You've Got a Guaranteed Audience, Daley Says, With 600 People at Afternoon Plays and 1,200 Over Two Evening Sittings

Cruise ships have evolved from cheesy entertainment hubs into venues for world-class theatre, featuring Olivier award-winning musicals like Come from Away and Emma Rice's Brief Encounter. Susannah Daley of Peel Entertainment, which provides shows for Ambassador cruises, says onboard production values "way surpass what you see in London theatres, with ships built to hold 600 to 1,000 people. Producer David Pugh, a West End veteran collaborating with Cunard, calls them "the most technical theatres, in terms of lighting and sound, that you've ever seen outside of the best theatres in the world.

Cunard is now headline partner of the Olivier awards, and Peel ran a competition with 260 applications for new plays. Cat Robey, Cunard's senior entertainment development manager, notes the shift: "No one says 'No' any more. Daley recalls that 26 years ago, cruises were seen as "girls with feathers and some crooner, but now multiple shows run daily, including immersive experiences from the team behind Peaky Blinders: The Rise.

You've got a guaranteed audience, Daley says, with 600 people at afternoon plays and 1,200 over two evening sittings. For younger performers, cruises offer variety, from rock to opera to acting.