Carrying On – Online?

Image: Barbara Lowing and Roxanne McDonald in Rovers. Photographer: Katherine Lyall-Watson

With some of our theatres closing again for lockdown, it's a good time to check out what's been happening in the digital space. Beth Keehn takes a look.

A few years ago, when I was living in London, my twin sister Jane (in Perth) saw more productions by the UK's National Theatre (NT) than I did – simulcast at the cinema. In Australia, it's taken the global pandemic to move beyond dipping our toes in the digital waters – which is odd because NT have been broadcasting productions since 2009 and, as early as 2014, their research was cautiously optimistic that, rather than discourage audiences, on-screen productions made people more likely to venture into Theatreland in person. I recently spoke to some of the top artistic directors at theatre companies across Australia to get their view. Jane and I also review the online content we've been able to view together digitally coast-to-coast.

AUSTRALIAN THEATRE LIVE (ATLive)

The biggest news so far seems to be the contribution made by not-for-profit ATLive. The company was established six years ago by Grant Dodwell, Raj Sidju and Peter Hiscock with a mission to "make theatre accessible to arts lovers regardless of location, language or affordability". Currently available are half a dozen or so previous productions from Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, Apocalypse Theatre Co, Ensemble Theatre Company, Red Line Productions and Griffin Theatre Company, which can be rented for $15 or less for 72 hours. To show solidarity with theatres recently re-locked-down, the company has made some productions available to stream for free. Away was also screened at venues such as the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre in Bundaberg.

Away: Photographer: Pia Johnson

Grant Dodwell told me the company's work has increased threefold since 2019. With recent work including filmed performances of The Loves of Apollo & Dafne for Pinchgut Opera's new At Home line, independent theatre Rogue Projects and Critical Stages Touring (see You're Not Special below), and Queensland Theatre's Taming of the Shrew (see below), ATLive had the advantage of being digital-ready, and also of being on top of the latest performance rights and regulations to help theatre companies navigate any red tape.

Grant Dodwell told me: "We've spent months in the past getting to grips with performing rights and we have a contract with the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA). Ten years ago, it was a minefield, but we think we've set a best-practice industry standard now. Our agreements with the theatre company, performers and writers allows for wider distribution and screening beyond just the on-demand web space.

"Our distribution channels opened up with ABC iview screening five ATLive productions and our video on demand quadrupled in sales. Educational screening of Michael Gow’s AWAY increased twofold."

Image: Ursula Yovich and Steve Rodgers in Diving For Pearls. Photo by Brett Boardman.

The filmed productions are cinematically minded, but minus the multi-million dollar price tag. Some time ago ATLive told Stage Whispers that pre-production on a filmed stage play cost around $100,000 (see: www.stagewhispers.com.au/news/australian-national-theatre-live). While that is a small price to pay to put our local talent in front of a wider audience, it is a chunky budget that will be beyond some companies. Grant acknowledges the government's Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) funding for making some of their work possible in 2021. The group's bid for funding was successful in late 2020 which will support their mission to 'capture theatre for all Australians' by working in partnership with several major Australian theatre companies to make live performances accessible to rural and remote communities via pop-up cinemas.

The company will be adding to their on-demand catalogue in 2021 and beyond, and are currently in discussions with Mitchell Butel at State Theatre Company SA (see below), hoping to be involved in filming Finegan Kruckemyer's Hibernation at the Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre in August, and at least two other productions to film this year.

ATLive: australiantheatre.live/on-demand-2

STATES AT THE LEADING EDGE

Realistically, because of the costs, distribution infrastructure and existing education channels, it is our State theatres that are currently leading the charge to double down their digital offerings.

QT at Home

After finding an interstate and international audience for their Quality Time with QT online playreadings in 2020, QT have now expanded their digital universe with three filmed productions for 2021. Director Damien Ryan's film studio setting made his Taming of the Shrew a natural choice for QT's first foray into film in their new QT at Home package. ATLive used 10 cameras to capture the 12 cast members in live performance on the largest set ever built for the Bille Brown stage. An Auslan interpreted performance was included and the company made the digital download available to Queensland community care residences for free.

