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Car Parking
Many box offices allow you to pre book a car park
space, at a discount, along with your show seats. Worthwhile and guarantees you
a place to park without hassle on arrival. Call Westminster City Council car parks on 0800 243 348 or see
www.westminster.gov.uk/carparks for details. At designated car park, parking under
the "Theatreland Parking Scheme" allows a 50% discount in cost. Spaces CANNOT be
reserved at these prices, so choose whether you would prefer to book and pay
more, or use this scheme.
If you choose the "Theatreland Parking Scheme", you must get your car park
ticket validated at the theatre's box office counter (the theatre attendant will
insert the car parking ticket into a small machine which updates the information
held on the magnetic strip on the reverse, thus enabling the discount). When you
pay using the machines at the car park, 50% will be deducted from the full
tariff. You may park for up to 72 hours using this scheme and it is endorsed by
the Society of London Theatre.
For a full list of car parks that participate in the 50% off theatreland
scheme here see
www.westminster.gov.uk/carparks/theatreland.cfm, and for a full list of
theatres that participate in the scheme see
www.westminster.gov.uk/carparks/theatres.cfm.
Outside the West End central area, the Royal
National Theatre, South Bank Concert Halls, Earls Court, Royal Albert Hall,
Wembley Complex and the Barbican Centre have their own car parks. Of these, only
Earls Court and the Royal Albert Hall require pre - booking. The others have
enough space to cope with their own audiences.
Read the play
Seriously. If the play is unfamiliar, or contains
difficult language, a few minutes reading the first two or three scenes makes it
easier to get involved in the action.
Help the Box Office Clerk
Clerks get a rough deal (cue violins) facing the
public every day. Help them when making a booking by listing (before calling
them), your a choice of dates and prices, and knowing which seats you prefer.
And have your credit card to hand. If you are prepared, the whole booking thing
is way simpler and less painful for both parties involved!
Some staff go a long way to help people. Reader Simon Feegrade
sfeegrade@hotmail.com was impressed by the service he received from the
Trafalgar Studios/Ambassador staff.
"I requested front row, but was told the RSC were being slow to release
their unsold allocation, which included those seats. They reserved my 4th-row
tickets without taking payment while waiting to see what the RSC released. From
Thursday to following Tuesday, they held them, while giving me phone updates,
before confirming the front row seats were available and only taking payment
then. And they were helpful and courteous throughout."
Chris Ellis adds, for the Cambridge Theatre in 2004:
"An extra word of praise for the theatre staff - I lost our tickets on the
way to the theatre, but luckily had noted my booking reference. However, there
was no hassle in getting replacement tickets quickly from the box office when we
arrived, with only minutes to spare."
great news, and just shows how staff will try when they are treated well by
us customers!
Monkey has had reports that both online booking systems and telephone sales
clerks have been splitting small parties by placing one or more members away
from the rest on the other side of the aisle! The monkey advises scrutiny of the
seating plans to make certain this does not happen to you.
If you are collecting tickets at the Box Office
The actual cardholder MUST be present and produce the credit card used to
make the booking, when collecting tickets at the box office counter on the day
of the performance.
One reader says,
"I would offer a word of advice about collecting pre-booked tickets
from the box office. We got there just in time (about 2.30pm - the
show was at 3pm) before the queue really built up. We had to queue for 10
minutes, but as we left, the queue was outside and along the side of the theatre
along Shaftesbury Avenue. It only needs one or two argumentative people in the
line and everything snarls up. My advice. If you have to collect pre-booked
tickets allow plenty of time."
Wise words, feels the monkey.
Compare online availability
A reader suggests that if you get offered good seats online but are still not sure and want to check another day it is best to minimize the window and hold those offered ( you can
often keep for up to 5 minutes) rather than "go back" in your browser. Then open a new booking window to check other availability. If you close the window the seats seem to get blocked for
5minutes and then when released there is no guarantee that you will get the same ones back.
