Recently we took ourselves off to the National Theatre to see a performance of Damned by Despair, a play by a 17th century Spanish friar Tirso de Molina, in a modern version created by Frank McGuinness. I've bemoaned low theatre audiences in this blog before but, really, there is no excuse for a half-empty house for this play at one of the UK's foremost theatres.
What is it that puts people off? Admittedly this production did not get ringing endorsement from the critics but they did not totally write it off either. It is a slightly patchy affair and Frank McGuiness's script does seem a bit wayward in places. However, the overall effect is still very powerful - this is, after all, acclaimed as a masterpiece of the Spanish Golden Era - and the cast is uniformly good. Also, as it is part of the Travelex season it is possible to have a seat for just £12.
Could it be that audiences are just indifferent to anything slightly challenging or out of the ordinary? Will they only flock to 5 star rated shows? There is a hackneyed saying: "Use it or loose it". Maybe this will not be true of the National but for other theatres it is already a reality. There are still a few dates left in this current run - go on - dig out that £12 (or more for a premium seat) - and enjoy the experience.
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