Theatre bosses to live stream performances in bid to woo new audiences
The Royal Opera House is to pioneer a new initiative amongst theatres to live stream performances in an effort to lure a new generation of audiences into appreciating the delights of the stage.
Performances would be beamed over the internet ‘once or twice’ a year under the initiative, enabling the curious to view proceedings from the comfort of their home. This follows the success of Kasper Holten’s recent production of Don Giovanni in July, which drew 12,000 people to a live stream on Youtube.
Alex Beard, chief executive at Covent Garden commented: “I think it’s absolutely fundamental to our public service remit. We need to get the reach of these performances as wide as we can, always respecting the quality of the live experience.”
In the short term however Beard foresees greater demand for short snippets and behind the scenes footage rather than full productions until broadcast technology can overcome current limitations.