Meet the Subscribers: David and Kate Stock
We sit down with two Season 2019 subscribers to find out why they keep coming back to the theatre.
Theatre is all about ritual. You hear stories of actors needing to touch every prop before each show begins; about directors wearing a jacket for opening night, or the curse of saying ‘good luck’ before a show. But we’ve found our audience have rituals, too. They might get the same drink before every show or need to sit in a specific seat. The audience is just as much a part of the theatre we produce as the people on stage.
Meet David and Kate Stock. As subscribers, they don’t just go to theatre — they make a night of it. And we think that’s pretty special. Learn more about them, their theatre-going ritual, and why they subscribe.
Why do you subscribe to State Theatre Company?
Kate Stock: We’ve been subscribers since 2016, after attending a school fundraiser and bidding on tickets to State Theatre Company and a backstage tour... Even though we had both been sporadic theatre-goers prior to this, that first experience was a very fun date night for us. We recognised that if our community doesn’t support the arts, we’re going to lose talent to interstate/overseas. For this reason, we decided to pre-book four shows a year and commit to these regular nights out together. We grab a quick bite at Sean’s Kitchen before the show begins and really love the tradition we’ve created for ourselves.
Even though we are often not familiar with the plays before we see them, we love talking about them afterwards, and sharing our views on what we’ve just seen. No doubt we often miss the mark, but we really love having the chance to experience something like theatre together; to have something that gives us the chance to have some pretty special conversations.
Dave Stock: We love the theatre because it’s a distraction from the demands of everyday life. Going to the theatre has been a positive influence on our lives and our relationship. It allows us to step away from our day-to-day mindset (work, kids etc) and provides us with an opportunity to have a break and catch up one-on-one.
What is your favourite theatrical genre and what has been your best experience in the theatre?
KS: We’re open to anything theatre-wise, but can’t go past a comedy and plays based on books we’ve read. We liked Things I Know to Be True and The 39 Steps in 2016, Switzerland in 2017 and After Dinner in 2018.
Our all-time favourite was The Secret River performed at the Anstey Hill quarry. I tend to stray away from theatre that’s too dark.
DS: I am up for absolutely anything. It’s all a learning experience for me.
Have there been any shows you’ve disliked? What is that experience like for you as a subscriber?
KS: On the whole, we’ve got something out of all the plays, even if we didn’t agree with the message or didn’t feel like it really hit the mark for us. It still gave us something to think about and engage with. It gave us that gift of conversation.
DS: Sometimes we have found that our experience of a show can be influenced by your feelings at the time you watch it — stress levels, workload, tiredness, kids, family challenges — but that’s all part of it. Theatre is unique because it happens right there in front of you, live and in the flesh. It becomes a part of your life, in a way.
What show are you most excited for in Season 2019 and why?
KS: I loved the book Jasper Jones, so I am really looking forward to that.
DS: I’m keen for everything… I don’t like to read too much about a play before I go in. It’s all part of the fun.
Learn more about Subscribing to Season 2019 here.
