Calling all StageSider’s, welcome back to another installment of StageSide Stories, where we give you the a back stage pass and ask creatives from around the world some of those burning questions. In this installment, we got to ask Aaron Weight, Digital Theatre Manager for Original Theatre, a few questions about his role at Original and understand what digital theatre actually is.
Digital theatre seems like quite a common thing these days, with various platforms and companies recording shows and allowing audiences to stream them from the comfort of their own home. With a national lockdown as a catalyst, I think it would be fair to say that some companies and venues did this as a way to get by. But digital / streamed theatre stuck around, as venues and companies saw the amount of people that accessed it continue to grow, even as we left lockdown. I for one saw many a show online, with Original Theatre being one of the companies I had the pleasure of seeing. It was great to get a version of that theatre experience whilst stuck at home. I consumed so many streamed shows over Lockdown, I think I was a bit hooked. I am really glad I got to ask Aaron some questions about digital theatre, and how it works at Original. Let’s see what he said, shall we?
Please could you introduce yourself, your role at Original Theatre and what your typical tasks or responsibilities are?
Hi, I’m Aaron, I’m the new Digital Theatre Manager for Original Online. I’m in charge of looking after all the online streaming we do, maintaining the website and also liaising directly with our lovely Members. Plus, I help arrange all of the extra content we can offer for them including members nights and exclusive backstage videos.
Could you share your background and how you initially got involved in theatre, as well as your journey to becoming the Digital Theatre Manager at Original Theatre?
Sure, it’s a bit of a roundabout path for me, actually! I’ve worked in Digital Media and Marketing for about 15 years (at least!) as a filmmaker and photographer, including some lovely contracts with various theatres and touring companies. About 6 years ago now, I got my first full-time job working in a theatre doing marketing, at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, and I knew I’d found my home. Sadly, a very big worldwide something happened in 2020 which meant I had to move on for a bit, until I found a new home at New Wolsey Theatre in late 2021. Skip ahead to early 2023 and I applied for the Digital Theatre Manager role at Original Theatre, got down to the last two in consideration but missed out to the other candidate…until he recently moved on again himself (with a very exciting Hollywood opportunity, I believe!) and I was offered the role in his place. Weirdly the exact same thing happened to me when I got the job at Theatre Royal so it all feels rather comfortably fateful…! Digital theatre has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the pandemic sparking lots of streamed performances and Zoom concerts.
What inspired you to work in this niche, and what are some of the most memorable projects you’ve experienced/are working on in the world of digital theatre?
Digital Theatre certainly did kick off in a major way as a result of the challenges we faced during those times, it provided a very valuable “lifeline” of sorts, for audiences and more importantly for theatres and producing companies like Original. Everyone very quickly adapted to make the best of the situation and came up with some very wonderful ways of using the medium, as we would expect with an industry like ours. I think the standout production I saw during lockdowns was by Les Enfants Terribles, The Prism-where you could choose your path through a series of “rooms”, each of which containing a short performance from a great variety of quirky characters-that was delightful! I also had a friend who created escape room experiences played exclusively online via Zoom, one of which involved us sending her silly-faced selfies to be allowed to move on, and some of my other friends who are theatre producers themselves created online specific shows for their audiences. I run an improvised comedy group, Insert Laughter Here, and we too tried our hand at some live-streamed shows in those times, but unfortunately it’s a bit more difficult to improvise from audience suggestions without an actual audience present, and the only laughter came from the performers laughing at each other. Productive, but odd. But now to the present, and Original Theatre are continuing to focus on their digital output, having been another major player for online events in lockdowns, we are still hosting a lot of those productions on our newly revamped service-Original Theatre Online-but also looking at adding new shows to the roster, plus exclusive extra content for our members (subscribers to our service, from £8.99/m) such as special events where they can meet cast and creatives, or Q&As hosted online (and soon in person!)
How do you think digital theatre has changed and evolved, and what are some key lessons you’ve learned from your past experiences in this field?
It’s absolutely come on leaps and bounds even in such a short space of time as the last few years. We went from very rarely seeing any publicly-available recorded theatre ever, to having a massive boom of online content available. Hamilton Disney+, The National Theatre-first via YouTube and more recently via their own platform-and a whole host of other live-streamed content too. It was interesting particularly from a live broadcast perspective, obviously live television is nothing new for major channels, but for so many “smaller” organisations to take steps into producing and presenting live content was such a wonderful renaissance in my view. With technology at the state it is these days, it has never been more of a breeding ground for online theatre, and that brings a lot of accessibility benefits along with it too, I think. People who couldn’t get to the theatres during lockdowns were able to see performances from their own home, but even now some people aren’t wanting (or able) to get back to theatres, so to have an option they can still use is incredibly liberating. I think the biggest lesson to learn from all of this is that online content isn’t as much of a wall to get over as it used to be, I’ve been so grateful to be a part of several companies’ journeys into the world of online theatre, and I’m so pleased to have another opportunity to work in the field with Original Online.
