The Fugard was renowned for its bar-raising social media and online audience engagement and content creation, which marketed the work staged at the theatre. This strategy aimed to develop new audiences and cater to the existing constituencies by creating easily accessed social media platforms for audiences to communicate and engage with The Fugard programming. Early on in its life, and under the leadership of Daniel Galloway, a significant focus was put on using social media to advertise shows and generate interest in The Fugard cultural complex. At the time, this strategy was the first of its kind.
Another element that set the Fugard apart from competing theatres was the level of the graphic design and posters created by in-house graphic designer James Cooke and video designer and photographer Daniel Rutland Manners, and the highly professional rehearsal and production stills of Jesse Kate Kramer, Daniel Rutland Manners and Claude Bernado. In addition, the Fugard Theatre prided itself on being a trailblazer when it came to advertising its shows and events, with high-end promotional videos produced by the in-house Fugard Media team matching the quality of shows presented to audiences.
Audience engagement was focused not only online but was also evident in how The Fugard Foyer was operated. The atmosphere created under the leadership of Front of House Manager Iris Bolton was unique in the history of South African theatre. The team at The Fugard understood that the theatrical experience began at the door to The Fugard. The ethos of the staff, from Security to management, was to put patrons first and create a welcoming, inclusive and safe space for them to enjoy a show.
Banners, in the Fugard Foyer, such as the Kinky Boots example above, encouraged audience participation and generated social media traffic.
1 250 000
Audience members over 10 years
165 000
Facebook followers
42 000
Newsletter subscribers
8 500
Instagram followers
Trailers, teasers and electronic press kits (EPK)
West Side Story trailer
West Side Story teaser
Kinky Boots trailer
Happy New Year teaser
Bad Jews Cape Town return season trailer
Bad Jews Johannesburg trailer
The Fugard Bioscope 2017 Season Part 1 trailer
The Fugard Bioscope 2017 Season Part 2 trailer
The Fugard Bioscope trailer
Cabaret teaser
Clybourne Park teaser
Clybourne Park trailer
The Fugard at Home promotional trailers
The Eulogists EPK
The Fugard Theatre online booking explainer
The Fugard Theatre promotional video
Funny Girl teaser
Funny Girl trailer
Hamlet teaser (unpublished)
Hemelruim trailer
District Six – Kanala teaser
In the news
The Father on Morning Live
A Steady Rain on Expresso
The Blue Iris on CueTV
Kinky Boots premiere on Expresso
The Rocky Horror Show on TopBilling
Die Reuk Van Appels on Morning Live
Orpheus in Africa on Expresso
Oleanna on SABC News
Kat and the Kings on Die Burger
Oleanna on Expresso
King Kong on Morning Live
King Kong on CGTN
Desmond Dube, speaking about King Kong on SABC News