FROM EPIPHANY TO FAMILIAR: THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE THEATREGOER A Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By JONATHAN FRANCIS GEOFFREY LEWIS Faculty of Enterprise and Innovation Buckinghamshire New University Brunel University January, 2009 This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author under the terms of the United Kingdom Copyright Acts. No quotation from the thesis and no information derived from it may be published without proper acknowledgement. ABSTRACT FROM EPIPHANY TO FAMILIAR: THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE THEATREGOER This study sets out to explore the life histories of long-term, regular theatregoers and their motivating factors over time. It follows an interpretive framework and innovates by using reminiscence workshops as the research tool. It argues that reminiscence workshops enable richer, deeper data to be obtained than alternative, interpretive methods such as interviews or focus groups, or quantitative surveys found in previous studies from Baumol & Bowen (1966) to Bunting et al (2008). Data are analysed using a phenomenological approach influenced by Schutz (1967) and the four-part life course model developed by Giele & Elder (1998). The thesis examines key themes emerging from the life histories of thirty-one participants. The findings indicate the importance of a ‘theatrical epiphany’ which is effective in creating a turning point in an individual’s life trajectory. The epiphany occurs if factors such as play, magic, make-believe, religion, and the production’s visual impact and relevance, are present. Most individuals experience their theatrical epiphany after encouragement to attend by a ‘familiar’, a person well-known to them and trusted. The study indicates that many theatregoers are active participants in theatre-making after their epiphany. Their profile suggests a high level of educational achievement, and a career in education. It is suggested that the theatregoer continues to be motivated to attend productions by seeking secondary epiphanies containing similar elements to those found during their original epiphany. In addition, many theatregoers look for intimacy of scale, the ‘magic’ created by the synthesis of make-believe and nature, and in particular, Shakespeare productions. As theatregoers gain in cultural capital, they themselves become ‘familiars’ and initiate the young into theatregoing. This thesis suggests that Bourdieu’s (1984) theory of distinction can be expanded to include the concept of the ‘familiar’, and indicates that in contemporary Britain, cultural capital results more from education and play than class background. ii LIST OF CONTENTS Page No Chapter One: Introduction: the study and its objectives 1 Aims and location of study 1 1.1 Engagement with method 3 1.2 The outline for the thesis 4 Chapter Two: Theatre audience research: an evaluation 2 Introduction 11 2.1 Surveys 12 2.1.1 Limitations with theatre survey techniques 16 2.1.2 Limitations with population surveys 17 2.1.3 Limitations with consumer surveys 20 2.2 Development of qualitative theatre research surveys 20 2.2.1 Age 21 2.2.2 Gender 24 2.2.3 Education 26 2.2.4 Social class, employment, income and social status 28 2.2.5 Ethnicity 33 2.2.6 Frequency of attendance 33 2.3 Conclusion 36 Chapter Three: Defining the theatregoer: motivational concepts 3 Introduction 38 3.1 Motivation 38 3.2 Motivation to attend the theatre 40 iii 3.3 Level one needs: play 44 3.4 Level two needs: attending for social reasons 47 3.4.1 Level two needs: enjoyment, entertainment and social 47 hedonism 3.4.2 Level two needs: attending for status and esteem reasons 48 3.4.3 Level two needs: ritual, ceremony and theatre 52 3.4.4 Magic and religion 54 3.5 Level three needs: education and intellectual motivation 55 3.5.1 Cultural and Educational Capital 55 3.5.2 Connoisseurship 57 3.5.3 Sophistication 59 3.5.4 Careers 59 3.5.5 Fandom 60 3.6 Level four needs: attending for reasons of escape, fantasy and 61 make-believe 3.6.1 Make-believe 61 3.6.2 Pretence 63 3.6.3 Breaking the frame 65 3.6.4 Magic 69 3.7 Level five needs: self actualising 71 3.7.1 Emotional needs 72 3.7.2 Pleasure in beauty 74 3.8 Conclusion 75 Chapter Four: Designing the set: methodology 4 Introduction 76 4.1 Research philosophy: choice of paradigm 76 iv 4.1.1 Definition of research paradigm 77 4.1.2 The positivist paradigm 77 4.1.3 The interpretive paradigm 80 4.2 Research strategy 82 4.2.1 Development of the life history 83 4.2.2 Reminiscence and biographical techniques 84 4.2.3 Reminiscence workshops 85 4.3 The sampling process 89 4.3.1 Ethical issues 97 4.3.2 The reminiscence workshop process 98 4.3.3 