Ticket Insurance
Most theatres now sell ticket
insurance scheme "TicketPlan". This guarantees you your money back if
you, a close relative or person accompanying you to the show: is too ill / had
an accident / died. They even notify the theatre of your non-appearance; so
you do not have to worry!
You are also covered if your car breaks down en-route, or if public transport
fails due to industrial action or breakdown! With huge ticket prices, this is a
great way to protect your investment. It is a useful option to consider where
offered, feels the monkey; who hopes all theatres will get round to offering it
soon!
Pay for the VIP Treatment
Many theatres offer a "hospitality" service - top tickets plus use
of a private room / bar and refreshments. A programme and backstage tour can
also be included. Ask the box office operators when you call...but be prepared
to pay £100 upwards for the fun!
Guarantee Your Favourite Star Will actually perform that night
A condition of sale printed on the back of every ticket states
that no refunds are given for advertised actors failing to perform. Complaining
does no good whatsoever. If you specifically want to see that person, check with
the actual theatre box office before buying your ticket. You stand the best
chance of seeing the performer work on a Friday or Saturday Evening, the least
chance at a midweek matinee, or a Monday or Thursday Evening.
Entering the theatre
The doors from the foyer into the auditorium are
marked with rows and seat numbers. Use the correct door of you will have to
fight your way along a row inside. In a full house this is hard and embarrassing
if the play has started.
Leaving the Theatre
Wait for the crowd to disperse, or sprint for it?
Theatremonkey says move fast, go first, but be clever. Human nature is to use
the same door to leave by as you came in. Theatres limit entry to one door,
since only one leads from foyer to auditorium and ticket checks are easier. Fire
regulations, however, require numerous direct street exits. As your fellow
audience members fight their way back to the foyer, look for any green EXIT
signs and doors with bars marked PUSH TO OPEN on them. Use them. You will avoid
the crush and if you need to return to the front of the theatre, you can walk
comfortably outside, avoiding the jostling on the stairs.
One reader, Brin, has found that,
"I have seen usherettes standing in front of fire doors at the end of perf, then asking people
to exit via other doors, I have even seen fire doors sealed with a security tag with an
"Alarmed" warning,
we both know that this is very naughty."
Indeed, this is naughty. If it happens to you, do report it to the local fire
department - they will be most interested...as will the local court when it
imposes a very spectacular fine!
Souvenirs, Cast Recordings and Programmes
Many productions, especially musicals, have a tidy range of
goods for sale in the foyer.
Programmes
and Souvenir brochures are discussed elsewhere.
Other stuff includes T Shirts, Sweatshirts, badges / pins, trinket boxes,
watches, mugs etc etc. These goodies are generally only sold in the theatre
itself, though Dress Circle Records carry odd items (click on this banner below
to visit the online shop):
Dress Circle also carries a range
of stuff from shows which have closed, check with them for details as obviously
supplies are limited.
Decide for yourself if buying souvenir stuff is worth the cash, though to be
fair, the quality is usually not bad - often pretty good. All the stuff looks
like it is made by one factory, only the show logo varies. Unsatisfactory goods
are rare, returns are handled by the theatre general manager, write to them to
get a refund / replacement. They can also mail goods if you forget to buy on the
day, but write first rather than telephone.
Cast recordings are usually cheaper from high street or
internet stores. The mail order price in programme advertisements are usually
high, especially when postage is taken into account, and the foyer price can
also be outrageous. Around £14 is the going rate, £10 is a good deal for a
single CD. A fascinating outlet for Vinyl LP lovers - with around 500 UK and American
original cast albums (all listed on their website) available is:
THE RECORD ALBUM,
8 Terminus Road, Brighton, Sussex. BN1 3PD.
Online at: www.therecordalbum.com
E Mail address: george.therecordalbum (insert the @ symbol here)
btinternet.com
Telephone: Daytime: 01273 323853 / Evenings after 6pm: 01273 561913.
The shop itself is open Monday to Saturday 11am until 4.30pm, they can be
contated
Established 1948, this shop is said to be the longest established independent
record shop in the UK and has an extensive stock with a friendly and
knowledgeable owner too.
