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Live Theatre Must Appeal To As Many People As Possible in Order To Survive

The play "A Mirror" by Sam Holcroft successfully appeals to a diverse audience through its themes of repression and self-expression, play within a play structure, use of live sound and set design. It addresses issues like censorship and personal freedom in a thought-provoking way. The performance utilized the space and flexible set effectively to create different settings. It also used live cello music to build atmosphere and tension. By engaging audiences on multiple levels through its story, themes, and innovative use of theatrical elements, the play demonstrates how live theatre can appeal broadly and ensure its survival.

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153 views1 page

Live Theatre Must Appeal To As Many People As Possible in Order To Survive

The play "A Mirror" by Sam Holcroft successfully appeals to a diverse audience through its themes of repression and self-expression, play within a play structure, use of live sound and set design. It addresses issues like censorship and personal freedom in a thought-provoking way. The performance utilized the space and flexible set effectively to create different settings. It also used live cello music to build atmosphere and tension. By engaging audiences on multiple levels through its story, themes, and innovative use of theatrical elements, the play demonstrates how live theatre can appeal broadly and ensure its survival.

Uploaded by

dani3llaxo10
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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'Live Theatre must appeal to as many people as possible in order to survive.

'

The play ‘A Mirror’ written by Sam Holcroft and performed at the Almeida Theatre appeals
to audiences by successfully employing various theatrical elements to engage a diverse
audience. The play's themes of repression and self-expression, play in a play structure, and
use of live sound and set design contribute to its broad appeal to a wide range of
theatregoers. It addresses relevant issues through social commentary such as censorship
and personal freedom, the play itself being a reflection with through its modernization of
the structure extending it to actors within actors eliciting and provoking questions and
critical thinking nevertheless displays the vitality of live theatre.

The use of the theatre space to mimic a wedding and then transition into different scenes
effectively engages the audience. The flexibility of the set allows for a wide range of settings,
highlighting the production's adaptability repurposing set seen in the actor’s workshop
where in the Adam played by Michael ward and Bax played by Geoffrey Streatfield where
they turn around the desk to create a trench when re-enacting the war scene from Bax’s
play. Which Thoroughly appealed to the audience with the use of spas having a funny
parody such as Bax’s play but then being broken out of that reality through Adams real
storytelling.

Throughout the play it proposes questions such as whether theatre should reflect reality or
be an escapism form further appealing to audiences through the philosophical ethos behind
it. In line with the themes of secrecy and censorship within heavily censored countries such
as North Korea which Holcroft took inspiration from. Propagated in the play through
creative set use of a secret tile from the floor harbouring illicit reading material,
Shakespeare. Reflecting theatres appeal to broad audience by addressing issues such as
censorship not only in controlled countries such as the post-modern dystopia in the play but
how writers often censor themselves to appeal to more audiences to survive.

The performance utilised sound featuring a solo cellist, Miriam Wakeling, through the use of
a looper and amplifier, the cellist created a captivating dissonant tones, captivating the
audience's senses. At one moment, the audience collectively recited 'The oath of allegiance,'
their voices blending with the cello's resonance. By the end of the play the cellos melody
was disrupted by the sound of approaching police and the real Chelik entering, Aron Neil,
when all who had participated in making the play were rounded up so was the cellist a
powerful and impactful choice. It left a lasting impression, reminding us that musicians, like
actors and writers, can face persecution adding a sense of urgency and tension to the
atmosphere appealing to audiences as it was an effective use of sound in a minimalistic
stripped production.
In conclusion, "A Mirror" by Sam Holcroft demonstrates how live theatre can effectively
appeal to a broad audience through its innovative plot twists and modernisation of aged
techniques. However, still engaging it audiences through moments of comedy coexisting
with tension points to present its message. Also through addressing relevant societal issues
and employing theatrical techniques that captivate viewers, this production showcases the
vitality of live theatre and its ability to survive and thrive by resonating with its audiences.

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