Limitations of the reminiscence workshop 105 4.4 Analysis 107 4.4.1 The life course approach 108 4.4.2 Cohorts 111 4.4.3 Epiphanies 111 4.4.4 Interpreting the data 113 4.4.5 Social construction of research 117 4.5 Conclusion 118 Chapter Five: Cast list: introducing the participants 5 Introduction 120 5.1 Cultural background of participants 120 5.2 Age 131 5.3 Gender 134 5.4 Education 134 v 5.5 Social class, employment, income and social status 135 5.6 Ethnicity 137 5.7 Frequency of attendance 137 5.8 Conclusion 137 Chapter Six: The first stage: the formative life of a theatregoer 6 Introduction 139 6.1 Play 140 6.2 Magic 146 6.3 Religion 149 6.4 Formative experiences of theatre 154 6.5 Amateur dramatics 157 6.6 Drama at school 158 6.7 Conclusion 164 Chapter Seven: the theatrical epiphany: becoming a theatregoer 7 Introduction 166 7.1 The familiar 168 7.1.1 Family members as familiar 170 7.1.2 The schoolteacher as familiar 176 7.1.3 A friend as familiar 178 7.2 Theatre marketing 179 7.3 Magic 180 7.4 The unexpected 182 7.5 Excitement 184 7.6 Relevance 186 vi 7.7 The production itself 188 7.8 Conclusion 189 Chapter Eight: The main attraction: motivation to attend as adults 8 Introduction 191 8.1 William Shakespeare 192 8.2 Religious drama 200 8.3 The magic of the real 207 8.4 Participation 210 8.5 Holidays 217 8.6 Productions and companies 218 8.7 Other motivations 220 8.8 Conclusion 220 Chapter Nine: Life is a stage: Timing 9 Introduction 222 9.1 Partners 222 9.2 Children 225 9.3 Employment 230 9.4 Becoming a familiar 232 9.5 Ageing 236 9.6 Conclusion 238 Chapter Ten: The curtain call: conclusion 10 Introduction 240 10.1 Methodological implications: the reminiscence workshop 240 10.2 The motivation to attend 242 vii 10.2.1 The first stage 242 10.2.2 The second stage 243 10.2.3 The third stage 244 10.3 Implications for theatre practice and policy 247 10.4 Recommendations for further research 248 10.4.1 Profiling a different demographic 249 10.4.2 Reminiscence and younger participants 249 10.4.3 Researching the role of the researcher within 250 reminiscence workshops 10.5 Reflections on the study 250 References 252 viii LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 Invitation to Oxford Playhouse audiences for reminiscence workshops 2 Invitation to Pegasus Theatre audiences for reminiscence workshops 3 Invitation to Corn Exchange audiences for reminiscence workshops 4 Blank reply form 5 Two examples of completed reply forms 6 Ethics statement and completed consent form 7 Selection of correspondence from participants after workshops 8 Selection of amended transcripts, with two accompanying letters 9 Researcher role: changes of approach in instructions to participants between first Playhouse workshop and first Corn Exchange workshops 10 Coding of Audrey’s reminiscence (Oxford Playhouse, 19 October, 2006 11 Example of a theoretical memo 12 Audrey’s life history re-imagined as a fairy tale 13 Life Histories of participants ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people who have made significant contributions to the writing of this thesis. First and foremost are my two supervisors and guides, Eugenia Wickens and Fiona McCormack, whose advice, support, encouragement, knowledge about research, and good humour throughout the process have been invaluable. I am indebted to the Dean of Enterprise and Innovation at Buckinghamshire New University, Professor Chris Kemp, for his support in carrying out this study. Many thanks to the participants of the four reminiscence workshops, without whom, there would be no thesis. Their engagement with the process along with their eloquence and enthusiasm in the sharing of their personal reminiscences made the workshops a weekly event not to be missed for any active researcher. This study could not have been carried out without the willingness of the three theatres to engage with reminiscence as a research method. I would like to show my appreciation to the following administrators and managers, with positions listed from the time of the reminiscence workshops. From the Oxford Playhouse: Director of the Oxford Playhouse, Tish Francis, Head of Education, Rupert Rowbotham, Marketing Manager, Sarah Jervis, and Operations Manager, Louise Birt. From the Pegasus Theatre, Oxford: Artistic Director, Euton Daley, Head of Marketing, Gill Jaggers and Head of Arts Education, Yasmin Sidhwa. From the Corn Exchange Theatre, Newbury: Marketing Manager, Tony Trigwell-Jones, and Community Arts Co-ordinator Christina Pepper. It has been a pleasure to work with you on this mutually beneficial research. Many hours were spent in the beautiful study areas at the Bodleian Library Oxford, or in individual College libraries.