Durban - ARTISTS are excited about the reopening of theatres and playhouses across the country but they are prepared to wait cautiously before rushing to host shows.
Carvin Goldstone, a comedian, said he would not host a show while the number of Covid-19 cases was on the increase.
“This virus is very serious. I would not want to host a show and get people to come there if they could potentially get infected by someone else. If I do return to the stage at this time, it would be to record a show which would not necessarily have an audience.”
He is, however, planning a show for November if the infection rate decreases.
“It’s going to be called Carvin-19 and I know people are going to enjoy it. But it will only happen if things get better with the pandemic and we return to some sort of normalcy. I would not want to do a show with a few people in the audience. Unless you have a full crowd, you won’t have the full experience.”
Goldstone has used the lockdown to be more creative with his work.
“I have started an online radio station. I have also created a virtual hosting brand for myself where people can advertise and I host parties and farewells. I even did two online comedy shows, one of which I recorded and sold for people to purchase. It is a totally new experience for me, but this is not the future of comedy.
“We will return to the stage.”
Shika Budhoo, an actress and writer, said while she was excited to feel normal again, she was scared.
“I am watching the rise of the cases and deaths. It’s scary to think by putting ourselves out there we risk contracting the virus and potentially not surviving it. Currently, my husband is on set for a sci-fi series and my nerves are shot.”
She said when her son Sai was born, both she and her husband, Dhaveshan Govender, took up part-time jobs to ensure they were financially stable.
“We are both freelancers and every month’s salary is not guaranteed so we decided to provide more stability for our son and family as a whole. We are grateful that the impact of the pandemic has not been entirely harsh on us compared to our friends and colleagues who freelance in the arts full-time.”
While Budhoo has not done any virtual shows, she said she wrote a few comedy skits which she recorded but never posted.
“Many people are asking for comic relief, so I may post them soon. I have been focusing on finishing my first novel. It has kept my spirits up remembering times of thousand-seater weddings and hugs between loved ones.”
Speaking on the limited audience rule of 50 persons, she said: “Fifty is workable for small spaces, but it is still not feasible. In recent years, we were running sold-out shows, with the occasional 50%, and sporadically less than 50%, of capacity. With sound, lighting, venue hire costs and then the other costs of artist fees, crew, rehearsal, props, costumes, set and other costs like marketing and publicity, it’s just unfathomable how productions will make ends meet, especially bigger productions with larger casts.”
She said she believed Covid-19 was a test to the industry.
“Before this pandemic, theatre was not very popular with the majority, with competition from streaming services like Netflix, Showmax and YouTube. Theatre involved more money, more travel, and basically more effort to go to.”
She said, for example, that for the price of a theatre ticket - which Budhoo said before the lockdown averaged R150 to R200 per person per show for most local productions - a whole family could enjoy the full package on a streaming TV platform for the month.
“Then there’s travelling and refreshments and maybe dinner costs to consider. Despite the wonderful experience theatre brings, it was becoming less viable for the populace. In the economic climate, not all theatres were filled and not all shows were successful,” said Budhoo.
She said she, however, believed that theatres would start booming again. “I have a feeling people may start flooding the theatres for the experience, the magic that we artists know fills a gap in our lives. I think this is an opportunity for theatre to reboot, restart.”
Pranesh Maharaj, an actor who featured in the local blockbuster Three Days to Go and the international series The Indian Detective, described the news that theatres would be reopening as bitter-sweet.
He said while he assisted in a few online videos during the lockdown - both behind and in front of the camera - his time away from the stage had been difficult.
“When you put on a production, every aspect of that production, including the financial aspect, can drain you. There has been talk about funding but it has not reached the intended purpose in this already struggling industry.”
He said he was not planning to host a show soon as the conditions were unsuitable for the work he does.
“I have decided to place more emphasis on film-making. I have a feeling that most theatre practitioners will agree to open and sloppy, slapstick stuff will get their numbers. However, real theatre pieces will suffer.”
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