"Last year, more than 37 million people settled their behinds into the red-velvet upholstery, plastic chairs or wooden I'll only tolerate this because it's the Globe benches of a theatre. West End attendance has reportedly grown by 11% and regional audiences have increased by 4% since 2019 pretty impressive amid a cost of living crisis and after a pandemic that had us all locked in our houses."
"For some, AI's arrival has been exciting or, at the very least, handy who doesn't want to outsource life's grunt work, or get an expert photo editor/nutritionist/therapist for nothing? For others, it feels bleak and bewildering. They've watched AI replace jobs, supersede human connection and infiltrate almost every area of our lives. Even worse, it's started doing it on the sly."
More than 37 million people attended theatre last year, with West End attendance up 11% and regional audiences up 4% since 2019, despite a cost-of-living crisis and a pandemic. Increased attendance reflects returning tourists, affordable-ticket schemes and blockbuster adaptations sparking curiosity. The rise of artificial intelligence also influences audience choices: AI tools provide convenience but raise concerns about job displacement, diminished human connection and deceptive synthetic content such as AI-generated articles and deepfakes. Live theatre offers palpable human presence, transparent artifice and shared emotional experience, delivering authentic interpersonal connection that many audiences increasingly seek.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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