Theatre Previews vs. Opening Nights: A Blurred Distinction

The traditional boundary between theatre previews and official opening nights has eroded due to social media and shifting audience expectations. Previews historically allowed creative teams to test and refine productions before press night, as seen with 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' at the Phoenix Theatre, which underwent extensive rewrites and adjustments during its preview period, and Simon Stone's 'Oresteia', which lost nearly an hour of runtime. However, platforms like TikTok and Instagram now enable instant reviews from the first performance, with 'The Hunger Games on Stage' generating millions of views after its first preview. Financial incentives have also changed, as preview ticket prices often match standard rates, undermining the notion of an unfinished product. The article calls for restoring clarity by inviting influencers to attend alongside press rather than earlier, and suggests critics might attend first performances as in dance or music concerts.