Organising an outdoor theatre performance requires careful thought about several key elements. From location to online ticket sales, every aspect needs to be carefully considered to ensure the success of your event.
In this guide, we’ll explore the key points to help you choose the ideal venue, create a captivating atmosphere, assess capacity, manage technical and logistical aspects, and ensure regulatory compliance.
Follow these steps to deliver an unforgettable theatrical experience to your audience.
Summary
1. How to choose the right venue for an open-air theatre performance: choosing the location and ensuring accessibility to your event
Proximity to public transport
The choice of location is crucial to the success of your outdoor theatre performance. It’s not just a question of finding venues that resemble what you have imagined, but also of ensuring that they are easily accessible to everyone. The need to ensure easy access for all participants is essential.
The first thing to think about is proximity to public transport. A venue with good transport links means that your spectators can get to the venue easily without having to worry about driving or parking. If possible, choose venues close to underground stations, bus stops or railway stations.
Accessibility for people with reduced mobility
It is also essential to ensure accessibility for people with reduced mobility. Make sure the venue is adapted, with clear aisles, access ramps and reserved spaces for wheelchairs. An inclusive audience is not only a legal requirement, it’s also a way of broadening your audience.
Availability of car parks
Don’t forget the availability of parking! Even if the venue is well served by public transport, offering parking options to spectators who come by car can enhance their experience and make the event easier to organise.
2. Create an atmosphere by choosing the ideal environment
Choose a venue that enhances the atmosphere of the show
Choosing the right venue for your outdoor performance is a task that goes beyond mere functionality. The venue must also enhance the atmosphere of your show and contribute to the immersive experience you want to offer your audience.
- Functionality: the venue you choose must be functional to host your event, but it must also contribute to the overall atmosphere of your show.
- Natural setting: a natural setting, such as a park, garden or historic square, can add an extra dimension to the piece and enhance its atmosphere.
- Audience immersion: the venue should immerse the audience in the world you want to create, providing a unique atmosphere.
- Specific themes: if your play evokes themes such as freedom or rebellion, opt for an open, vast and wild space, which will perfectly match the spirit of the production.
Visual impact and integration with the theme of the room
The choice of environment must also take into account the design impact you wish to convey. The task is to ensure that the natural or architectural setting fits in harmoniously with the theme of your play, creating total immersion for the audience. For example, a romantic comedy will lend itself very well to a bucolic setting, while a historical drama will benefit from a more sober and majestic location, such as an old courtyard or a castle. The environment becomes an actor in its own right, adding depth to the performance and the visual narrative of the show.
Relationship with the audience and the environment
One of the great assets of an outdoor performance is the task of creating a unique relationship between the audience and the environment. The space must encourage interaction between the audience and the venue. A well-situated stage can offer an unobstructed view and allow the audience to feel closer to the action, creating a more intimate and immersive dynamic. The space can also be designed to encourage fluid circulation, where the audience feels engaged and part of the performance, rather than just an observer.
3. Assess the capacity and configuration of the venue
Estimation du nombre de spectateurs en mettant en place une billetterie
Before even choosing a venue, it is important to estimate the number of spectators you wish to welcome. This estimate will enable you to determine whether the venue you have chosen is suitable for the size of your audience. To make this easier to manage, it’s essential to set up an online ticketing system. With solutions like WeezTicket, you can not only sell your tickets, but also have a real-time overview of seat availability. The tool enables you to anticipate demand, adjust capacity and optimise organisation in line with the influx of spectators. An online ticketing service also offers the possibility of introducing different categories of tickets and promotions (standard, VIP, group tickets, etc.), making it possible to better meet spectator expectations while controlling the influx.
Layout adapted to the theatre’s needs
Once the number of spectators has been determined, the layout of the venue needs to be thought through according to the specific needs of open-air theatre. It’s important to ensure a smooth flow of traffic, provide sufficient space for spectators, and incorporate facilities such as VIP areas or children’s play areas, if necessary. Optimising the space will also make it possible to provide circulation areas for the technical teams and artists, and to guarantee good visibility for all the audience, depending on the configuration of the venue.
Areas for seated and standing spectators
Once the number of spectators has been estimated, it is essential to design the layout of the venue to meet the specific needs of open-air theatre. Each area must be carefully thought out to ensure comfort, safety and fluidity, while optimising the audience experience.