Very few soundtracks and souvenirs are collectable. Only
recordings and items from failed shows or surviving from the earliest days of a
long running hit accrue really high value. They usually must have been circulated in limited
quantities, and be in mint condition. Theatremonkey puts the free flyers
advertising shows before they open as a better investment than most merchandise.
Buy stuff for the memory, not the potential value. Memories are worth far more
any day. Reader Brin notes that, "I just can't get over the way you are
processed through the souvenir shop at the Lyceum, it's a major mine field if you have children, or even
worse, some one else's children who are just pester agents. The worst culprits I remember were the Moscow
State Circus and the Harlem Globe Trotters." Fair comment, feels the
monkey.
Coats
Theatremonkey of course has fur to keep warm. For everybody else the choice is CHECK IT or CARRY IT.
CHECK IT. At the Royal National and Barbican
theatres check it every time. Big, free (tip, say £1 per coat if the retrieval
is the usual quick process) and efficient cloakrooms are worth using. For
your own safety though, take cash, credit cards and keys with you - the staff
are very honest and security worries are few, but things do fall out of coats
sometimes. Elsewhere, cloakrooms are small, expensive and understaffed,
where available at all. So…
CARRY IT. Stuck with your coat in the theatre DO
NOT put it under the seat or in the aisle. At best it will get trodden on,
mostly it will just get a number of interesting stains. At worst it will be
robbed. Yes, during the performance, as your attention is distracted by what is
happening on stage
Theatremonkey advises making a well of your coat
around you. In other words, take it off, open it as if you were to wear it,
place in your seat, and sit in it as you would on the bus, just with your arms
not in the armholes. This sounds daft, but it is better then sitting with the
thing on your lap.
NEVER, EVER, LEAVE YOUR COAT UNATTENDED DURING
THE INTERVAL. TAKE IT WITH YOU. THIEVES DO STRIKE REGULARLY IN THEATRES DURING
THE INTERVAL.
Order your interval drink in advance
Most theatre bars are small and quickly get
crowded at the interval. Pick a less busy bar, generally one not in the Stalls
(fewer seats upstairs means fewer customers). By ordering in advance, your drinks
will be waiting next to a number on the bar, or nearby shelf, as soon as the first
act finishes. Enjoy them while watching the less well informed fight for
attention, get served and down their beverage in about ten minutes flat while
you peacefully sup away.
Brin, a reader, advises,
"The price of ice creams have shot through the roof, I have taken my own cool box before now. Drinks as
well, they cost a fortune."
Certainly a way around the problem, feels the monkey.
Really Useful Group theatres (Adelphi, Cambridge, Her Majesty's, London
Palladium, New London, Palace, Theatre Royal Drury Lane) have a bookable in advance (redeem
voucher on day of performance to collect) food container called a "Royal
Box" (nothing to do with sitting in a box in the theatre!) containing a
selection of canapés for consumption in the
bar or at your seat. A half bottle of champagne is also available as an optional
extra with the box too - for those over 18 only, subject to usual licensing
laws. Click here for more
information. A reader in September 2008 says,
"They were very nice, but for £24 we were expecting more than 12 tiny
little bite sized treats, they were gone in seconds!"
Opera Glasses
Found in holders between pairs of seat backs in most theatres.
Push your 50p / £1 coin hard into the slot, then
pull the glasses upwards to free them. At the end of the show put them back,
pushing them down firmly into the holder. Do not push the glasses hard into the holder before the end of the play, or
you will have to pay again.
Magnification is not bad, and, where available, the glasses
are worth using. Arrive early to get a set, and if you must try another row to
get some, take them from the ends of the row as they will be easier to return at
the end of the performance.
Do not forget to return them, they are loaned, and
theatregoers have been prosecuted in the past for theft. If you cannot return
them to a holder, hand them to a member of staff or leave them on your seat
top.
Keen theatremonkeys buy their own, but you have to see a lot
of shows to justify the cost.
