Judging the mood of live audiences is not a science, let alone an exact one. Every performance is different. This makes it tricky to assert with confidence that there is a special atmosphere in theatres at the moment. And yet the fact of long absence from auditoriums inevitably adds an extra charge to the experience of being back in them. This applies to actors, dancers, singers, musicians, front-of-house and backstage staff as well as ticket-holders. After two years during which so much of life was lived through screens, or via headphones, sharing an artistic experience with a group of other people in the same physical space feels more intense.
Standing ovations were becoming more common anyway, as audiences realised that there is more fun to be had from getting up and cheering than clapping politely. Last June, audiences at London’s Coliseum were so delighted by Marisha Wallace in Hairspray that they rose to their feet and applauded one of her solo numbers halfway through the show. But now there is an additional incentive for such outpourings: the wish to show appreciation not just for what has just taken place on stage, but for the effort involved in stewarding theatres through the pandemic. From the Bush in west London, celebrating its 50th anniversary with a sold-out run of Tyrell Williams’s new three-hander, Red Pitch, to the many opera houses and concert halls where orchestras have played the Ukrainian national anthem over recent weeks, there is a palpably heightened sense of occasion.
