As Oscar Wilde once said, "I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being", theatre holds the invaluable power of lifting spirits and inspiring us all.

Theatre has existed since the 6th century BC, the first plays being performed in the Theatre of Dionysus, built in Athens, it is true that Ancient Greeks invented theatre as we know it today. The earliest performances were held in 534 BC at a play festival, designed to honour Dionysus - the Greek God of fertility and wine.

The "Festival of Dionysus" was regarded as the theatrical event of the year in 5th century BC Athens, it was held every year around late March and lasted several days, and renowned playwrights would compete to entertain the masses of Athenian citizenry.

Tragedy, Comedy and Satyr plays were the three major dramatic genres in Ancient Greece at the time. The three great playwrights of tragedy were Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Aristotle, who is well known for being one of the greatest Greek philosophers who ever lived, had proposed a formula for dramatic playwriting, which was known as the "Three Unities" combining time, place and action.

Evidently, Theatre was used as a prevailing art form because it was the state-of-the-art which had existed prior to the age of modernity. Nowadays, films are outstanding in technology and popularity, streaming services are becoming more available. Fewer actors and actresses are performing in theatres, deciding to perform in movies instead. Younger generations no longer want to be the next Judi Dench or Barbra Streisand, instead dreaming to be the next Ariana Grande or Olivia Rodrigo. Theatre isn't being recognised for its comedy, risqué and spectacular ability to offer aliveness and organic interaction.

The 1940s and 1950s are referred to as the "Golden Age" of theatre because of the many musicals that debuted in this period. Golden Age musicals include: Cabin in the Sky, The Wizard of Oz, A Star Is Born, and many more. In the modern-day, Les Miserables, Hamilton, Mamma Mia and West Side Story are appreciated as some of the most famous musical theatre productions of all time.

In 2019, the UK's Film Entertainment revenue amounted to £1.25 billion, whereas London theatres generated gross revenue of £799 million according to Statista. Due to large investments in special effects and lower ticket prices, films have shown to be a more popular entertainment form than live theatre.

Although it may not be as popular as the film industry, it certainly isn't dying. In 1984-1985, the gross profit for theatre tickets globally was £95,081,811, while in 2015-2016, this increased to £624,206,238. A reason for this may be inflation but clearly, theatre is rising in popularity. 

On March 13th 2020, theatres were forced to close worldwide which accelerated the slow death of the theatre industry. Conventional Theatre may be creeping up to its death but theatre will definitely reinvent itself and magnetize generations yet to come.