In the third of our series looking at the arts world of the future, Roger Tomlinson and Chris Baldwin reflect on the arts spaces of the 21st century.
The relationship between the performer and the audience has hardly changed in 2000 years. The Greeks and Romans largely perfected it. Mainly this is due to ergonomics: there is a limit to the distances and angles by which performers can communicate to audiences. Architects continue to explore the parameters, still trying to improve upon them, and Sir Peter Hall famously identified the point of command that position where a performer can command the attention of the whole audience.
The attempts in the West End to introduce non-live performers prove this whether it is a Sir Laurence Olivier hologram or a Frank Sinatra video because the effect is intended to achieve as realistic an experience as possible. And seeing and hearing is of primary importance to that.
Sight and sound
Technology is now well established in almost all but the simplest of presentations voice reinforcement and digital enhancements are the everyday tools of the sound engineer, raising the level of the auditorium experience to that of the studio mix. In stadia, ever-better sound systems combined with huge projection screens provide the close-ups to create the relationship with the artists, when the audience cannot otherwise see.
Sound and video is bound to expand further. Seat-back screens are not only to be found in-flight and in cars, but could soon appear in venues. They can carry advertising, welcoming and promotional messages. They could offer interpretative information, sur-titles or close-ups. Does this undermine the link between performer and audience? Not necessarily. Some concert halls offer the hand-held Concert Companion with video and interpretative information. Others use large plasma screens for audiences in restricted view seats, where they can hear but not see clearly. These and other assistive technologies can, of course, transform the experience for attenders with special needs.
However, venues often have to work within a narrow range of physical parameters. Even less flexible is the format of the concert hall, although electronic tuning means we will now have music and drama presented in the same auditorium with the appropriate reverberation time. What constitutes a performance space, of course, varies across the world. In the UK we have some excellent examples of theatre-in-the-round, such as the Royal Exchange in Manchester and the New Vic in Stoke-on-Trent, and for the live drama performance it still surprises us that this natural form is not deployed more.
Should drama seek to exploit non-televisual settings? In the US, the dinner theatre has retained its popularity, with the audience seated around tables, tiered to give clear sight-lines, waiter-served throughout. Las Vegas has taken this to the ultimate degree: large-scale performance to a tabled audience. It is likely that the introduction of casino resorts could lead to such venues here. Kenneth Tynan famously described this as requiring high definition performance: technical acting skills, personality and charisma overcoming the traditional limitations of those ergonomics. However, the audience that is sitting in the seats is also leading to some subtle changes. People are getting taller and broader. Seats are wider and leg-room is increasing. Audiences expect larger seats and sofa comfort: an interesting design challenge.
Audience experience
There has been a steady reduction in the numbers of people accommodated in traditional venues, yet there is a strong argument for retaining the group consciousness of the audience enjoying the event together, especially those who want to retain the Georgian to Victorian venue form of papering the walls with people. There is no doubt that this enhances the experience of live theatre. There is a danger of loss of atmosphere from expanding audience spacing. Audiences are also becoming more demanding about clear sight-lines, so concert halls in particular are providing tiered seating wherever possible. New solutions are being developed to fold away seats and exploit retractable seating.
Venues can be changed into different forms with increasing mechanisation. We see this flexibility enabling communities that can only afford one venue having one that can be flat floored or have raked seating, can be part standing for rock/pop and prom-style events, or be a theatre with stage and orchestra pit. The Arts Depot at Tally Ho Corner in London (pictured) illustrates this. The chameleon venue, where every possible use of the single space is exploited, is already happening in commercial establishments, starting the day as brasseries, becoming restaurant/entertainment venues in the evenings, and ending the day as night-clubs. Could we see the future arts centre having exhibition and performance spaces that are one and the same white box by day and black box at night, equally able to be a gallery and/or café or fully equipped performance space?
Social space
Though historically the changes in spaces are modest, venues can now call upon technology and a variety of performance opportunities to bring a wider range of experiences to audiences the De La Guarda production team are back at the Roundhouse, with Fuerzabruta, which turns into a nightclub with DJs after some performances. But in the 21st century, the biggest changes are going to be outside the auditorium. Speed of entrance and exit is clearly a factor, with more people arriving later, and more wanting to circulate. Side walls made of doors as at the Barbican Theatre in London or De Singel in Antwerp help people move quickly in and out. UK venues have always had smaller foyers, bar and catering areas than in Europe. Guidelines suggest a square metre per person in the UK, compared with 1.5 square metres elsewhere. Imagine the whole audience being able to leave the auditorium in the interval and all be served with their refreshments. This becomes particularly important for audiences who see the social experience as of equal importance to the event, so want to enjoy their time outside the performance space. But ultimately, isnt it whats on stage that counts?
Roger Tomlinson and Chris Baldwin are Directors of ACT Consultant Services.
t: 01954 210766;
w: http://www.actconsultantservices.co.uk.
The 2020 Vision series has been commissioned by Robert Sanderson, Director of the consultancy Arts Portfolio, which works with clients to help them develop a more positive future.
e: robertsanderson@btinternet.com;
w: http://www.artsportfolio.co.uk