- Free-flowing traffic: make sure that the aisles and passageways are clear to allow easy and safe movement for the audience, the artists and the technical teams.
- Sufficient space for spectators: provide enough seats or standing room, depending on the type of audience and the level of comfort required.
- Dedicated areas (VIP, children, etc.): include specific areas such as VIP zones or areas for families with children, to offer a more personalised experience.
- Space for technical teams and artists: ensure that there are areas dedicated to backstage and artist preparation, without hindering the flow of the show.
- Optimum visibility: depending on the configuration of the venue, make sure that all spectators, whether seated or standing, have a good view of the stage.
4. Technical and logistical conditions
Mettre en place l’électricité, la sonorisation et éclairage
The technical conditions are essential to ensure that your outdoor performance runs smoothly. Checking the technical installations is crucial to ensuring that everything runs smoothly. Electricity, sound and lighting play a crucial role in creating an immersive experience for the audience and ensuring that the show runs smoothly. You need to make sure that the venue has the facilities to provide a stable and sufficient power supply, especially if you have equipment such as projectors, microphones or sound systems to use. It’s also important to check the quality of the sound system, so that the sound is clear and audible to the whole audience, wherever they are in the venue. As far as the lighting is concerned, it is essential to create the right atmosphere for the play, ensuring that the stage is sufficiently lit to allow the actors to be seen clearly, while maintaining the desired atmosphere.
What backstage and storage space is needed for my performance?
Another important logistical aspect is the management of backstage and storage areas. In open-air venues, you need to provide areas where performers can prepare and change before going on stage. These areas must be protected from the weather and spacious enough to allow the technical teams and actors to move around easily. In addition, a storage area is needed to keep all the technical equipment, costumes, props and other equipment safe. Make sure that these areas are close to the stage to facilitate transitions and avoid excessively long or complicated movements.
Have a safety plan in case of emergency
Safety is an absolute priority when organising an outdoor event. It is essential to put in place an appropriate safety plan, to ensure rapid and effective management in the event of an emergency, while protecting the public, artists and staff.
- Trained staff: ensure that dedicated safety staff are on hand to intervene quickly if necessary.
- Clear evacuation plans: draw up well-defined evacuation plans, with visible signs to guide the public in the event of an emergency.
- Safety barriers and protection around the stage: install barriers to protect spectators and prevent accidents near the stage.
- Rescue teams and access to the emergency services: provide easy access to the emergency services so that they can intervene quickly if an incident occurs.
5. Regulations for open-air theatre in the public space
Obtaining the necessary permits and authorisations
When organising an open-air theatre performance in a public space, it is crucial to ensure that all the necessary permits are obtained. Depending on the venue and the nature of the event, this includes permits for occupying the public domain, using the space for a performance, and setting up temporary structures such as stages or tents. The procedures vary from one town to another, so it’s important to contact the local authorities (town hall, prefecture, etc.) well in advance to ensure that approval deadlines are met. What’s more, some towns require safety checks or technical inspections before issuing permits. Make sure you get everything sorted out in advance to avoid any unforeseen problems on the big day.
Respecting timetables and controlling noise
Time and noise management is another regulatory aspect to be taken into account when organising an open-air performance. Outdoor shows can cause noise pollution, which can be a problem, particularly in residential areas. It is therefore essential to respect the times authorised by the local authorities in order to limit nuisance, particularly for performances that extend into the evening. Some local authorities impose noise limits and maximum sound levels, which you will have to comply with. This may require the use of appropriate equipment, such as sound regulators or noise control devices, to ensure that the authorised thresholds are not exceeded and to guarantee the peace and quiet of nearby residents.
Insurance and civil liability
Finally, it is essential to take out adequate insurance to cover the risks associated with an outdoor event. Public liability insurance is particularly important, as it covers potential damage caused to spectators, artists or anyone else involved in the event. This includes accidents related to the installation of equipment, falls, or any other incident that may occur during the show.
To facilitate the organisation of your outdoor theatre performance, Weezevent offers complete online ticketing, access control, cashless payment solutions, as well as marketing and CRM tools to optimise your event at every stage.
