Does YouTube spoil the magic?

More and more audio clips illegally recorded inside Sydney and Melbourne theatres are appearing on internet website YouTube, but anonymity means offenders will probably never be caught.

The opening of blockbuster musical Wicked in Melbourne has sparked a flurry of illegal audio recorded from the audience - some of it from the opening night performance on July 12.

There are currently at least 10 illegal audio clips on YouTube from Wicked, many including performances by leading ladies Amanda Harrison and Lucy Durack.

Audio from the Sydney production of The Rocky Horror Show popped up on the website earlier this month, while audio and video from other Australian productions also features on YouTube.

Neil Gooding, who produced The Hatpin in Sydney earlier this year, said such content ending up online can have its advantages and disadvantages for shows.

"I think that there can certainly be some advantages - for example the High School Musical phenomenon was fuelled dramatically by illegal material on YouTube,"

Gooding said."But I think it is tough on the performers as the live recordings can sometimes be very harsh on their performances. I think maybe it is just a new techological phenomenon that we may just have to accept, and possibly even embrace. I don't think the producers are ever really going to have the resources to prosecute the offenders."

Performer James Millar, who has appeared in countless musicals, condemned those who put up illegal audio and video on content sharing websites."To film a theatre performance and release it is not only an invasion of privacy, but is also doing theatre an injustice, as it is being captured as less than what it is and sent out as a rendition of that," Millar said."That is why the conditions with which filming or recording are done in theatre are always very delicate and smartly done. It's often done as a "fan thing", but its entirely unsupportive and shady. Come and watch it in the moment. If not, wait for a recording of it that has been done with care and precision."

Aussietheatre.com