A conversation is taking place in many different guises at the West Yorkshire Playhouse with its TRANSFORM season from 6-18 June. It may involve entering a shadowy world, hearing the absurdities of modern life or converting to a cunning cult. What runs through it all are opportunities for you to take part and comment, or not if you prefer. I was lucky to be invited to the preview to find out a bit more about what is going on.
The last few months have seen lots of us Leeds folk take part on a grand scale to Live in Leeds’ Frankenstein’s Wedding , and some of us took part more intimately with the Giant Leap Theatre Company’s Blue Remembered Hills at Temple Works when the audience walked around with the actors as they put on the show.
And so encouraging the audience to take part in a performance is really taking off or being experimented with right now. Not that audience participation ever was that popular. Who doesn’t shiver at the thought of being picked upon when all you want to do is sit down, put your feet up and have a good time?
But now that the communication, dialogue and engagement have become such buzzwords, taking part or having the conversation at least really is a big thing.
Whether or not it translates well to the theatre is another question. Thankfully this new participation is now much more sophisticated, so you can choose how you take part and don’t have to necessarily worry about anyone pouncing on you.
The West Yorkshire Playhouse and Alane Lane from theatre company Slung Low are the latest to experiment with these ideas in a move they described as “brave” at their Transform season launch and in which Hope and Social gave a rousing performance of their new album.
It certainly looks like a lot of time and money has gone into this. It is all very glam and having gone through the programme with a fine tooth comb, it looks like fun.
We are invited to enter a shadowy world without certainties or see the world’s smallest music venue. Or to write a performance or dress up in a top hat and tails. To hear about the absurdity of modern life or convert to a cunning cult. Lots of those cheeky activities that we have recently taken a fancy too are all there from burlesque, cabaret and vaudeville. You can sit in a box and be played to as part of an audience of one, help direct a play, or watch it from anywhere in the world as part of Pilot Theatre TV
This is experimental theatre so whether or not this means inclusive I don’t know. Is it just a journey for the more theatrical types who are already interested in this sort of thing? The prices are cheaper than normal but at £15 a pop for a wristband and a whole day of entertainment you really do have to commit. If you are savvy you can probably nip down for free and have a look at the foyer when that is transformed into a performance space and I think there is one at least £3 performance but you’ll have to have a good look through the programme yourself to find that.