Why Everyone Can Enjoy a Trip to the Theatre
- Published Date: June 21, 2019
Whether it’s a challenging new work, a literary classic, a spectacular musical, or a good old-fashioned panto, the theatre can offer something for everyone.
This is the principle behind ‘Kids Week’ in London, which returns again for 2019.
Despite the name, it actually runs for the entire month of August, during which a child who’s 16 or under can go to any participating show for free, where tickets are available, as long as they’re accompanied by a full paying adult.
You can find the full list of shows here: officiallondontheatre.com/kids-week/
Make sure to check the show’s age recommendation to make sure it’s suitable!
And, if you’re after a taster of all the fantastic musicals London has to offer, West End Live is also returning for 2019. Over 50 performances will be taking place in Trafalgar Square across the weekend. Find out more here: www.westendlive.co.uk/
But what about theatre the rest of the year?
More and more, theatre is becoming fun and accessible for everyone.
Earlier in 2019, Emilia was the first West End play to have a ‘parent and baby’ performance. This is something cinemas have been doing for a while, so it’s great to see the idea start to catch on in theatre.
The play was about the Renaissance poet Emilia Bassano. Some believe she was the “dark lady” Shakespeare mentions in many of his sonnets. She was also the first woman in England to publish a full poetry collection under her own name! The play flips Shakespearean tradition on its head by having an all-female cast.
Most theatres have ticket schemes for young people, offering special rates or discounts. Then there are ticket lotteries, which, as the name implies, are a bit of a gamble. It’s fun and easy to enter, but you have to stay on your toes as you never know if or when you’ll get a ticket. It’s good publicity for the shows, but it also helps bring people into the theatre who might not normally consider it.
While London has traditionally been the centre for theatre in the UK, that’s also been changing, with more touring productions and more money and talent investing in regional theatres than ever before.
If cost or travel are prohibitive, many theatres have also installed camera systems that can beam live relays of stage productions into cinemas. It’s not an identical experience to being in the theatre, but it comes very close. You can catch performances from the National Theatre, the Globe, and even Broadway from the comfort of your local cinema.
And finally, local amateur dramatics societies can also prove to be an unexpectedly rich source of good theatre. (Adds Marketing & Office Assistant Martin: “I still remember going to local productions of Daphne du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’ and Thomas Hardy’s ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ as a child. Heavy stuff, but it was thrilling seeing them come alive on stage!”)
Really, they’re never too young to start enjoying theatre!
Kids Week runs through the month of August at participating London shows. Find out more here.
Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page.