With so much content beaming freely across the web, consumers have never had such unfettered access to entertainment. Dilating bandwiths have meant data transfers have shrunk to infinitesimal speeds and, as entire fleets of pirate P2P websites and media data streamers career off all over the place, the notion of actually paying for entertainment is quickly becoming rather odious.
With a West End theatre seat costing you easily in excess of 20GBP, the economic future of live drama is looking decidedly well, shaky. Pair this with the increasing dependence that West End shows have on celebrity and many have forecasted murky waters ahead.
Matt Wolf from the Guardian describes the recent Hollywood invasion of the West End as the “visiting celebrity cavalcade” come to rescue the dwindling audiences dribbling through the gate. A few years ago, Sheriden Morley described in the New York Times how the influx of celebrity had “turned London audiences, once the best and most perceptive in the world, into mindless stargazers.”
Pretty stern stuff isn’t it? But then, that might not be the whole story. After all, can we really declare that traditional theatre has lost its bite?
It certainly hadn’t just over ten years ago, when Sarah Kane’s Blasted premiered at the Royal Court. The fury that splashed over the front pages of nearly every national newspaper the next morning was burnt into the mind of anyone that dar Continue reading »
Prague is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and the historic centre has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1992. For those wishing to experience the night-life, Prague offers a vast assortment of venues to suit most people’s tastes and is one of the cheapest places to go out in the EU. Perhaps the best reason to visit Prague however is to experience the theatre.
Prague’s strong tradition of theatre has played a significant part in preserving and developing the Czech cultural identity. Today the National Theatre consists of three artistic ensembles devoted to opera, ballet and drama, who alternate their performances between the historic buildings of the National Theatre, the Theatre of the Estates and in the Kolowrat Theatre. The venues select their repertoire from the rich Czech heritage as well as modern local and international works.
The National Theatre was opened in 1881 to honour the visit of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria. Despite experiencing a disastrous fire shortly thereafter, a national collection was quickly set up to rebuild it, and The National Theatre became one of the most important Czech cultural institutions, being maintained by the most distinguished personalities in Czech society. The theatre recently hosted a Gala Concert to mark the jubilee of its 125th season, which includes such works as ‘Norma’ by Vincenzo Bellini and ‘Car Continue reading »