Other Interval Tips
As a rule there is
only one restroom on each level for each gender. Worse, ladies have the usual
problem of insufficient cubicles. It is worth going upstairs to find quieter
restrooms during intervals. Managers normally check restrooms before giving the
signal for the second half to start, so don't worry too much if the time is
ticking away.
Children
Under 7 or so, gauge their concentration level or stick to theatre aimed
directly at their age group. But make sure they get addicted to live performance
as soon as possible!
Even stuff seemingly ideal for children like "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" or "The
Lion King" require
considerable intellectual investment. Sitting still for three hours is a lot to
ask of any child, and £40 for a ticket is a lot of cash to invest in making
them sit. Be sure they will get plenty out of the experience before taking them,
or you could put them off for life.
Theatregoers are intolerant of children in general. So are theatres. Babies
are not admitted anyway, and there are no changing facilities in toilets.
For older children, booster seats are available in some theatres, ask.
Shorter adults may also benefit!
Sitting in a box or in the back row of the auditorium, on an aisle, is ideal
as it will allow you to make a quick escape if your child turns fractious. Also,
theatregoers will not notice a squirming kid behind them, and children are too
well brought up to kick the seats in front... aren't they?
Remember the slump
When a tall person
sits in front of you, blocking your view of the stage, DO NOT DESPAIR. Around
thirty seconds into the show the audience slump occurs. Ms Tall will relax her
posture and sink down into her seat, clearing the view. This happens invariably,
so if you cannot move seat, it is an effect worth hoping for, cos it usually
delivers.
Watch the Background
Everyone watches the main
performer, and the person talking to them. Usually though, there are several
other highly talented people sharing the stage, along with scenery and lights.
Not only will everyone around the main players also be giving detailed
performances worth watching, but stage designers being what they are, count on
some wit in their designs. On leaving you can turn to your companion and say
'did you notice?' - the argument will provide a pleasant way to pass the
homeward trip. Annoy the Actors
Sitting in the very
front row the actors can, if they are not concentrating hard, notice you. Bad
performances can be rewarded by a little discreetly annoying behavior on your
part. Use your imagination. Remember though, just unsettle the performer, and
don't ruin it for the rest of the audience or you will be asked to leave. Start a "spontaneous" standing ovation
The audience will often, unprompted, rise to their feet during the end of
the show "bows" (or the "who's best" as a comic called it).
This makes the cast feel great as they receive a standing ovation - moving an
audience to stand up as a result of their skill. If the show is mediocre though, it will not happen. So, just for fun, start
one and see the surprise on the actors faces! What you do is wait until the "star" appears and begins the walk to
the front of the stage to bow. Stand up clapping wildly and the rest of the
audience will follow. As an exercise in group psychology, this one is
unbeatable. See a final matinee
The penultimate
performance traditionally seems to see the cast let their hair down a little.
Playing eachothers' parts, substituting props or dialogue, and general mucking
about, often egged on by friends in the audience is the rule. An amusing time is
guaranteed. Impersonate a Star / Critic
The bold
sweep in, confidant and bejewelled disguised behind dark glasses. This only
works if you are headed for the best seats - would you imagine Michael Douglas
in the rear Balcony? - and at a busy performance. The heads will turn as the
snobs rubberneck. To be a critic, just look scruffy, old, board, drunk,
and show up on opening night or a performance very soon after. Actually, only
the last is compulsory. Write furiously on a pad at the interval. Some bozo will
be aching to read over your shoulder, wondering who you are. This scribbling
tactic can be used to unnerve the cast too especially if combined with
ostentatious glances at glossy photographs as if trying to recognise performers
from their publicity shots (see above). Anybody impersonating / spotting
theatremonkey should email a photo to our address. No prizes for any effort
received. Spot your fellow audience members
The monkey has assembled a huge list of the worst in audience
behaviour, see how many you can observe, and feel free to email
monkey with your own! Attend an Opening Night
London has a
tradition of Opening or First Nights. The press sees the show for the first
time, and the audience comprises guests of the cast, producer, celebrities and
journalists. For commercial productions, the general public is mostly excluded,
unless the theatre has some particularly awful seats in the balcony to use, in
which case they might just be sold to avoid an empty seat on this special night.
