TRAILER/trash audience survey research

Following the first public outing as script-in-hand rehearsed reading of the all-new TRAILER/trash, supported by the Arts Council of England, I promised to openly share the results of the flash survey I conducted at the end of the performance on 15th May. So here are the numerical findings and all feedback will be considered prior to our visit to the Hotbed Festival in Cambridge at The Junction in July.

45 surveys were completed from an audience of 70. I asked the audience to complete the questions as honestly as possible ignoring the fact that they may have known me personally or members of the cast and crew. At least 50% of the audience we were not known to me personally. I don’t take these results as definitive or scientific but perhaps as generously indicative of what an audience thought of the work as presented in this development stage.

 

Here are the numbers:


• 83% - the overall approval rate of the event and evening.
• 83% thought the narrative/storyline in TRAILER/trash was clear.
• 77% thought that TRAILER/trash had a message and that it was clear.
• 78% thought TRAILER/trash helped raise their awareness of, or made them think more about, transgender issues (but note, I worded this question badly as there were a number of audience members who already had clear experience with LGBT issues and so this has skewed the response rate).
• 79% thought that more specifically that TRAILER/trash helped raise their awareness of Female to Male Transitioning issues (again, see my note above).
• 85% felt that the character of FRANKIE made them feel more sympathetic towards females who identity with the male.
• 85% felt that the way FRANKIE described his experiences and what he went through in the play as a female wishing to transition to the male seemed authentic.
• 80% felt that FRANKIE’s experience was not just limited to living in the USA, more specifically, Texas and The South.
• 85% thought that FRANKIE’s experiences could just as easily translate to living in the UK.
• 80% thought that the character of SHYANNE was not a stereotypical portrayal of a stripper (compared to other fictional stripper characters they may have seen on-stage/TV/film etc)
• 81% felt that SHYANNE’S racial identity added a level of complexity to her role as a stripper.
• 63% felt that the age difference between SHYANNE and FRANKIE created a more interesting stage dynamic than if they were of similar ages
• 72% thought they play sounded authentically Texan – note, many respondents didn’t know how to evaluate this and remained neutral
• 80% however thought that the way SHYANNE was written she sounded like an authentic Afro-American woman from Texas.
• 78% were happy to attend a performance of a script still in development
• 76% felt that they could completely engage with a script-in-hand/rehearsed reading with the limited use of props/set/sound effects etc.
• 94% said that the limited use of props/set/sound effects etc was not a barrier to them enjoying the performance.
• 93% said that they would attend more script-in-hand/rehearsed readings by any playwright in the future based on their experience of TRAILER/trash (any play by any playwright).
• 91% said they would be happy to attend more script-in-hand rehearsed readings of plays written by Mike Elliston
• 91% found the whole event enjoyable.