WHAT IS A GOOD SIZE AUDIENCE?

This has been coming up in several discussions with clients and prospective clients.

Here is one problem with all dinner shows: serving and removing the food. Acts can't really be performed during food service for reasons such as safety, interference with the show, etc. So food service happens in between acts. And with large groups, unless the venue has a quick and large waitstaff, this can take some time. Now with our shows, while food service is taking place, the actors improv with the audience and we play dance music. But if food service takes too long - it's like having a one hour intermission at a movie, a 30 minute break between innings at a ball game, a long wait at a red light, etc. In short, it takes away from the event.

Here is another problem with dinner shows that are interactive: they should not be performed on a stage unless the stage is a raised stage centered in the middle of the group. With interactive dinner shows, the audience is part of the event so you place the "stage" in the center so that the audience can be center stage, so that everyone has a first or second row seat. Usually, arranging the tables in a C or U shape or a circle, with a playing area/dance floor in the middle, works best. We have a sample floor plan in an earlier post.

So what is a good size audience? That really depends on the food service and the venue. And note: other problems can arise in private events that have the same effect as food service: e.g., speeches, raffles, awards, etc. These also take time and with any theatrical performance, timing is everything.