willc.me

Tonight I went to the theatre to see the play War Horse. It’s been a while since I’ve been, but I enjoyed. But for a few things.

Theatre is one of the great arts. It’s moving and live. Actors live their parts in front of you allowing you to connect in a truly unique way.

And it is a truly ancient form of entertainment. Though going these days seems novel. A special occasion. It’s something different and more expensive than that you are used to.

But despite War Horse being a great and moving play I couldn’t help but feeling slightly detached. More than once I found myself studying the auditorium or looking at faces in the crowd.

And that can’t be good. Maybe it says something about our generation. We don’t have the necessary attention span. We’re used to watching movies where the action is without exiting stage right or stage left.

That and the fact that the average audience age is prehistoric. Bar a school trip that looked catatonic. I had some peanuts (don’t ask why) and the quiet rustling of the bag as I put it in my pocket bought dismayed frowns and stares from the legions of theatre snobs.

Having gone tonight I was left with a slight sense of foreboding. What will happen when the geriatrics in the audience go to meet their maker? Who will fill the vast auditoriums? I highly doubt it’ll be the school kids passed out in the stalls.