Image: Ellen Bailey, Claudia Ware and Patrick Jhanur in Taming of the Shrew. Photo: Brett Boardman.

Lee Lewis said she hopes the program "will become one of those Covid silver linings. People around the city, the state and the country who can’t make it to Brisbane can still share in some of the magic created in the Bille Brown Theatre. It’s been wonderful to have regional school students, who wouldn’t normally get to experience one of our productions, dive into Shakespeare and relish our classroom resources and activities, and build a love of theatre through the incredible performances of our cast. We were also touched that a cast members' grandmother who was ill, was able to see her granddaughter shine in a bedside screening. We look forward to continuing the Queensland Theatre at Home service later in the year.”

Filming Taming of the Shrew. Photo: Brett Boardman.

Audience reaction: 5/5: Taming of the Shrew is beautifully filmed and recorded cinematically with considered use of the camera capturing the all-important chemistry between the leading players. The sound design by Tony Brumpton is outstanding and captured crystal clear. Close-ups of the actors are seamlessly integrated with long-shots of the ensemble cast, clever moveable sets and stylish lighting. The $60 price tag may mean that some create at-home viewing parties, which is a fun idea. The Auslan interpreted version was superb, adding another layer to the performance.

Image: David Soncin, Anna McGahan and Nicholas Brown in Taming of the Shrew. Photographer: Brett Boardman.

The company's other two QT at Home productions in 2021 will be the world premiere of Steve Pirie’s award-winning Return to the Dirt and Robyn Archer: An Australian Songbook.

Queensland Theatre at Home: queenslandtheatre.com.au/digital

MTC Digital Theatre

Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC) launched a new on-demand streaming service in April 2021. MTC's Executive Director and Co-CEO, Virginia Lovett, said: "As we begin to build our own catalogue of filmed productions available to audiences Australia-wide, it is hoped that by increasing exposure to the performing arts through this digital platform we will break down barriers and open the door for new audiences to experience a live performance. Importantly, MTC Digital Theatre will also cater to local audiences who might otherwise not have access to theatre due to geographical, financial or health-related reasons."

Image: Berlin. Photographer: Jeff Busby.

Virginia also told the Sydney Morning Herald that, to help cover costs, the company is investigating partnerships with other major performing arts companies in Southbank. But they are also planning talks with major streaming platforms such as Stan or Netflix to reach a wider audience too. Virginia said: “I hope it will be a revolution for Australian theatre. Suddenly someone in Gippsland, Portland or far north Queensland can sample a show at Southbank at the click of a button. It’s going to break down barriers and hopefully encourage the next generation of theatregoers."

This year's on-demand productions include Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes by Hannah Moscovitch, and the world premiere of Joanna Murray-Smith's Berlin, directed by Iain Sinclair. Both were filmed by Arts Centre Melbourne’s Digital & Broadcast Team during the season at MTC’s Southbank Theatre. As per QT at Home, the filmed versions are available for short time after the mainstage run.

Image: Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes. Photographer: Jeff Busby

Audience reaction: 3/5: Berlin's two-character set-up make this play less complicated to film, its small set giving a proscenium view. But, despite a suitable amount of close-ups, the characters remain cold and distant with not so much chemistry to capture. Surprisingly, Berlin is quite wordy and the sort of play that would need rewriting for the screen. But this was a great way to see the production and, at $25 per ticket, it is an affordable option for viewers who prefer to take in their on-demand theatre solo.

MTC Digital Theatre: www.mtc.com.au/plays-and-tickets/whats-on/mtc-digital-theatre/

Sticking with Staying in with State Theatre SA?

In 2014, QT's Lee Lewis directed Mitchell Butel in her Griffin Theatre production of David Williamson's Emerald City, which is available on the ATLive website. Now Artistic Director at State Theatre Company South Australia, Mitchell Butel told me that his company is also thinking about future digital possibilities. The company's Stay in With State was very successful in 2020: "As a result of our huge digital project – Decameron 2.0 – in mid-2020, lots of new different artists have come into our fold. So there have been some really positive aspects to the Covid challenges. We don't want to go through it ever again, but it has been positive on some levels. Australian Theatre Live are doing a lot of things with Queensland Theatre and we are talking to them about possible projects too. It's really opened up a whole new audience to us – and continuing in that digital space is really important for us."  So, watch this space.

