Live theatre streaming to cinemas

[markboulton]

I've been to a few of the recent trend of events whereby live theatre performances are streamed to a cinema. Sometimes these are of more than one performance but each time it is streamed live. Of course, theatre is performed live night after night, and early TV was often viewed in the same light, the televising of a live performance, rather than something that is "filmed".

Which leads me to wonder... In this day and age you would assume such live streams are saved, and archived. But what if the actors/production crews/theatres contracts don't allow for that? Just like in the early days of TV?

Could theatre live streams be the missing episodes of the future?

[Peter Stirling]

Don't think you can assume it is saved. Don't forget it will be a private stream to a cinema that pays for it because it expects to sell tickets and popcorn, while the theatre wants to sell more performances tomorrow and the day after.
If it ends up on YouTube they may end up with at least a few empty seats, and actors expecting a few weeks of work may have it cut short. These sorts of things will probably be what will be considered when they do the deal.
The audience too is expecting the thrill of a live performance that has gone once it becomes a recording.

Streaming (or relaying as it was known) has been going on in cinemas since the 60s. (mainly for high profile sports events like boxing matches) but I don't think much of anything has emerged from that time to now.

[Tom McPhillips]

As with most live performances shown in cinemas these days they are (fairly) readily available shortly after broadcast on sources that of course I cannot mention here. I cannot say if the original stream is kept although I’m fairly sure they are as early RSC Live performances have recently been shown on Sky Arts (who now sponsor the broadcasts).

[markboulton]

Well that's gratifying to hear although of course I'm mindful of the possibility that the situation differs in each case depending on the negotiations for each production or with each producer, at the mercies of the priorities bearing down at the time.

[markboulton]

Apr 26, 2022 20:42:52 GMT Peter Stirling said:

The audience too is expecting the thrill of a live performance that has gone once it becomes a recording.

I wasn't thinking of a recording being used within the timeframe of the original run, just as a record that could be used to look back on at some undetermined time in the future, when the actors and crew have long gone into other things or retirement, and the performance becomes known as a classic.

[Peter Stirling]

Apr 27, 2022 12:46:19 GMT markboulton said:

Apr 26, 2022 20:42:52 GMT Peter Stirling said:

The audience too is expecting the thrill of a live performance that has gone once it becomes a recording.

I wasn't thinking of a recording being used within the timeframe of the original run, just as a record that could be used to look back on at some undetermined time in the future, when the actors and crew have long gone into other things or retirement, and the performance becomes known as a classic.

Yes I was just trying to explain the mindset of why it may not happen, if say the producer is say 50 or 60 years old he/she is not going to be bothered about making sure it is available 10/20 odd years later, he/she is just concerned about the here and now. Of course the next generation seeing it 20 years later by hook or by crook would probably be grateful to see it.

There was an incident around 1961 when an opera performance was telerecorded for TV, Boosey and Hawkes (which owned the music) insisted Rediffusion destroyed the recording after the transmission which they did. But what they were not aware of was the producer (or someone) had not been happy with the original telerecording and had ordered another one. The lackluster TR got chucked aside and probably fell down the back of a shelf or something where it lay undiscovered for years, but when it was eventually found people were happy to have it.

[markboulton]

It was actually that example that was in my mind about what might be happening again now in this arena.

[brianfretwell]

I think it is a rights issue. I know my local amateur theatre could stream performances during the Covid-19 restrictions on audience sizes, but the rights did not include recording. The extra cost of recording to keep may be prohibitive, if available.

[markboulton]

I wonder if that 1961 play was the one meeting the bulk eraser in this famous clip?

youtu.be/TTUhGlH8OS4

Now of course it would be a USB stick and someone selecting the files, clicking Delete, then emptying the Recycle Bin and being asked if you're sure, and a nervous finger hovering over the mouse button while the pointer points to Yes

[Peter Stirling]

May 1, 2022 18:42:33 GMT markboulton said:

I wonder if that 1961 play was the one meeting the bulk eraser in this famous clip?

youtu.be/TTUhGlH8OS4

Now of course it would be a USB stick and someone selecting the files, clicking Delete, then emptying the Recycle Bin and being asked if you're sure, and a nervous finger hovering over the mouse button while the pointer points to Yes

Another thing about 60s recordings of live events such as theatre/musical performances (that may have contributed to their demise) is they are obviously meant to be presented in real-time, this means there was no editing of the tapes ( being physically cut in those days) and so these tapes would be more appealing for re-use...Something like a complex tv production like The Forsyte Saga would have had a lot of edits, (which have helped save it for posterity) as no producer would have wanted to re-use a tape full of splices for his/her 'magnificent' new production and also it got further from oblivion (due to deteriorating splices) when it was transferred to 625 lines for an early 70s repeat.

The BBC etc cannot be blamed for discarding material, they were between a rock and a hard place, Ampex who had invented the practical broadcast tape machine were the only ones supplying tapes in the early years and demand was outstripping their ability to make them, as well as obviously having to supply the US market first. Hence they were very expensive. Around the late 60s, the tape patents either expired or Ampex relaxed them so other tape manufacturers could make them, which made them more abundant and hence much cheaper.