Street Theatre in the UK

When we think of theatre many of us will think of a stage, performers, scripts, lighting, scenery, costumes and sound.

There are only three things that all theatre shows need to be successful.

A story, information or skill to be told or performed, some performers to perform it and , an audience to perform to.

On the street there is no stage, no lights and very little in the way of props and costumes. Some would say that street theatre is the rawest form of theatre because the performers are out there with little or no technical support, up close and personal with the audience.

Theatre was brought to the UK with the Romans when they invaded and settled in AD 43. They also brought Christianity, which was delivered in churches in Latin, the language of the Romans, not the people of England.

Later in medieval UK morality was questionable. People were very poor and would do anything to survive including theft and murder. Churches sent messengers around the country in traveling wagons to teach religious lessons through performance. The people couldn’t learn these lessons in church because they didn’t speak Latin.

People enjoyed this form of storytelling so much that the stories developed into folk tales such as Robin Hood and Saint George and the Dragon. The travelling actors would perform in return for food and money.

In the 1960’s and 70’s street theatre became a means of expressing political and social issues such as war, inequality and environmental destruction. These performances were hard hitting street plays, where acting took place with characters, a script and a deep message. However, they realised that this didn’t really work because the audience wasn’t listening. They couldn’t hear what the actors were saying, and they didn’t have time to stay for the duration of the play. This type pf theatre needs to be saved for the stage, unless you can guarantee a small audience who have the time and patience to stay until the end.

Today street theatre in the UK has evolved into a form of performance art, exploring many forms and styles. This is a celebration of all artistic styles such as busking, clowning, mime artists, magicians, acrobats, escapologists and dancers to name a few. Tickets are not sold, and a scheduled timetable is not set out. The street performers arrive and perform unannounced, and spectating is free.

Due to the restrictions that accompany a street performance, dance, singing and physical theatre tend to be the most popular to draw in a crowd and hold its attention. But people lead busy lives and won’t stop for long, so performances need to be short, visual and get to the point quickly.

Street theatre has a rich history and because it is relatively cheap to put on a show on the street, many performers begin their careers in this way, including Ed Sheeran who began as a busker in the streets of London.

It is no surprise therefore that many up-and-coming performers from all walks of life get involved with the various street theatre festivals that take place across the UK every month every year. Each with its own niche.

The real beauty of street theatre is, that is doesn’t matter who you are, where you came from, how much money you have, or what talent you would like to express. Everyone and anyone can have the opportunity to be seen or to be heard.

There will always be somebody watching. There will always be somebody listening.