With your background in theatre, can you highlight any innovative or creative approaches you’ve taken to capture the essence of live theatre in a digital format?
I feel like it’s a real boon to be able to make use of digital media in presenting theatrical works, it presents a great opportunity to take a vibrant art form and really stretch the definition of what’s possible to do.Theatre by its very nature is all about the present, the“now” and the truth of what is happening on stage–digital media gives us the opportunity to change those into preservation of the moments, making a record of something that has happened so that it can continue to be enjoyed long after the moment of now has passed. For me it’s always important to include the audience in recordings like this, to help present and emulate that full experience. Speaking to my comedy roots, there’s nothing quite like a room full of people laughing at a show together; but also, it’s good to be able to hear the gasps and maybe even the screams depending on what sort of show you’re watching.
Original Theatre is known for its live stage productions with star-studded casts. How do you approach the process of translating a traditional stage show to a digital streaming platform, ensuring it retains its artistic integrity?
One of the most important aims for Original is that we present content that’s as high quality as possible, so we work with film makers at the very height of their craft to ensure the finished films are as beautiful to watch as something you might see in the cinema. We also have the option to take audiences closer to the action than they normally would be with the traditional theatre experience, so arguably you’re getting an even better opportunity to make the most of a performance when watching through digital streaming. Going beyond that still, because of the way we usually set up our recordings, we are able to get camera angles that provide a view you’d never get in the theatre. A particular favourite moment of mine to demonstrate this is during The Hound of the Baskervilles, there’s a section where the characters dance onstage and someone flits around them with a bubble gun. Hilarious in person, but in the filmed version we were able to have the camera orbiting the dancers in counterpoint to the bubble gun wielder, the result is actually quite magical in my view. The show being quite quirky in nature also means that the actors can deliver their lines directly to the camera a few times, which adds an extra layer of cheeky connection to the piece.(Can you tell it’s my favourite of Original’s online work so far?)
How do you handle the technical challenges of live streaming, such as internet connectivity and audio quality, and what considerations of the audience and their technical equipment were in place when launching this service?
We have an extensive collection of how-to information, and I’m currently working on a newer version of the how-to video that we host on our website, but in the immediate sense I have a lot of experience with helping people to get on board with live streaming content, so I’m always happy to talk people through the process and offer advice on best practices etc. We also optimise all of our content to provide options for reduced bandwidth connections for example, while ensuring that those with the fastest connections can still get the crystal sharp quality they would expect. We’ve also recently launched a new monthly drop-in chatroom, Original Tea Breaks, that people can join if they have any questions on getting set up for online streamed content, or indeed any other questions about Original Theatre, however slight. The first one was in October and they will continue on the third Thursday of every month at 11 am.
When discussing theatre, we often hear the phrase“ nothing beats being in the room”, how do you go about maintaining the live theatre experience while catering to an online audience?
We try our best to maintain the structure of an in-person theatre show, the film is presented as it is for the show, and any cutaways are done in real time, so we still have an interval in the right place for example. Wethen do blend to a more film-style approach, with trailers at the start and other personalised content we can include on the website. We are also currently working on something very exciting and I think unique to us – to further blur the lines between online and in-person theatre, but I can’t say much more on that yet, sorry!
During the COVID-19 pandemic, digital theatre became a lifeline for many theatre enthusiasts and professionals alike.
How do you see the future of digital theatre, and how has the industry evolved in response to recent events?
As I mentioned earlier, Original Theatre are going to be continuing the offering we provide online, we are producing shows that tour round the country in person but that are also then recorded for hosting online soon after, and we’re still producing work specifically for online viewing. There are a great number of other platforms offering online theatre services too, with a wealth of content available to stream on-demand, it’s very exciting! Live theatre is important to champion, but it’s great that the “revolution” of digital theatre is continuing too.
What advice would you offer to aspiring professionals looking to work in digital theatre, and what excites you most about your role in making live theatre accessible to a wider, online audience through OriginalTheatre’s digital productions?
Don’t be afraid to give something a go, the industry is very supportive as a whole, and it’s a very exciting time in the digital space, meaning more opportunities for experimentation and innovation than ever before. The most exciting thing for me about this new role is to have the opportunity to develop the offering of Original Online, expanding what we have available to watch and what we do for our members–the magic moments of customer service are the highlight of my career and as corny as it sounds, I really treasure those interactions. I’m also really looking forward to the first two members exclusive events we’re going to be running in November, and that’s just the start of my plans for the future of the service. Plus, it’s remote working freelance role which gives me more flexibility to work in the best way for me with neurodiversity, and also to push forward on my own projects too.
If you were to give one piece of advice to someone looking at starting a career in digital theatre / technical theatre / streaming, what would it be?
Do it. Jump in and get involved. Talk to producing companies (Original included!) and get some experience on the ground, help be a part of the team making digital theatre magic!
Have your say!
Are you thinking of starting a career in digital theatre? Are you training to deliver online streamed performances? How are you finding the process, and do you have any tips for fellow tech wizzes? Let me know in the comments and lets get a discussion going!
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