The Unstoppable March Of Time

We live in a society, where our entertainment and information is accessible to us 24 hours a day. You can rent a DVD from an ATM movie-bank at 2.30am on a Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, in cinemas, the latest blockbusters are repeated as often as every 15 minutes.

Indeed, with the relatively recent launches of services such as BBC iPlayer and Channel 4OD - we don't even need to conform to television schedules - now "The Nine O'clock News" can start at any hour of my choosing. Even the "morning" papers are becoming a thing of the past - with rolling news stations, and 24 hour Internet reporting.

As someone who likes well structured days (a big fan of Google Calendar) it isn't surprising that I still find something attractive about theatre and it's ability to have definite beginning and end times - you can't afford to be late and catch it one hour later on "Citizens's+1". And, for me, the time for theatre has always been one specific time: 7.30pm.

Recently, more and more productions are breaking this unwritten rule of evening performances in a Theatre beginning at 7.30pm. Certainly, over the past 6 months I have noticed performances in many theatre across the central belt with start times that do not conform to the 7.30pm standard. The Kings Theatre, Theatre Royal, Citizens Theatre, Tramway, The Tron, The Lyceum all have had such performances.

Is changing the established starting time having a positive effect on theatre in Scotland?

Many pantomimes this year (Peter Pan at Citz, Wizard of Oz at the Lyceum) started their performances at 7pm. While this provided an early 9.45pm finish, ideal for those with young children, I personally had to rush to get to the theatre in time for 7pm. Even leaving at just after 5pm, the rush-hour is in full swing and I only just arrived at the theatre with a few minutes to spare.

Fellow blogger and theatre reviewer Statler (from View From The Stalls) feels that 7pm start times can have "huge disadvantages" to certain theatre-goers:

"Many people come from a good distance to the theatre and a 7pm start would be a real struggle - even a 7.30 start in Edinburgh makes us reluctant to book for a production..."

Furthermore, he points out that unless you were in the City Center of Glasgow to begin with, the chances of getting dinner beforehand is further hindered with a 7pm start time and at times leaves no choice but "grabbing a sandwich in the Citz car park before a show."

On the other side of the 7.30pm divide is the 8pm start time. This is becoming more popular with smaller studios venues that tend to show one-act productions generally around the 90 minute mark. An 8pm start time gives that extra half hour for a proper dinner before a show, and, as Statler also pointed out, would allow those who are traveling a distance more time to avoid the aftereffects of the rush-hour.

What is your opinion on the move away from 7.30pm start times? Have you had any incidents (amusing or otherwise) concerned with an early/late curtain up? Tell me in the comments..