Choices of theatre events

Abstract

In this article we analyse the choice of theatre performances made by theatregoers through the application of network analysis. We use the institution in which the events are staged and the aesthetical expectations of the theatregoers as explanations for the choice patterns. By means of p* models, we are able to simultaneously analyse the patterns of choice, the loyalty to an institution and the co-attendance of events, and the diversity in audience composition. Based on an audience survey in three theatre institutions in the city of Ghent (Belgium), we show that theatregoers with unconventional expectations are more likely to attend plays of the less traditional institutions. Second, audiences are loyal to an institution irrespective of the existence of season tickets. People are more inclined to combine plays that are staged by the institutions with a similar programmation. Furthermore, we find that one institution has very similar audiences for different plays, whereas for others the composition of the audiences differs significantly with regard to aesthetic expectations between different plays.