Sweat and spectacle of theatre makes it 'immortal' but challenges lurk

Musical theatre, a sector valued at $531 million, continues to captivate audiences with its blend of performance and spectacle, yet it grapples with significant financial pressures. Jordan Koulos, a performer with extensive experience in musicals across Australia and Asia, finds himself immersed in a new role as a deep-sea vampire in "Abyss at Dracula's." He describes the experience as being "immersed in this world" where the unseen elements create a powerful impact.

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It's what happens under the surface that you never get to see, and being able to shock audiences with that.

Dracula's, a prominent theatre-restaurant on the Gold Coast, has been a fixture for 41 years. Founded by Luke Newman's grandparents in 1985, it drew inspiration from the cult classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and 19th-century Vaudevillian theatre. Newman, now CEO after starting in the kitchen, notes that the "dinner and a show" format, once common, is now "very rare to see." He acknowledges that Dracula's operates in a unique "bubble," but recognizes the industry-wide shifts driven by streaming and evolving content delivery methods.

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It's my bread and butter, I really love it.

Despite strong audience demand, the live theatre industry is facing a difficult period marked by rising costs. Live Performance Australia's latest report indicates that while attendance is up, annual revenue has fallen by 2 percent to $531 million. This trend is consistent across various markets and genres of live performance. CEO Eric Lassen attributes this to escalating costs for labor, technical requirements, and freight, which has increased by over 50 percent for touring shows.

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People would go out to nightclubs where they'd have coffee at 11pm at night and watch a comedy act with a piano and ukulele on stage.

Several major theatrical productions in Australia have recently been canceled due to these mounting cost pressures. The national tour of the musical "Beetlejuice" was among those affected. Lassen emphasizes that the "hunger and the demand" for live shows remains robust, but the economic realities are making it increasingly challenging to keep productions afloat and maintain the magic of live performance.

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But nowadays, dinner and a show is nowhere else, it's very rare to see.