Improving the Performance of Theatres with the help of KPIs

Theatre holds a significant place in nearly every community and it is difficult to measure its value in terms of the contribution made by it in enhancing the social life

Theatre is a place where artists, directors and play-writers come together to present a live act in front of the audience. Since its inception, theatre has been known for providing a pleasant experience to the audience, and it has taken many forms like drama theatres, music theatres, comedy, etc. As theatres are responsible for directly catering to the needs of the audience, effectively managing the performance of a theatre is often considered a hectic task for the management.

Theatre KPIs can be grouped broadly under four categories- Financial Perspective, Audience Perspective, Performance Perspective and Staff and PR Management Perspective. Financial Perspective includes KPIs like marketing budget, % increase in monetary grants, ticket sales revenue, etc. Audience Perspective talks about KPIs such as % positive responses from audience, modes of buying tickets, types of theatrical programs offered, etc. Performance Perspective comprises of KPIs like occupancy level, number of awards won, etc. Lastly, Staff and PR Management Perspective consists of KPIs like number of excellent reviews published in media, training sessions for stage door and front of house staff, educational campaigns carried out for theatre-work promotion, etc.

Apart for satisfying their audience with the fine theatre play and performances, they also carry some responsibilities to the community in which they operate. Theatres groups are often involved in free street plays, fund-raising programmes, and educational campaigns to fulfill their social responsibility. This way, they not only create a positive image in the society but also encourage people for taking part in theatre activities.

Overtime, theatres have lost their charm and interest in the eyes of its audience, and they experience a high attrition rate of audience. People are moving towards cinema halls, and prefer options like home video rentals and TV programmes over theatre plays. So it is important that theatres equip themselves to provide a wonderful experience to the audience. Providing a hygienic and clean environment to the audience is the foremost responsibility of the theatre authorities, as these factors certainly add to the overall outlook of the theatre. A lot of budget is spent on marketing activities annually in the form of paper ads, bulletins, banners, and other advertisement activities, to promote theatre plays. So, the management should make sure that they all work towards the promotion of theatre work positively. It is also important to maintain a healthy relationship with the media, as their positive responses and reviews can help in making the theatre popular in the community.

Providing a cooperative work environment to the theatre staff both on stage and back stage is quite essential, so they can work together towards making the show a real success. Conducting professional training sessions for boosting the morale of the theatre members can work well.

As said, theatre authorities need to oversee a number of issues related to finances, audiences, staff members, and media relationship, etc. So they can make use of Balanced Scorecard to access great control over the overall performance of theatre.