What is the theatre like now it's reopened?

Filling my diary with dates at the theatre was one of the things I missed the most about the last 14 months or so. It has been distressing to see this industry crumble and watch so many freelancers lose their livelihoods overnight, and on a personal level the theatre is one of my favourite sources of escapism. But it hasn’t been all doom and gloom because so many organisations up and down the country got to work creating streamed productions, ensuring their audiences still found a way to engage in theatre. 

On Thursday 20th May, I was finally able to get my theatre dress attire on for the first time in over a year and head back into the auditorium. It was time to be reunited with the heart of culture in my city, the Curve Theatre. One of the organisations that definitely ensured their local community were able to still enjoy their work, whilst keeping safe at home. 

Heading to the theatre, for some, can still feel rather anxiety inducing, which honestly is ok. I will admit it’s made me feel really worried too, but during my time at the Curve I felt incredibly safe and my excitement to be back in the theatre outweighed all of the concerns I had.

This time around the tickets were sent straight to my phone, making it really easy to go into the theatre. You can choose to print these out or show them on your phone to the front of house team, they also provide you with a great rundown of what to expect on your visit. The team at Curve have introduced a two-route system and arrival time into your visit to try and limit the exposure to crowds as you enter and exit from the theatre. There is a red and blue route available – this information is clear before you visit so I felt no confusion whatsoever. 

We’ve all become accustomed to it now but everyone queued up outside the theatre, masks on their faces and socially-distant, ready to have their temperature taken and be let inside the venue when they can, this process was streamlined by the use of thermal imaging cameras at the entrances which allow them to automatically check your temperature as you enter, no standing around to be zapped by a handheld thermometer. The team also asked us to check in on the NHS Track and Trace App, which also is a system that feels “normal” now. 

The Curve Theatre is a fantastic space and seeing how it has been completely transformed to adhere to social distancing is admirable. The theatre still felt as much like home as it did the last time I visited, a few days before the doors closed. In the space they have combined their two performance spaces to make it seem vast but with a direct focus on their stage, the round. The stage was kindly donated by Cameron Mackintosh and allows huge flexibility with the theatre’s current programme as they begin to bring theatre back to Leicester’s audiences. 

I was worried as to whether some of the atmosphere in a theatre would be lost due to the impact of social distancing, but I needn’t have worried. The buzz before the lights went down is still present, with the added advantage of extra legroom in the stalls! 

Everyone adhered to the mask wearing throughout the evening. The only time you saw face coverings being moved was to take a sip of a drink – which had to be ordered on your phones from your seat. The team at Curve carried out this service very thoroughly and quickly during the extended interval break. 

Honestly, wearing a mask and having to adhere to new rules wasn’t as bad and disruptive as I thought it would be. I was aware that I was wearing one when I wanted to cheer but other than that I didn’t find it claustrophobic at all. 

Read More: My Hopes For Theatre Post-Pandemic

Hearing those audiences clap and cheer again was an overwhelming moment that I had been missing from my life for the last 14 months. It was hard not to be emotionally invested in the moment we all reconnected in this space so many of us refer to as our second home.

Getting in and out of the theatre was a breeze – nothing in comparison to the visits pre-pandemic. Gone are the days (for now) of rushing to our seats, queuing up for the bar (and toilet, although I’m sure that’s a household thing in theatres now!) in the interval. It felt calm, reassuring and it finally felt like we were getting back to business – bringing this joyous event back into our daily lives. 

The shows at the Curve Theatre will stay socially distanced until at least 21 June, at which point the team will hopefully begin to bring back full capacity. When this day comes, it will feel like live theatre never went away.

Some of the good stuff coming to the theatre in the upcoming months includes Rising from Aakash Odedra Company, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, AMDRAM: A New Musical Comedy by Quick Fantastic and RENT – The Concert. Of course the theatre is also playing host to some fantastic touring productions including Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Six and Hairspray. You can get the lowdown on what’s to come and book your tickets here.