Theatre streaming is not a threat to in-person attendance, new research shows

Report suggests that popular initiatives such as NT Live and NT at Home are making UK audiences more adventurous Theatre streaming services and cinema screenings of stage performances are not a threat to “in-person” attendance and are making audiences more adventurous, according to new research commissioned by the National Theatre. Introducing the findings on Monday, the NT’s director, Indhu Rubasingham, said that the boom in filmed theatre had raised major questions including the concern that popular initiatives such as NT Live and NT at Home would have a negative impact on live attendance. The organisation commissioned research by the agency Indigo to learn more about audiences’ attitudes to filmed theatre. When asked about the specific benefits of watching theatre at home, the second most popular response to Indigo’s survey was “I can discover new performances I hadn’t considered before”. The most appealing benefit was “I can watch at my own convenience” – including the ability to pause a performance and return to it later. Other popular benefits were the ability to rewatch a show that the viewer had already enjoyed live in the theatre and the chance to watch more performances t