State Theatre SA: statetheatrecompany.com.au

BEST LAID SCHEMES FOR MICE AND MEN

Other companies are embracing the digi-sphere, either to continue creative development via tools such as Zoom, to promote upcoming tours, or to make full productions available online.

Thriving partnerships

One of the first companies to do cinematically filmed plays in 2020, The Street Theatre in Canberra now has a digital component. Artistic Director, Caroline Stacey told me that the pandemic was directly responsible for leading them into current media partnerships that they want to continue to build: "We are trying to hold on to everything we discovered last year and what we want to continue working with and growing. We have quite a bit of development work in our program and we have maintained about 50% in the online space – just so we can keep developing those skills in our sector here and continue the partnerships that we've entered in that digital space. We've committed to live-streaming at least one performance of the works that we're producing. And we are specifically making works for that space – that's one of our developmental projects this year."

The Street Theatre has a streaming space on their website, with an upcoming performance by Baby et Lulu (Abby Dobson and Lara Goodridge) to look forward to: thestreetdigital.org.au

Reaching the regions

A few years ago, Queensland character actors, Barbara Lowing and Roxanne McDonald, developed their fun two-hander, Rovers, (with Katherine Lyall-Watson and directed by Caroline Dunphy). When their regional tour become impossible, Belloo Creative released streamed webisodes by the two actors as they visited landmarks across Queensland, with videography by Shaun Charle.

Image: Barbara Lowing and Roxanne McDonald 

Critical Stages Touring (CST) made the episodes available in their online 'screening room' as part of their remit to make outstanding independent theatre available to regional and remote audiences. CST even opened up their screening room for free for a short time -– featuring the rural drama Lamb by Jane Bodie (with songs by Mark Seymour), performed at Queanbeyan Arts Centre, The Curve - readings of short plays performed at Fringe HQ in Sydney, and You're Not Special filmed at Kings Cross Theatre.

Audience reaction:

Rovers: 4/5: The short filmed Rovers pieces are heartwarming and fun. While the audio and video is closer to home cinema than Vistavision, the two leading ladies are so talented and endearing, the pieces act as a calling card to see these superb performers live.

You're Not Special: 3/5: by Sam O'Sullivan, directed by Samantha Young, filmed by ATLive in association with CST and Bakehouse Theatre. The audio quality was not as clear as other filmed works, but with the small cast, and footage directed live from just a few cameras, the close-ups of the main actors were engaging. I know most audience members won't want to be filmed (and I'm sure increases the rights red tape) but seeing the audience in the small Kings Cross theatre just makes me want to get out and be there in among the live action too.

Lamb: Unfortunately, a technical glitch on the company's website meant that Lamb was not able to be viewed, illustrating the down side of the technology revolution.  

Critical Stages Touring Screening Room: criticalstages.com.au/screening-room/

Reversing the trend: going live after online success

For some of our local theatre talent, the online performance space has provided an launchpad back to the real stage in 2021.

La Mama's Artistic Director, Liz Jones said that La Mama will be definitely be pursuing online ideas this year: "We are approaching more digital outputs in 2021 and we've just appointed an online producer for two days a week. Her first big challenge is to spend the weekend filming The Three Sisters which will then be available for all the schools that booked to see it. They'll also get the script and will be able to view a series of online forums."

Image: Seniors

La Mama was also inspired by a 2020 involvement with an online performance of Seniors Reimagined. Liz said: "It was a really beautiful moment in theatre. It was such a great idea and they really fit the medium to the message. Often theatre on video can feel very hollow, but I thought they achieved a real level of interaction and involvement – all done with our phones attached to light stands with elastic bands! We will be participating in the Seniors Festival in October this year but we'll be participating within a live production -– Dear Ida –  a series of letters home from soldiers in world war II, with dancing and music from the era. That performance was done digitally last year, but this year we are at the Courthouse live."