Check with the Box Office. State subsidised productions, at the Royal
National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company are more democratic. Mailing list
members can apply for opening night tickets (at discount rate for non-musicals),
and are given beat available seats. On occasion the audience is even treated to
a little extra - the first night of 'Carrie' saw a firework display for everyone
after the show. Too bad it was freezing February. Note: it is not done to ask for fellow audience
members' autographs at opening nights. Even if you can cross into the roped off
VIP section. Just enjoy the ambience. Invest in the show
Seriously, become an 'angel' and own an interest in the
profits. You get tickets to the opening night and an invite to the party, and
very occasionally you get some of your money back too. High risk investment for
those with deep pockets, and do not expect the largest producers to welcome you
on board - they have their own lists which are closed to new backers. Others
will welcome you (watch out for Max Bialystock though). Contact Susanne at: The
Society of London Theatre, 32 Rose Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9ET.
Telephone 020 7557 6700 to be placed on the list of prospective investors. "Old Vic Productions" is another opportunity, linked to this famous
theatre. Investments start at £5000, and more information can be obtained by
calling 020 7401 3534, visiting www.oldvicproductions.com
or emailing info@oldvicproductions.com. "Stage One" is the latest way to invest. It should appeal to those
with limited funds (investments start at £300). More information online at www.stageone.uk.com
or by telephone on 020 7257 8088. A registered charity, it supports new
producers and is the trading name of the Theatre Investment Fund Ltd. Stage Door Autographs
The stage door or
actors entrance is usually in a side or back alleyway. The bigger the star, the
less likely (for their own safety and crowd security) they will appear to sign
autographs. Ask the stage door keeper POLITELY if the object of your desire will
be able to sign. Either the keeper will have been briefed to take your programme
or book to be signed and mailed back to you, or they may call down to the actor
and ask what to do. Sometimes the actor emerges, or the keeper will take your
programme in to be signed and bring it back (who REALLY signs in this case is of
course, unknown). You can though, just be told no. Please accept this and go. It
is not the keeper's fault. The area around the stage door is busy, and asking
you to wait some distance from it and outside is not being difficult, just
practical, as the whole team have to leave through this exit. Accept it and try
to keep out of the way as you wait. Better bets may be to catch the actor going into
the theatre by hanging about on the street near the stage door about an hour
before the show. Have a working pen, paper and a respectfully polite attitude.
Actors are human (OK I have never eaten with one) and they are entitled to
courtesy - if they are having a bad day in their life you are the last thing
they need. On stage you get a performance you are paying for. Off stage is their
personal time, your intrusion is into this and is on their terms, not yours. If you are planning to collect an autograph, do take a working pen and
something (not a body part - this is not a rock concert) to sign e.g. a
programme or your autograph book. The monkey recommends taking two pens - a
ballpoint and a thin felt tip / marker type. This is because in its' experience ballpoint
pens don't work in cold weather, and felt tips will write on anything under most
weather conditions! Do also remember: Stage door areas are often in dark alleyways. If you
have to wait after the evening show, the streets around will often empty of people...consider your personal safety at all times, please!! The monkey was interested to hear who would sign, or not, and has kept a table
of those who do and don't!.
Special Access Services
Each theatre offers a different challenge to wheelchair, guide dog, sign
language and other needs visitors. Theatremonkey lists information for each
venue. They are
also mapped out by: www.theatre-access.co.uk
Artsline 020 7388 2227, email artsline@dircon.co.uk. Vocaleyes, an audio description service is also available at certain
performances. Details for this are at www.vocaleyes.co.uk,
or call 0870 902 0002. They also provide, in partnership with
www.mousetrap.org.uk a service called
"Envision" for blind and partially-sighted young people alone or with their
schools. Participants spend a day at the theatre, with a drama workshop, touch
tour and audio-described performance with front stalls seats. The Disabled Audience Project on 020 7557 6700 or
email enquiries@solttma.co.uk
Some Really Useful Group Theatres - Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Adelphi, Palace,
London Palladium may have programmes available on CD to aid the sight impaired.
