As I’ve been writing this section since my time with Kings News, it has really come to my attention just how broad a form of entertainment the theatre is. There is something for everyone to enjoy in the art of live performance, so I’ve decided to look at some of the different types of theatre and what makes them stand out as distinct categories of show. In producing a show, the writers must first make sure that all are agreed on what form they want their masterpiece to take, so understanding these types is extremely important within the industry.
The first thing a producer might consider is whether they wish for their show to be simply a play, or a musical. This choice is often made before much else is considered since it is such a pivotal decision for the show. It will affect what other crew members will be needed, what sorts of actors will be cast, and perhaps most importantly how the show will be structured. Typically, a musical will use a far greater number of shorter scenes, as opposed to just a couple of long ones which is often the case with a play. Also, plays will generally be more naturalistic in their staging and direction and much less exaggerated. Aside from these two common forms of theatre, there can also be shows specifically designated to other entertainments such as dance.
There are of course various forms of play dependant on the style of the acting, production and direction, but with the addition of music, shows can differ considerably more, based on how the show balances the importance of storyline, music and other aspects such as dance. When various forms of art come together in a production like this, a large variety of different creations can be assembled. For example, a pop or rock concert is a show that is based solely around the music, and a play is based solely around the drama of the piece, but between the two lie the opera, the book musical, the concept musical and the play with songs, where the emphasis is placed on different aspects in each one.
The most easily recognisable type of musical is probably the book musical. This involves a play using songs to carry along the storyline. This differs from a play with music in that the songs are vital to the story. If the songs were removed from a book musical then the story would no longer make sense. On the other hand, in a play with music, the songs are used aside from any storyline that is going on. In older shows, songs were often used in this way as interludes between scenes. Book musicals are named as such because the songs are based primarily around the book (the script of the musical).
The opera is interesting as a form of theatre, since it is very difficult to clearly define. Many people have differing opinions on exactly what makes an opera just that. Many consider it similar to a book musical, but the music takes precedence over the storyline. This may be why they are still popular in the UK despite being generally written in other European languages, since the music can still be enjoyed whether or not the lyrics are understood. Though most popular operas are relatively old, some more contemporary ones using pop and rock music have become well-known, such as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’. Operas are also usually sung through, similarly to sung-through musicals like Les Miserables. This means that all of the dialogue is sung and is a choice that some composers prefer since they believe it avoids the awkwardness of characters suddenly bursting into song.
Finally, the concept musical is a musical with no narrative story as such, but rather songs that are linked by a common theme. For example, in ‘Cats’, each song is sung by a different cat explaining why they think they should be allowed to go to the Heaviside layer. In ‘A Chorus Line’, a group of actors explain through songs why each of them wants to be in the chorus and why they should get the part. Often this type of musical is used as an alternative way of getting across a message, and is either loved or hated by musical theatre fans.
Theatre of course divides into many more sub-sections than this, but this has just been a brief overview of some of the most easily recognisable forms, so for any budding playwrights reading, it will hopefully give some ideas on how your ideas can be brought to life before an audience.
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