In the theatrical season 2011/2012, the number of spectators to performances of theatres and professional and amateur theatre groups within the country totalled 349 thousand. This equals each individual attending the theatre once a year. The number of spectators decreased by 68 thousand (16 per cent), between theatrical seasons. The number of works staged in the last theatrical season totalled 224, which were performed 2,176 times.
The total number of spectators to performances of theatres and theatre groups in the theatrical seasons 2000/2001–2011/2012 is shown in the graph. Included are spectators to performances in schools by theatres and theatre groups, as well as domestic and foreign co-productions and guest performances.
Professional theatres
In the last theatrical season, five professional theatres operated on ten stages with a seating capacity of 3,596. Together the theatres staged 70 works within the country, including co-productions with professional theatre groups and guest performances. Of the productions staged most were plays, or 39. Productions by Icelandic authors were 36 and 26 by foreign authors. Staged productions by a mixed nationality of authors were eight. Performances numbered 1,072 in total a few more than in the previous season. Spectators to professional theatres totalled 287,172, or some 26 thousand more than in previous theatrical season.
Professional theatre groups
There were 61 professional theatre groups operating in the country in the last theatrical season. The groups staged 91 productions within the country, thereof 15 were staged jointly with theatres. Performances numbered 799. The total number of guests was 102,753, including spectators to co-productions with theatres, or 50 thousand fewer guests than in the previous theatrical season.
Amateur theatre groups
In the last theatrical season 39 amateur theatre groups staged 80 works within the country. Works written by Icelandic authors were three out of every four productions. The groups performed 531 times to nearly 35 thousand spectators. Attendance to performances of amateur theatre groups decreased slightly between seasons (8 per cent).
Statistics Iceland collects annually information from the theatres and the theatre groups.