What <b>tiny<b> things can...ensure audiences enjoy their experience even more ?

[Chris Grady]

Apologies for not writing this one up for the pack, but it felt that this might be best as a running list, because we only touched the surface on Sunday with two of us tackling ideas. Here's a couple:

Touch the Audience....
A supermarket did a survey on customer satisfaction by interviewing two queues as they passed through two checkouts. Custmers through checkout A were ok about the store, Customers through checkout B were very positive about the whole experience, and had clearly had a better time shopping. Why so different ? Well checkout person B had been asked to make sure she touched the hand of each customer when either giving change or a reciept. Human contact made everyone in the line feel they had had a better shopping experience. An idea for us all in some way.

I know of one colleague who always shakes hands whenever he meets anyone - friend or new acquintance. He is respected across everyone I know as a really personable welcoming and very special person to work with. I just wonder whether that impression is heightened (without taking anything away from his actual skill) by the fact that he connects physically with every human he comes into contact with.

Another story from the short gathering was
Mr & Mrs Knot...

This fictional couple had had a pretty hideous time getting to the theatre. Late babysitter, delayed in traffic, kids unruly, no parking space, they were knotted up inside by the time they got to the entrance to the foyer of this particular theatre. This couple were then used as an ongoing exercise for all FOH staff. The challenge was for the FOH person to consider each and every customer might be Mr or Mrs Knot and to see how they could welcome them so that by the time they reached their seat they were unknotted and really ready to be entertained, enlightened or transported into theatre magic.

The other piece of training offered to this FOH team was to remember that, in a small or large group of theatregoers there was probably one person responsible for buying the tickets (and maybe actually making the decision to visit the event). A lot of responsibility rested on their shoulders, and the rest of the group probably also turned to him/her to know what time the show started, ended, where to get a programme, where the bar was etc etc etc. So this FOH team were trained to try to spot this initiator of the visit, and try to give them some extra special attention so that they DID know where the loos were, they DID know how to get to the bar, etc. Ongoing training to make a whole group of people more comfortable and ready to enjoy the evening.

A final discussion we had before heading off to the other gatherings on issues, was to consider the effect of interval and welcome bells and announcements. We varied in our perception of whether they made people tense, annoyed, comfortable, and we agreed we should think about this carefully from case to case.

We agreed that there was less and less communal activity nowadays, and so we had to be even more considered when inviting and welcoming people to an event where they will spend a few hours together in a shared activity. We want them to be suitably ready for the actors/theatre makers to weave their spell. Do we want them on edge, excited, aware, relaxed, laughing, slightly oiled, set-up in some way. Do we want to start that experience before they enter the main performance event space.

We also agreed that there was need for time to consider what happened immediately the curtain had fallen (or whatever signalled the end of the main event). How do we wind the audience down, help them have space to chat about the event, maybe a chance to learn a little more, in fact anything which will help them go away and relish the experience offered at the centre of the whole experience.

Please use this to add your own Tiny Things.... Thanks for an extraordinary weekend.
Chris

[Heather Taylor]

Though this is more about what happens in a show, I find it's the element of magic that gets me the most - the simple kind, the kind that surprises you. I still remember a show where a woman was pouring tea into a cup. One that we thought was empty. And then as she lifted the tea pot higher up you realized it was a stream of sparkles. The audience all gave a little gasp and you could almost feel them glow.

[Robert Haughton]

There was a 'magcal' character at the event who comes from an illusion/magic specialism. In my action group we talked a lot about how to incorporate the Magician/Illusionists trade into some theatre pieces from concept stage or as a springboard for the piece itself rather than calling upon them when we need them during production.

[Jenifer Toksvig]

Heather - I felt the same way when I saw Slava's Snow Show. At the very end, it snows. I mean, literally snows inside the venue, over the audience. It's extraordinary. Everyone gasped like a child. But these aren't really tiny things, I guess.

When you say:

>> I find it's the element of magic that gets me the most <<

... do you think that kind of magic feeling can be created in ways outside the actual show content? For example, I love hearing or seeing the curtain go up. Or even just the lights go down. That moment when the show begins. I love it when ushers have smart uniforms with silver buttons, like old-fashioned cinema ushers. I love opera glasses!

[Jenifer Toksvig]

Robert, you said:

>> ... how to incorporate the Magician/Illusionists trade into some theatre pieces from concept stage or as a springboard for the piece itself <<

I love the idea that a piece which is seemingly not that kind of 'magical' piece could have an illusionist in the rehearsal room from the start, looking at it with those kind of eyes and suggesting moments that could be enhanced, or expanded, or exploded out into something magical that serves the piece in a new way. Love that.

What I find frustrating is the use of something like magic as a gimmick for the sake of the gimmick, rather than to serve the storytelling. Do you know what I mean?

[Heather Taylor]

I like the idea of illusionists being in on the beginning as well - I'd like everyone to be in at the beginning if I could - designers, writers, composers, etc. Then so many problems that come later may be solved at the beginning. My fav part of the Brief Encounters show was the beginning when you were brought in by ushers and they played live music. there was such a great buzz...

[Robert Haughton]

Oh completely, the illusion shouldn't be used as a gimmick or tacked on to a piece. But the way Paul talked about the role of the illusionist - both secretive about the craft and exhibitionist about the illusion was interesting as an initial idea for a character or story. The addition of spectacle to the piece due to the nature of it could be gimmicky if not handled well but it does serve as a different form of entertainment integrated into a story without trying/needing to create a cohesive link.

[Jenifer Toksvig]

Grady, will you re-post this on the new forum, so people get to see it when they go there?

[Chris Grady]

Not sure what you mean...although its been taken over by the world of magic, I guess the righ people are the only people who are replying to the request for ideas....or has it fallen off the visible perch somewhere ??

[Jenifer Toksvig]

There's a forum... if you go to the main page of this ning, and look at the announcements, you'll see a link that says CLICK HERE FOR THE FORUM or something like that. Go there and register, then post your topic there in the D&D4 section.

[Melanie Rashbrooke]

This forum will be removed by the end of today - hopefully.

I have moved all the replies from this thread across to your new post on the forum Chris.

Melanie x

[Chris Grady]

thanks very much
hey...d&d is addictive
C