The Devil You Know

Choosing a play to produce can be harder than one might think.

A script has to speak to me from beyond.

I’ve spent too many years as a young actress going in as many shows as I could and sometimes regretting it. I know that the hours of your life that go into directing, both in and beyond the rehearsal space, are far too costly to be spent on a play that’s simply ok.

I troll through dozens of sample scripts, waiting for that character, that moment, that story to ascend the page.

I love a tale that’s niche or a script that’s authentic - maybe something that hasn’t been done before that I can make my own.

But there’s a sacrifice. The audience.

Plays that share important messages, push boundaries and encourage new demographics are enjoyable and inspirational to direct, but do they get ‘bums on seats’? Can theatre companies afford a leap of faith? Or is it a case of better the devil you know?

Recently, the Australian tour of Beetlejuice the Musical was cancelled due to ‘a more cautious consumer environment’ and ‘increasing cast pressures.’

You would think that a musical rendition of the cult classic film would have die hard fans lining up to cross over, but even this couldn’t sway enough of a crowd.

And those pearly gates of theatres all over Sydney are feeling the heat. Tickets are on sale everywhere - from Anastasia to Come Alive, there seem to be bargains a plenty.

As a mum of two drama kids, I’m certainly not complaining. To get seats in the stalls of The Lion King, my family would be looking at $860. That’s without petrol, parking or a peanut!

The fact is, though, that productions like The Lion King still draw a crowd because they’re a known entity. You go there expecting an Eden of angelic singing animals and that’s what you get. Albeit with empty pockets.

This is one of the reasons community theatre is vital. 

A true community group does not pay anyone other than the publisher for the rights to produce. Theoretically, the ticket sales should cover overheads like rent, sets, costumes and general expenses, and perhaps allow a little profit to produce the next play.

Audiences can access the felicity of theatre without the perdition of being penniless.

And this means that companies can produce plays that are new, unusual or even unheard of, and come out relatively unscathed.

But I know of companies at the mercy of local councils who really do rob Peter to pay Paul. These councils like to be seen to support the wider community by displaying their vested interest in the arts, yet they virtually send groups to the grave with the abyss of bills and charges to simply rent a space. 

So how do these groups survive? Ticket prices rise and they make sure they choose plays that will sell.

It’s one of the reasons why the same play can be produced in a 60km radius more than 3 times in one year.

But really, how many times can we go and see Mamma Mia?

As a regular theatre goer, I like variety.

There is a sort of paradise in going to see a play you know nothing about. You really can immerse yourself and allow the will of the director to lead you to salvation.

As a youth who didn’t know the true story, I was shaken to the core after seeing The Women of Lockerbie locally. I had no idea of the tremendous power a play could wield over me. The memory of those Scottish hills still lingers even now.

And I think that even the revelation of humanity through an old tale told in new and unexpected ways really can bring a form of illumination like no other. 

A fiendish mix of a haunting score, intimate acting and a flaming set left my friend and I speechless after watching Shake and Stir’s Jane Eyre years ago. A tale we knew as girls was given celestial life.

It’s why I didn’t hesitate to direct Wendy Kesselman’s adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank. We all know the story, but this rendition grounded itself in Anne’s very words - a divine messenger speaking the truth of tragedy and hope across generations. Her story had to be told with new breath. 

But none of these shows sold out.

A sacrifice was made.

It was made for those who come to the theatre for something more than just entertainment. They come seeking enlightenment.

Sure, big shows and known shows do put ‘bums on seats’, particularly if the tickets are cheap enough. But I think we’re all looking for that character or that moment or that story that ascends the stage.

Will I direct again?

Absolutely. 

But I’ll find a piece of heaven.

And I will NEVER sell my soul.