From college students and families to older theatre-goers and first-time viewers, everyone is potentially a theatre-goer in Delhi. But the challenge is in getting them to a show. It is also about making them return week after week.
Ajith G Maniyan, secretary of Vriksh - The Theatre, Delhi, says he has seen children, young people, middle-aged viewers and senior citizens attend certain plays regularly. Meanwhile, Anuradha Dar of Three Arts Club says her shows have even had viewers in their 90s, with three generations sometimes sitting together.
The reasons that bring audiences to a play, however, vary. A well-known director or a known subject can make people curious about a production. Celebrity actors can also make a significant difference. Maniyan notes that productions featuring well-known film and television actors often attract large audiences, with some shows running to packed houses and even having two performances a day. He adds that independent groups and young theatre practitioners, meanwhile, can struggle to fill auditoriums despite putting up good productions.
Who can afford theatre?
Chitra, an architect, enjoys watching theatre whenever she gets the time. She says she has noted that well-known productions at venues such as Kamani Auditorium attract a largely adult audience, including people who are willing to spend more on higher-priced tickets. Smaller venues such as Sangeet Natak Akademi and Akshara Theatre, meanwhile, have their own regular audiences. Some older viewers have become regulars at these spaces, while established plays and theatre groups can also build a loyal following over time.
However, for younger viewers, the price of a ticket can be a concern. Anjali, a college student currently attending a short course at the National School of Drama, says she sees both college students and people aged 40 and above at theatre performances but ticket prices can influence who attends. While some performances offer free entry, tickets priced at ₹300 or ₹500 can make it difficult for younger audiences to attend regularly.
Tickets for large-scale productions can cost a packet, adds Chitra. She mentions that front-row tickets for some Mandi House productions, such as Humare Ram, can cost several thousand rupees, putting such shows beyond the reach of many. According to BookMyShow, front-row seats for Humare Ram cost ₹8,999. Meanwhile, tickets for Pankaj Kapur’s upcoming, Dreamz start at ₹2,499, while the front row is available for ₹6,499.
Dar believes location and timing are additional barriers. “Travelling to a theatre can be a commitment in itself. Timing is another issue, particularly for working people and families.” Three Arts Club sometimes holds free performances to make theatre more accessible, she says.
Through social media
Social media has added another route for people to discover theatre. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, along with ticketing platforms such as BookMyShow, are now important parts of theatre publicity. Posters and publicity around Mandi House continue to play a role too.
Chitra points out that social media has also made theatre more visible to younger people. She has noticed that going to watch theatre has even become a new social ‘trend’ for some young people.
But social media does not necessarily assure a regular audience. Dar says that while social media can create awareness, word of mouth remains important.
“In our experience, once people have enjoyed a production, they often recommend it to their friends and family,” she tells TMS. “Over time people also develop a liking for a particular kind of production or a theatre group and become a regular audience.”
Maniyan has, however, noticed a change in viewing habits. He describes the rise of a “micro-viewing culture”, where audiences, particularly some younger viewers, are increasingly getting used to short-form content. “Many people today are accustomed to consuming entertainment in a few seconds or minutes through reels. The patience to sit through a two-hour theatrical performance appears to be decreasing among certain sections of the younger generation,” he highlights.
The cost of putting up
On the other hand, for theatre practitioners, ticket revenue is not simply about making a profit. It can be necessary for putting up a production. Snigdha Mandal, a Theatre-in-Education practitioner at NSD, says theatre groups have to deal with the high cost of renting halls and producing shows. For smaller groups, keeping ticket prices low while covering these expenses can be difficult. She adds that financial problems can even force a group to shut down.
The challenge is ensuring that different audiences can find theatre, reach the venues and afford the tickets. For Mandal, one part of the answer lies in better marketing. She says theatre practitioners often focus heavily on their craft but are not necessarily taught how to promote their work. In an increasingly crowded entertainment market, she believes reaching an audience has become an essential part of putting up a production.
The pull of live theatre
For some viewers, what keeps them returning is the experience of seeing a performance unfold in front of them. Chitra says that live theatre gives a sense of immediacy that films and OTT platforms cannot provide.
It is, perhaps, this sense of unpredictability and the fact that no two performances are alike, that still keeps the theatre-going experience special.