We know when audiences are behaving badly, but when are they behaving well?
Lyn Gardner wonders what exists between performers and audiences to create those “glorious nights”.
We've all experienced audiences behaving badly, whether it's talking on their mobile phones, coughing incessantly or even thinking that the theatre is the perfect place for a "private" performance. But what are the attributes of a good audience? I reckon it's much more than simply shutting up and slumping quietly in our seats.
At the Edinburgh fringe and beyond, it's increasingly common for a performer to silence the applause at the end, asking theatregoers to tell their friends about the show and to tweet if they've enjoyed themselves. Often these remarks are prefaced by the words "you've been a great audience." This acknowledges that it matters that we are there, that we are part of the theatrical equation and that audiences vary from night to night. But I suspect that, in some cases, we haven't been the greatest of audiences at all.
We've all experienced audiences behaving badly, whether it's talking on their mobile phones, coughing incessantly or even thinking that the theatre is the perfect place for a "private" performance. But what are the attributes of a good audience? I reckon it's much more than simply shutting up and slumping quietly in our seats.
At the Edinburgh fringe and beyond, it's increasingly common for a performer to silence the applause at the end, asking theatregoers to tell their friends about the show and to tweet if they've enjoyed themselves. Often these remarks are prefaced by the words "you've been a great audience." This acknowledges that it matters that we are there, that we are part of the theatrical equation and that audiences vary from night to night. But I suspect that, in some cases, we haven't been the greatest of audiences at all.