The theatre industry has been one of the worst hit in the pandemic.
Nationwide theatre companies such as The National Theatre have been able to livestream performances online. But how are smaller theatre companies coping?
The Lincoln Company is a small theatre group of performers made up of students and staff from the Lincoln School of Fine and Performing Arts, based at Lincoln University.
Due to the pandemic shows have been difficult to make.
Rose Arnold, second co-producer of The Lincoln Company, said that they attempted to have some of the shows produced before lockdown moved online, but this proved to be a challenge.
She said; “If you are going to make theatre to produce online, make theatre with that intention. With the shows we were working on it would have been less effective online.”
Rachel Baynton, co- producer of The Lincoln Company, added; “if you are a small emerging theatre company it can be difficult with a smaller budget to be able to put on a full massive show and stream it.”
Both agreed that theatre is a live experience and sometimes an online stream isn’t as engaging.
However, The Lincoln Company is planning on doing some shows online. Planning is still ongoing but one could be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The company has produced shows to critical acclaim including performances at the Fringe Festival in previous years.
Rachel Baynton, co-producer at The Lincoln Company, said due to the pandemic this year they are unable to perform at the Fringe Festival and said of her disappointment “I was really distraught. We had some fantastic student work. I think we would have had an amazing year.”
The future remains uncertain for the arts but Rachel and Rose agree that it will be a bright one.
“I think we are going to find interesting new ways of working. It might not be what we quite imagined but we are hopeful realists.”