Sandscript

Cinema or live theatre? Many of us enjoy both, but the live experience is unique in itself and to the time, place and audience. A full house does wonders for an actor's energy, while many empty seats drain the atmosphere from the theatre and leave the scattered audience feeling uncomfortable or even cringing with embarrassment.
One of the contributing factors to a memorable evening is the setting and we often remember the event more than the play.
My first experience of a live performance was being taken to a Cinderella pantomime at Richmond Theatre, a lovely building by the green at Richmond-on-Thames. I was impressed when two Shetland ponies pulled a carriage on stage, but for the rest I was frustrated that they kept singing and didn't get on with the story.
I have seen and enjoyed many Alan Ayckbourn plays and several times we have chosen his home town Scarborough, Yorkshire as our seaside holiday destination so that we could visit the Stephen Joseph Theatre, a restored Art Deco cinema, where Ayckbourne premieres his plays.
What is the world's tiniest theatre? I'm not sure, but in Perth, Western Australia we went to the Hole In The Wall Theatre to see a one man play about Dmitri Shostakovich with the only prop being recorded music. It was a wonderful evening.
Where to eat before the play? The Mill at Sonning, on the River Thames is a dinner theatre. The 215 playgoers take their main course from a buffet table then all sit down together. After sweets and coffee it is not far to go to the intimate auditorium where you feel you are in the same room as the actors.
But of course if a play and its cast are excellent you will completely forget your surroundings until the curtain goes down for the last time and the lights go up.