From our Female Correspondent: Tina on the future of UK theatre

“As a small business, it’s incredibly difficult without funding. My day job has to pay for my life and my son’s life and it also has to pay for the business –it is purely the passion that carries you through.”

Starting a business from scratch, on your own, alongside your day job… already sounds like a lot of hard work. Add to that the fact that your business centres on one of the industries hit hardest by the pandemic and you might decide not to bother. “It’s very important in life to strike a balance between what pays the bills and what you love.” So says Tina, this week’s interviewee and founder of alternative entertainment directory, Velvet Box Office.

The concept for VBO is simple: a one-stop shop for finding a London show with a difference. If you’re looking for burlesque, cabaret, spoken word, physical theatre, quirky kids’ shows or magic – this is where you will find it.

How VBO found its niche

“What sparked the idea was being at the Edinburgh Fringe and seeing artists who would tell me that they were performing in London and I should come to those shows.” Back home, however, Tina would find it impossible to track down the show they meant. Performers might mention the show on social media, but neglect to update their website. Or you could search for the venue they mentioned, but struggle to find the show you were looking for among the hundreds they had on. There was no one platform for it all.

 “There was a definite gap in the market,” says Tina. “Especially since Time Out shelved its cabaret page several years ago.” This made it easier to build an audience, though getting artists on side was an uphill battle. For one thing, performers hate admin, and rarely take the initiative to contact VBO with upcoming shows. “Also, the London alternative scene is a very close-knit group – they didn’t want to let me in because I wasn’t from the theatre industry initially.”

She won them over eventually – “because I’ve proven that I’m not going away!” – and has earned recognition and respect for the work she is doing to help alternative entertainment flourish. “My favourite thing about running VBO is knowing that I am helping these artists and that I’m acknowledged for that. Success in the arts isn’t measure by what’s in your bank account.”

UK theatre scene under threat

Which is just as well, as the financial pay-off is minimal. Fringe theatre has never been a cash cow, and Tina keeps VBO afloat with money she earns from her day job in marketing and an unlimited supply of passion. But how far will passion go in a post-COVID world?

Since the UK went into lockdown in March, the theatre industry has been devastated by the loss of earnings and total uncertainty about its future. A recent report by Oxford Economics has suggested that 400,000 theatre jobs could be lost, with 70% of theatres warning they will run out of cash by the end of the year.

In early June, 98 cultural figures (including Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge, The Wire’s Wendell Pierce, playwright Tom Stoppard and choreographer Matthew Bourne) signed a letter to chancellor Rishi Sunak warning of the threat to theatre, opera and dance. The government has since released a roadmap for the return of live theatre, but critics remain unimpressed due to a lack of firm dates or monetary support.

Tina with singer, composer, and performer Miss Hope Springs

Alternative theatre must adapt to survive

And a situation which is dire for the West End and large national theatres is significantly worse for the UK’s multitude of indie venues and fringe theatre companies. I ask Tina how the future looks for the alternative scene. “I think a lot of theatres will be closing – the fringe venues just won’t survive, especially if social distancing continues. Lots of the theatres we list need to be sold out for several nights in order to make any money at all.”

She believes that getting alternative theatre back on its feet will require flexibility on all sides. “I don’t think the alternative scene will ever disappear, because there will always be certain people who have the money to fund their own productions, but I think it’s possible a lot of acts will happen more at festivals than individual venues like Hoxton Hall or Jackson’s Lane.” Companies often run one-off shows, which net almost no money whatsoever and this, she says, will need to change, as will the attitudes of venues. “In the past, some venues would rather stay empty than put on a show which isn’t their normal thing, but if they want to survive they will have to adapt, welcome different genres, and grab the deals where they are.”

Whether these changes open up UK theatre to a more diverse range of productions, or whether they close the door to anyone who can’t bear the brunt financially remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that digital platforms like Zoom aren’t going anywhere – even for cabaret.

“Lots of performers have been getting creative with their offerings online. Showman Reuben Kaye has been doing a show called ‘Un-wine-d’ which is a guided meditation with wine pairing. Boylesque performer, John Celestus has been doing contortion and stretch workshops. And there are lots of cabaret and burlesque shows on.”

Tina with diva and psychic Seayonce

The secret to a good digital show

These shows are mostly free, though some allow punters to tip. Cabaret comedian Marcel Lucont has devised a smart two-tier ticketing service where super-fans can pay more for a “front row” Zoom seat to enjoy the perks of audience interaction from their own homes. But, as we mentioned, the pay isn’t really the point. “These online shows are to keep performers’ names out there and to keep them making their art. That’s what it’s all about really, this business isn’t about making money to them.”

Should online shows become a permanent fixture, however, money will start mattering. And if performers want to start earning their keep in this way, these perforences will have to become a lot more polished. “People like Reuben Kaye can carry home shows with the force of their personality, but even he has a script written before he begins. People like Miss Kiddy and the Cads or Phoenix Arts Club are putting on some great shows – but I’ve watched some which have been shockingly bad.” Digital shows need an extra layer of polish, which means excellent video editing skills and, wherever possible, pre-recording. Live audiences offer a body to bounce off, a buzz to feed the performer with energy. Without that atmosphere, and without a tight plan, online shows risk being riddled with awkward pauses and technical difficulties.

“You can never replace a live show with an online one – you’re totally missing the buzz, the atmosphere, the vibe of people sitting around you. I’ve noticed that shows that I’ve been watching online – even some of the big ones – haven’t had anywhere near the number of viewers I would have expected. It’s just not an experience you can replicate.”

So where does this scary new world leave VBO? “I think all we can do is keep calm and carry on. We’ll continue to promote online shows, spread the word, and share clips of artists doing their thing. It’s all we can do. As long as these performers are around, VBO will continue to be the voice of the alternative theatre scene.”