Do audiences want shorter plays?

Dame Rosemary Squire, the co-founder of the Ambassador Theatre Group, has recently said: “Audiences don't want long shows and industry should listen”.

Her comment came off the back of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre’s recent research entitled ‘The State Of British Theatre In 2025: Growth, Risk And The Urgent Need For Public Investment’ where a section looked at audiences theatre preferences and what drives their choices.

When Dame Rosemary mentions ‘shorter shows’, she suggests those shorter than 2.5 hours, which is the average length of a show including an interval.

West End and regional theatres provide a great range of productions varying in different lengths ensuring there is something for everyone. From Six The Musical, which is the shortest show running at 75 minutes to the longest shows, including The Lion King and Hamilton, just over three hours, or Harry Potter and Cursed Child, which runs for five hours but is broken up into two parts seen on the same day. 

The results of the survey show that it is important to have this choice.

Factors that discourage audiences from booking productions were shows over 2.5 hours and those with no interval.

Quite often shorter shows are a great introduction to theatre for younger children. They can find it hard sitting still and focussing for long periods of time.

It has also been said that young people who spend a lot of time on their phones also find it challenging to concentrate. Social media platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are changing the way youngsters engage with content by encouraging us to create and consume bite-sized pieces of entertainment.

Short-form content lasts less than a minute making it incredibly easy to scroll endlessly through videos and gaining that immediate gratification and excitement. Some crave that constant stimulation, which can lead to difficulty in engaging and sustaining focus with more immersive experiences like theatre shows and live performances.

When it comes to an interval, for us this is very important. We wrote about this back in 2021. Dependent on the performance and the content, theatre-goers may need time to contemplate on and discuss with friends what they have just experiences or require that all important bathroom break.

Others may argue that an interval takes them away from the momentum of a show and it breaks their concentration. They’d rather be immersed for longer than brought back to reality.

Other booking barriers from the survey was affordability and lack of time, particularly for day-trippers. ‘24% of day-trippers cited another issue: the perception that public transport stops too early, limiting their ability to attend evening performances.’

In a short survey we carried out with 51 people, when asked ‘what puts you off seeing a long show in London’ 26% said a late finish and 74% said the long journey home late at night. However, 59% said that they would see a longer show mid-week if it was local.

When it comes down to cost and affordability, audiences need to feel like they’ve had their money’s worth and not been short changed. Theatre tickets are at an all-time high, and audiences won’t part with their money unless it is something that they really want to see. The shorter shows are often priced similarly to longer productions, so these productions especially need to give audiences that wow factor.

There are so many variables that determine why someone books a theatre ticket. It is because they like the show and its content. Is it the cast or is there a celebrity casting? Has it been recommended to them? Does it fit their budget?

Everyone is different. Audiences obviously still want powerful stories, moving performances, and shared experiences. I think it’s important to continue offering a variety of shows at different lengths so that everyone can find something that fits into their evening, interests, and expectations.

Great theatre isn't about how long it is, it is about how it makes you feel before, during and after.