it was slightly bizarre," she said.

"I was ringing the director and asking 'what do I do?' But you need to ride the wave and stay calm."

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz performed virtually by Creation Theatre

Chief executive Lucy Askew said the company "pivoted really quickly" after its live theatre plans were curtailed by the March 2020 lockdown.

It reunited the cast of the Shakespeare play at short notice and they performed it at home, over Zoom with virtual backgrounds.

Their lockdown version of The Tempest was critically acclaimed, and also reached audiences around the world.

The New York Times marvelled at how "this brave new world felt comfortingly like the old one, except that when I hit grid view I could see other spectators, seated on various sofas, some of them snarfing Cadbury mini eggs".

Ms Askew says the production's success showed the potential of what could be achieved in this new virtual world.

"It created a feeling that there were so many more things we wanted to explore, so many more opportunities in this digital medium, and we were in love with it as a space to play."

Since then Creation hasn't looked back. After successfully bidding for £165,000 from Innovate UK to build its own digital platform, it has staged 15 digital shows over the last year, which it believes is more than any other organisation.

The Oxford-based theatre company, renowned in the city for its outdoor productions, has been around since 1997.

But Ms Askew said the company was "incredibly lucky" if its plays ever covered their costs.

"Rarely they make a small profit, most of them operate at a small loss," she said.

"You're always limited by the number of people you can safely get, by the length of the runs that you can do the show for, and we're very badly hit by weather too.

"Digital theatre removes a lot of those finite restrictions.

"We can get big audiences in and it still feels just as intimate, we're all in the best seat.

"It's much easier to put in extra performances and extend runs and find other ways for the audience to access the work."

With tickets sold "per device", digital plays can be more cost-effective for that audience too. A family can watch on one screen for £20, whereas individual theatre tickets can cost up to £25.

But most of all, Creation is proud to be reducing its impact on the environment.

It estimates watching a production digitally results in a 98% reduction in carbon emissions.

"It's all very well having biodegradable cups on the bar or taking a costume to a recycling centre, but you are knowingly ignoring the fact that most of your professional career is trying to persuade people to travel," Ms Askew said.

"It involves our performers and artistic teams and audiences travelling, and is the most significant thing we do as an industry to affect the environment."

Creation Theatre digital performance of Keeping up with Kassandra

Creation's digital productions work similarly to live television shows, with its use of live performers, video links, and audience participation.

Audience members even fell down rabbit holes during a production of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland thanks to digital wizardry.

Ms Askew described a "feeling of community together, that we're all laughing together, or we're all existing watching this show together at this moment in time".

And as the theatre world tries to return to some kind of normality, Creation's plan is to adopt digital seasons every year, as well as continuing with live theatre.

"If all theatres looked at having a digital season or replacing one or two shows then we could really start to have an impact in reducing the number of cars we're putting on the road," Ms Askew said.

"While the pandemic has been catastrophic for so many people in the performing industries, we need to be looking at new business models and new ways of working.

"What we were doing before wasn't working, and wasn't reaching audiences as effectively as we want to."

Annabelle Terry admits there is no feeling quite like standing in front of a live audience in a theatre.

"The buzz and the energy of feeding off one another is literally the reason I got into acting. It's amazing, and I love it, it's a real a connection you have.

"But digital theatre can go hand-in-hand with the theatre which we all love and can't wait to get back to. It's another brilliant avenue for everyone.

"I think it's incredible and it'll hopefully continue to co-exist with traditional theatre."