Image: Seniors Reimagined

La Mama: lamama.com.au/whats-on

One of the first companies to showcase talented performers online during the 2020 was The Little Red Company. Their Iso Late Late Show was a popular free streamed weekly variety show that was 'on air' within 48 hours of the national venue lockdown. As well as raising $110,000 for the Actors’ and Entertainers’ Benevolent Fund (QLD) and providing a showcase for Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra and a range of celebrity cameos from Katie Noonan to Brian Cadd, the show's creators, Naomi Price and Luke Kennedy presented a live version of their show at The Tivoli for the Brisbane Festival in September 2020. They have been enlisted by the Brisbane City Council to produce the Lord Mayor's Christmas Carols for 2021 and beyond, and to present Little Red Street Serenades at the Brisbane Festival 2021.

Image: Naomi Price.

Little Red Company: www.thelittleredcompany.com/

STAYING OFFLINE

Some companies are staying shy of the digital sphere. Malthouse's Engine Room blog takes readers behind the scenes of the creative process, and is crying out to be a video forum. The Top End has seen no need to go digi, with the Darwin Festival and its Fringe equivalent continuing in a very much live format at the Darwin Entertainment Centre. The Darwin Theatre Company are collaborating with National Trust Northern Territory and Arafura Music in a Louvred Lounge series that presents play readings and music in the intimate setting of historic Audit House. The story is similar in Tasmania. While the Tasmanian Theatre Company does have video snippets of creative development, there is no on-demand view offering. The Theatre Royal's Tasmanian Songbook Project is the sort of event that would work well online, but, for some companies, the digital space is just not where they want to be.

Sydney Theatre Company

At Sydney Theatre Company (STC) their 'virtual space' showcases emerging writers, but it looks as if it hasn't been updated since 2020. The site explicitly points out why STC won't be streaming archival productions: "Theatre is an artform of the now. Every performance is different and helps us define and explore a particular moment in time... Our performances are recorded for archival purposes ... They are not recorded at anywhere near the quality that would be required for public viewing. We also do not have the rights from playwrights and other artists to make them publicly accessible."

STC Virtual: www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stc-virtual

Red Line Productions

Vanessa Wright, Executive Director at Red Line Productions said that, while they were the first company to do a global livestreamed play during the lockdown in 2020, they don't necessarily want to continue to blaze that trail: "We were the first to work over two different continents – with Gruesome Playground Injuries (featuring Rose Byrne and Ewen Leslie) and Orphans (featuring Alec Baldwin), the first in the world to come up with the idea of putting a show on live online – and we did a few of those shows during the pandemic. But we were just lucky enough that we were able to open the theatre again and the industry could start functioning again. Once we were able to open our theatre, we didn't feel we needed to continue with digital this year, but we do have some more ideas that we could possibly do online in the future."

Red Line Productions: www.redlineproductions.com.au

Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA

Rick Heath, Executive Director at Black Swan in Perth said: "At Black Swan, we feel quite strongly about that sense of assembly you get from gathering a group of people together –  it's great to be able to do in online, but it's not what we do as theatre makers. It is always going to feel a bit like the B-version if you're not in the room together...and the streaming cost is very high."

DIGITAL = DIVERSITY

While we get caught up in debates about the new technology, its costs and benefits, it's easy to forget that the increased digital space has been an advantage for a diverse range of theatre viewers and practitioners, including people with disabilities and neurodiverse audiences who can enjoy theatre without the distractions of the live venue.

Liz Martin, Arts Development and Training Manager at Accessible Arts. Liz said: "The talk in our community has been that they've had more access to events, theatre, and other types of performances because of online streaming. However, people are a little bit nervous about the world reopening up and forgetting about the value of providing online performances. It's definitely worth encouraging theatre companies to continue to explore the digital space and deliver online events. Also, there's a saying – if you get it right for people with disabilities you get it right for everyone – so, if companies continue to provide online events, and more companies take up that option, then they are providing opportunities to larger audiences."

To help arts groups get to grips with the technology to maximise accessibility, Accessible Arts developed online training which covers creative development, rehearsals, theatre performances, workshops, meetings and conferences.

Accessible Arts - Being Accessible Online Workshop: https://aarts.net.au/being-accessible-online-workshop-2/