Three Sisters
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
How do you sell a non-Shakespeare at Shakespeare's Globe? Better yet, how do you sell a show in the lesser known theatre at Shakespeare's Globe?
The brand is home to two theatres – the iconic and well-renowned open-air Globe Theatre and the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the latter of which this production made its debut. Not only the first time for the play itself, but also the first time for Chekhov to be performed here. Ever. Hello, early modern.
​
So with that, let's dive in and see how we did it.
​
Three Sisters​ ran from 30 January – 19 April, 2025.
Campaign Strategy
​
01
World Premiere
This production marks not only the world premiere of the new translation by Rory Mullarkey but also the first time Chekhov has ever been performed in Playhouse – an opportunity to create a sense of anticipation for our traditionalists / Globe regulars with a moment to have a new experience. Also an opportunity to nurture a new audience group: new writing interest and aspiring theatre creators.
02
Relatable Story
This play tells a story of the passing of time and the pain that comes with feeling like opportunity can sometimes pass you by, which a lot of people can relate to. The production as part of this conversation then offers a powerful moment of reflection.​
03
Content Opportunity
Plot themes, set, casting and Chekhov all allowed us to tap into a variety of different platforms to create content that will serve different audiences in new and interesting ways.​ For example, video for Globe regulars / young people and blogs for more literary interest / academics.
How did we do it?​
Digital: Meta & Podcast Advertising
What was crucial with this campaign was to bring to life the poignant story being housed in the most beautiful (and London's only) candlelit theatre and translate to our audiences how this would create the most intimate theatrical experience. This was done to build a sense of intrigue around Chekhov and to frame him as this wonderfully relevant writer one hundred years on.
​
Bespoke copy was written for each target audience group. We leaned into the first time Chekhov for our new writing interest and then further into the strong reviews for our traditionalists and Globe regulars primarily using video to really capture this magical essence.
CRM Targeting
Blogs
I wanted to create some pieces that would serve our audiences in a different way to the world-building video content we created. This took form in two ways: first, a design blog.
This was created to allow literary enthusiasts and theatre makers to connect to the craftsmanship of this production. So, I met with the Designer of the production, Oli Townsend and transcribed an interview we had where he talked me through how he brought Three Sisters to life in this intimate space. On a personal note, I had the most wonderful time speaking with Oli and learnt so much about how a designers brain work, the teamwork involved but also the challenge and beauty behind creating a play in a candlelit theatre without all the conventional tricks and tech of a West End show.
​
Second, a piece on why Chekhov and why now. I commissioned the brilliant academic, Lydia Valentine to write a piece on him as a writer and how the programming of a production like this reminds us of our humanity.
Who said email marketing was dead? Well, it wasn't us as we're still doing it! We used emails to keep our mailing list up to date with the exciting progression of the production – from announcing the cast, to sharing rehearsal content, to announcing reviews and then of course last chance to book as we came into our final few performances.
On Stage Video Content
Now for the magical bit – giving viewers a sneak preview as to what lays behind the curtain (well there are actually no curtains at Shakespeare's Globe but you get the reference). The on stage capture was a huge undertaking where we edited and released four pieces of content including three carefully curated scene pulls.
From a paid media perspective, video almost always performs better than statics so this is a fantastic way to lift a play off the ground in a way that blogs, or call to actions and book now buttons simply cannot do.
​
On stage capture for a brand like Shakespeare's Globe also goes beyond just the selling of the show. It serves as a legacy piece and reminder of where we have come and where we may go with the productions that we stage.
St Paul's Takeover
An iconic monument in London and also only a hop, skip and an Uber boat way from the theatre, sits none other than St Paul's Cathedral. Also situated here is St Paul's tube station, which is where we took over the entire station – for two weeks!
​
All the winter shows joined forces to emulate the magical experience of being in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse experiencing theatre by candlelight. To date, this is probably one of the coolest outdoor campaigns I have ever done.
... more content!
Even before the on stage content was released, we managed to sneak into the rehearsal room (after we liaised with company management, drafted up an extensive call sheet, set up an intricate backdrop, mic'd up all the actors and set up two cameras sorry it wasn't as spontaneous as rolling into the room) and film the actors in action. This culminated in a rehearsal trailer and plot synopsis, which is an absolute hallmark of our YouTube channel and was one of my favourites by the end.