Call their helpline on 020 7087 7960 or 0870 895 5505 (Minicom 020 7087 7839) to
find out if they are available for the production you wish to see.
www.visitlondon.com/accessible
has details of accessible hotel rooms in the West End, describing all facilities
and with photographic route descriptions for moving between key parts of the
hotel building.
Backstage Tours
Available at some theatres. Ask the Box Office for details. These usually
show you a bit of the theatre the public do not see. It always amazes
theatremonkey how poor dressing rooms are, and the conditions thespians must
often endure.
Best tours, Monkey and readers reckons are the Royal National Theatre and the Theatre
Royal Drury Lane. Both are involving; and Drury Lane in particular offers a few surprises
along the way. One reader reports from the Drury Lane tour in February 2009
(spoiler alert for some),
"My wife and I went along on the tour as she had got me it for my birthday. We
both didn't really know what to expect but as the few reviews that were out
there were positive we thought that it might well turn out OK! We were not wrong
with our earlier predictions and the tour turned out to be a real highlight of
our day in London.
It would be unfair of me to go into the stories and things that you are told on
the tour as that is what you go along for! However, what I can tell you is that
you meet a lot of characters from the theatres past. Brilliantly brought to life
by two actors who you can tell really love their jobs! Throughout the tour you
meet characters such as David Garrick, Richard Sheridan and Nell Gwynne who tell
you about their experiences with the theatre and also about their lives.
You get the usual warning of "as this is a working theatre each tour will be
different." In other words, don't expect to go into the Auditorium. However, we
were lucky enough on our tour to be taken across the back of the Balcony and to
see some of the understudies rehearsing for 'Oliver!' So they will try and get
you wherever they can! The other places that you visit are the Royal retiring
room, the original tunnels that had burrows to all kinds of places in London. We
also had the chance to visit the underneath of the stage and see the workings.
This was fascinating to think you were standing underneath the biggest stage in
London! One interesting fact I will share with you. If you were to take the
Fortune Theatre and put it in the middle of the The Theatre Royal, you could
still drive a car round the outside of it!
All in all, this is a must for those people that are really into their theatre
history. Even those who are not can still laugh along with the anecdotes of the
characters and appreciate touring one of the most impressive performance spaces
in London!" Delfont-Mackintosh theatres the Prince Edward and Prince of
Wales also offer tours. See their website for details -
www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk Young, Single and Sociable?
www.londontheatre.org.uk
"Entertaining London", is an arts
and theatre club, offering members 50 - 85 % off top London West End and off West End
shows, opera, ballet and concerts. The club has over 1000 members from all over
the UK and the world. It caters to single professional people in their 20's and
30's looking to enjoy theatre in a social atmosphere rather than alone. A sister
organisation caters for those 40+. Sociable and not just interested in theatre?
www.londonivc.com London IVC Theatre Club
organises several sociable theatre trips each month. The club is run by members
so there's no cover charge on ticket prices. Members meet once a month to
discuss forthcoming plays. There are also opportunities to take part in other
activities including sporting and cultural - see their website for details. Gift Vouchers
A number of companies, including the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) sell Gift Vouchers ( Gift Certificates) which can be exchanged for
tickets. The monkey says, "Think." Theatre Tokens is a non for profit scheme run on behalf on the UK theatre
industry and is administered by The Society of London Theatre. Theatre Tokens
never expire unlike other similar vouchers and are available in £5, £10, £20 and
£50 denominations. Change is also given in Theatre Tokens should the tickets be
less than the Theatre Token you hold. Choose from over 230 different theatres right across the UK, including
London's West End and the TKTS half price ticket booths for on the day tickets.
