Amateur theatre, which is widely established in French-speaking Switzerland, is not just about the stage, it is deeply embedded in the region’s social fabric. This popular art form is particularly successful in rural parts of French-speaking Switzerland, where it attracts loyal audiences.
Amateur theatre was long practiced within families or groups of friends, making for lively parties and social gatherings. In French-speaking Switzerland, amateur theatre still regularly involves various local societies such as brass bands, choirs, sports clubs and parish groups.
According to a survey conducted by the Federal Statistical Office in 2019, around 65% of the Swiss population actively participates in a cultural activity as a ‘keen amateur’, and of these, 2% are involved in amateur theatre. Amateur theatre is better established in the French-speaking part of Switzerland than in the other language regions, and is practiced more in rural and intermediate areas than in urban settings. Demographically speaking, the 15–29 age group is the most represented, followed by the 45–59 age group. However, this quantitative approach does not fully reflect amateur theatre in French-speaking Switzerland as it fails to take account of all the occasional and pop-up theatre and drama activities, groups that do not feel the need to affiliate, and drama activities run by youth clubs or seniors groups.
