Comedy. Tragedy. Blood, sweat and tears. Months of rehearsal, weeks of tech, days of previews where everything under the sun goes wrong and needs to be fixed by the early hours. And then suddenly, the day has arrived: it’s opening night, the night to celebrate! And you’ve scored yourself an invite.
The opening night of a theatre show is an important event that marks the beginning of the show’s season. It is usually attended by a mixture of VIPs, reviewers, industry figures and friends of the production—who are invited at the discretion of the production team. After an opening night performance there is usually a function for the audience, during which the cast and creative team will mingle.
Whether you’re associated with the production or a valued guest, attending the opening night of a theatre show is an exciting event. Here’s everything you need to know!
Is Opening Night the First Performance?
Generally, opening night is preceded by preview performances of a theatre show. The number of previews depend on the professional level of the show: amateur or community theatre tends not to have them. Independent theatre may schedule between one and five previews, whereas some large scale productions and musicals may preview for weeks.
Previews allow the team behind the show to iron out technical kinks. They also help gauge audience reaction and make the kinds of last-minute fixes that can only be discovered when performing the piece live. It is not unusual there to be lighting, sound or costume issues during a preview show, or for a stage manager to call a “show stop” and halt the performance entirely. The hope is that, come opening night, anything that can go wrong will already have done so.
Who Goes to Opening Night?
Generally, opening nights are invite-only crowds—carefully selected and balanced by producers. You want VIPs and industry figures to give the night an air of exclusivity, along with the families and friends of cast and crew to bring that all-important love and support. The theatre venue itself may have a guest list they roll out for opening nights.
Perhaps the most important group of people at opening night are the reviewers. In the contemporary theatre scene, where tickets are as high as the cost of living, reviewers can make or break a show with what they print about it. This is another reason that opening nights need to be stacked with supportive fans of those involved in the show: you want these people having a rip-roaring good time in the seats around the person whose job it is to appraise the show.
Whether you’ve been invited as a plus-one, as the guest of a cast member or you won your seat in a competition, your job is the same. Show up and shower the people onstage with love and support.
What Should I Wear to Opening Night?
Semi-formal to formal attire. Stop short of black tie (unless directed), but prepare to be seen and feel confident about your state of dress. The opening night performance is usually followed by an after-party celebration (see Attending the Opening Night Drinks below) and will require some drinking and mingling. You may even get your picture taken—another reason not to show up looking like you’ve been driving a taxi all day.
Actors and industry figures often have an aversion to looking nice at the theatre. You think they, of all people, would make an effort. But there’s an unspoken status thing going on with some actors: “This isn’t special to me. A theatre is a workplace, not a party. I’ll dress how I like.” Please don’t be this person. What they’re telling the room is they’ve dressed for themselves, not out of respect for the work put in by the creative team.
Plus: who doesn’t like dressing up nice and hitting the town?
Attending the Opening Night Drinks
After the show, opening night audiences tend to be invited to share a drink with the cast and crew. Before you ask: yes, the booze is free. So pace yourself, especially if you’re an actor with a reputation tied up with the people in the room. Have fun, chat about the show and keep the conversation light and flowing. Foyer talk is its own skill, and one worth practicing and refining.
After their post-show duties, cast will come out of the dressing rooms and join in the drinks. They may be applauded as they enter the room, but experience shows that most just want to slip in and see friends and family. Don’t ever be afraid to seek somebody out from the team and tell them your words of support. It is never unappreciated.
How to Network at Opening Night
If you’re an actor, director, writer or related theatre-maker, opening nights are great places to network. However, focus on being social rather than business-minded. You’re not likely to book a role at an opening night party, but you may make an impression with a casting director that puts you on their radar. Also, you can always follow up meeting somebody with a quick social media message after the date.
Opening night events are great places to practice how to talk about your acting career. Don’t forget, however, that your primary focus should be the incredible people you’ve shown up to support in the show. Never steal the thunder, never forget the night is not about you.
What if I Hated the Show?
Obviously: tell everybody! As loudly and as soon as you can!
Look… there are times for honesty in the arts, and opening nights are not one of those times. If the show is jaw-droppingly awful, you’re probably not alone in your appraisal of it being that. Take comfort in that fact, and realise that you don’t need to go seeking out opinions of people who agree in that particular moment. Look, if you can, for the things that were good, and focus on them. It’s fairly rare to have nothing good to say about a production—even if it’s nothing more than the efforts of a cast or crew dealing with a show they probably knew was getting away from them.
If you can’t find a single thing to like about the show, make an excuse and leave quickly. You can even slip out as soon as the house lights come up. Just be careful about when you and your date to the show start your autopsy of the performance: you don’t want to be overheard by a family member of That One Really Terrible Actor who’d stepped out of the theatre to take a phone call.
What if I Loved the Show?
Here’s hoping, right?! If you loved the show, gush to the cast and crew! Talk about your favourite parts with the other audience members! Take photos and plaster them across your social media! Call for toasts with free white, red or sparkling!
The best thing you can do is to take that enthusiasm out of the building with you and tell people to buy tickets. Be the word of mouth that gets the message out there. Theatre relies on the groundswell that comes from an audience talking about their experience with a good show. You may even want to head back with other people and see it again with other people. And don’t forget that theatre tickets make excellent birthday gifts…
If you’re somebody in the performing arts yourself (and we’ll assume you are), a strong sector benefits us all. It’s in your best interest for every show to succeed, because more shows means more opportunities to work.
Conclusion
So there you have it: the definitive guide to attending an opening night at the theatre. Our final piece of advice for attending an opening night is simple.
Be generous. Be generous with your energy and your compliments. Odds are the night didn’t cost you anything more than bus fare, so work to earn the gift given to you by a cast and crew with months of hard work invested. If you play your cards right, they might even have you back.
Enjoy!
