Q&A with Anthony Alderson

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My New Normal: Anthony Alderson

 
Anthony Alderson is Director of the Pleasance Theatre Trust, a charitable trust that runs three theatre spaces in London and has been presenting festival seasons at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for 35 years. Below he answers our top questions on Social Media, Film/TV/Podcasts and the impact of the Coronavirus.

What social media do you regularly use?
Twitter.


What do you post?
Mainly work-related posts.


What podcasts are you listening to? 
A History of the World in 100 Objects and The Adam Buxton Podcast.


And on the airwaves? 
Radio 4.

Current viewing habits, film, TV, online?
Mainly movies.


What’s your favourite ad campaign and why?
Skoda; they are unapologetic and have a great sense of humour. 


Your favourite maxim for life (and who said it)?
“Values matter most when they are least convenient.”

I don’t know who said it. My Dad, probably. 


How has your company responded to the challenges raised by Coronavirus?  
We must survive. We furloughed staff, applied for grants, started a fundraising campaign on Crowdfunder, and have looked for opportunities to develop alternative revenues. We want to keep the staff together, keep paying them and try to keep them as upbeat as they can be. 


What opportunities has it created?
This pandemic has accelerated the use of digital technology. We must explore new and eccentric genres of performance. There’s likely to be social distancing within theatres for a long time and we must, therefore, look at long term solutions for digitally live performance that engages both performer and audiences.

 
What future changes do you anticipate needing to make in the ‘new normal’?
We will need to make significant adjustments to buildings in order to make live performance possible while maintaining social distancing. We will need to work from home and meet occasionally. This pandemic has shown that we need to change our work-life balance and we must also slow our consumer nature.