Theatre Tokens are available direct from
www.theatretokens.com 24/7 or on Tokenline 0844 887 7878 Monday to Friday
during office hours and all orders are dispatched by first class post on the
following business day. They are also available through a network of retails
including all participating Theatres, WHSmiths, Borders, Waterstones and many
Tourist Information Centres. Large agencies also issue their own tokens for purchase through their own
companies. The choice is baffling. As one reader reports in July 2007,
"I had a terribly problem getting tickets for "Billy Elliot." I am leaving my
job and was given a mix of theatre tokens and a Ticketmaster gift card as
leaving presents! Hurrah!
However, when I phoned Ticketmaster to book tickets using the tokens and gift card I was passed from department to department for about 20 minutes only to be
finally told that Ticketmaster DO NOT accept the Society of London Theatre
Theatre Tokens for Billy Elliot.
Then I had the nightmarish task of phoning the Victoria Palace Box office and
booking a seat next to the one that had been suggested to me by Ticketmaster.
Thankfully the Box Office could sell me D26 in the circle and Ticketmaster still
had seat D27 when I phoned back..!
A very difficult way of trying to get two seats together due to allocations and
various odd rules.
The morale is - only ever ask for Theatre Tokens and go straight to the Box
Office either in person or over the phone!" Another reader writes of an experience,
"I recently received £50 worth of Theatre Tokens as a birthday present. I
wanted to see 'Les Misérables' and pay with my Theatre Tokens through
Ticketmaster, but I was told that because this is a popular show they
won't accept tokens. I tried phoning back. This time, the chap stuttered
and said that those tokens had to be used with a different agency for
that particular show, and he gave me their number. I asked what the name
of the agency was, and he eventually told me that he didn't know because
they don't keep that information around. Where was I directed when I
phoned this mystery agency number? The venue itself, who don't allow any
of Ticketmaster's special offers (meal deal, 2 for 1 etc.).
Ticketmaster don't accept Theatre Tokens for popular shows. If you give
them as a present, you are limiting the giftee to the unpopular shows,
or preventing them from using the 2 for 1 offers. Steer very clear of
Theatre Tokens." In fact, Ticketmaster do accept SOLT tokens for most shows - BUT users should
be careful to use only the booking numbers listed in the gift voucher folder
that comes with the tokens as they don't accept them for all... AND try and call weekdays 9am to 6pm when it is most
likely the agency tokens office staff will be available to help (often the
general telephone team don't know about tokens and can cause the kind of chaos
the reader described above). Also, if you do have a problem redeeming SOLT
tokens, calling Tokenline on 0870 164 8800 can help resolve issues. The monkey KNOWS cash is a thoughtless gift, but still, in this case,
consider if the recipient is going to be able to redeem them easily.....
....... Luckily, it prefers bananas anyway. Fringe Venue Lighting
Theatremonkey reader Mark Hannon passes on this very valuable advice to those wanting
to see a play in a small or fringe venue: "Especially in smaller (around 250seat) and the worse pub theatres;
those in the front 2 or 3 rows need a welding mask to look at the stage as the
lights are just way too bright! Sidebar (those lights placed at the edges of the stage in the wings) and
Front Of House bar lights (placed in the theatre pointing towards the stage)
rarely pose problems, but overeager overstage and backlighting leave fine
performances unwatchable. If we are in a darkened space, I feel that clear sightlines easily outweigh
proximity to it. I've seen a play set in a dungeon where the lights lit
most of the auditorium! As for squeaks, don't start me about cyberlights! These are motorised so they
can move during the performance, useful for musicals and Top Of The Pops (a
British pop music show). Anyway stage lights are a minimum of 500watts and get very hot, very quickly.
Normal oil burns off - at best it stinks, at worst it triggers the smoke alarms!
Specialist hi-temp greases (copaslip, molyslip) are available but expensive... ...Next time you hear the lights squeaking and scraping along with the rhythm
ask who's the cheapskate git with the maintenance job!!!! Very often the local
hire shop for Amateur Dramatics companies is to blame, but if you pay for
tickets expect your money's worth. If nobody says nowt, guess what happens?!
Valuable advice, and an interesting insight too, thinks the monkey.
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