Theatre Memberships.

[Dave B]

Spinning out of the Macbeth @ Donmar discussion, I thought it might be interesting to take the temperature on various memberships people have. So, where are you a member of and why?

We have a new Orange Tree membership. We like the theatre and have seen almost everything there in the past couple of years. Recently, the place has started to be quite full when we visit and tickets have started to really sell leaving a bit of a struggle to get dates that suit us. More than once we've bought season tickets (and the handwritten cards left for each season ticket holder was a lovely touch) and it's at the point where we are happy to support them and reckon the membership will probably pay for itself with the discounts on booking through the season.

We also have an ATG Plus given as a gift a year ago and have used it precisely.... uh never

Previously, we were Young Vic and Royal Court members but let both lapse after a bit less enthusiasm for recent seasons. Notably we have not had any issue getting the tickets we wanted since so neither membership currently feels like great value. However a nice announcement could easily and happily see us return to either.

Always on the radar are Donmar, Almeida and NT. A really strong season announcement and we'd likely join up, or in the case of the NT I keep thinking I should checkout an Amex purely for pre-booking.

Over to you.. where are you a member, what is great value for your booking and theatre going habits?

[jek]

I have a Barbican membership which certainly pays for itself as I go to a lot of concerts, cinema and exhibitions there as well as theatre. Of course it helps that I can do door to door to the Barbican from my home in Stratford in half an hour. I also have NT membership which I probably don't get the value out of. I first got it years ago when getting cheap front row tickets was the aim, and it worked very well for that. However these days - due to ongoing problems from being hit by a car some years ago - I need more leg room than these tickets offer and so I no longer book those. I suspect that equivalent tickets to those I do buy would still be available after the initial pre booking period. I continue to be happy to support the National, however, as over the years my children have benefited from the education offer - design courses, writing courses all offered free of charge (and nothing to do with me being a member). So I feel like I owe them something and am also glad to support high quality theatre.

[zahidf]

I become occasional Almeida member if its something that;ll sell. I got lucky and timed my last one for a year and got the Macbeth and Streetcar booking periods

Barbican membership is very good.

Since i got AMEX, ive not bothered with the national

[alessia]

I have Royal Court, Almeida and Donmar now. Ah, also ATG which apart from the no booking fee, is pointless frankly.
I keep thinking I ought to get the NT membership but haven't so far.

[cavocado]

I have an ATG card, which pays for itself because of not paying booking fees, plus it's nice to have early booking on popular things. I also have Royal Court membership, but will probably let that lapse because I haven't been there so much recently, and I never have difficulty getting tickets for dates I want.

I'd consider getting more, mainly for access to early booking on big selling plays. I didn't manage to get Donmar Macbeth tickets (though fortunately I'm going with a friend who managed to book), so I'd probably get Donmar membership for another very popular show like that. Maybe others if I wasn't able to get tickets easily or there were other incentives. Previously I've had NT and RSC memberships, but I've not had difficulty getting NT tickets in the last couple of years, and the RSC doesn't do enough to warrant membership now.

A non-theatre one I have is Art Fund, which is good if you go to a lot of the paid exhibitions at Tate, British Museum, V&A, etc as they're generally half price.

[zahidf]

Non-theatre, the BFI membership is very good. Two free tickets, 10% off the bar and cheaper tickets, at around £39.00 a year, is worthwhile

[schuttep]

I have quite a few:

RSC which I've had for over 30 years as I lived in Birmingham at the time and went to Stratford regularly.

RNT as I moved to London and always went as often as I could - although not so much under Rufus Norris.

Donmar as I'd never otherwise get tickets. Although I declined Macbeth tickets last week as there weren't any decent ones left, I ended up getting a discounted seat as a companion through my friend's disabled membership.

Almeida otherwise I couldn't get decent seats.

Royal Court although I haven't been for about 2-3 years due to COVID and then due to programming that hasn't excited me.

Menier as I like to get good seats and I also get free programmes. I used to get a bar discount but that's sadly ended.

ATG due to no booking fees, I can easily get to Richmond and Wimbledon and I go to Brighton a lot. I travel in the UK frequently and there are many regional ATG theatres. Also I get 20% discount at the bar up to half an hour before the performance starts which is a bonus.

I also get a free Old Vic membership as I live in the Lambeth area. This gives me a discount at the bar and discount on tickets Monday to Friday. And it costs me my favourite price!

[lichtie]

RSC, which I've had for some years, mainly because it means I can get the good cheap seats for the relatively few days I'm able to go to Stratford, and 10% off the over-priced food and beverages almost makes them sensibly-priced. If they upped the cost to typical London membership prices I'd drop it though.

Leeds Playhouse, mainly to support my local theatre (I don't go to enough to really get full value from the 10% of ticket price).

Can't really justify the prices for most of the London venues. Though I do have a BFI membership (the two free tickets + 15% off in the shop - usually over-priced, but can be very good value when they have a deal on - make this one a bargain).

I have more art memberships (Art Fund, Tate and RA) despite the high cost because the benefits are simply better (free entry whenever you want for Tate and RA, half price off most of the other pricey galleries with Art Fund as cavocado said).

[alece10]

Not do much a membership but Southwark Playhouse do a PAYG scheme which is now £75 for 5 tickets and you can use when you want. It's a massive saving.

[n1david]

I've got current memberships at the Almeida and Donmar, mostly for advance booking. Almeida even went up to Bronze as it can be so difficult even for Members, so my name is in the programmes!
I let the NT lapse as there seemed to be fewer 'hot tickets', and I've got an Amex anyway so I can still get in ahead of public booking.
Former Barbican, Royal Court and YV member and would probably rejoin if something in particular caught my eye.
Just joined Bristol Old Vic as I'm spending a lot of time down that way and that's discounted tickets and drinks on top of priority booking.
BFI too as it gets me 10% off drinks before shows at the NT as well as the film benefits (mostly advanced booking for London Film Festival and BFI Flare)

[og]

Storyhouse - £4/month. 20% off, no booking fee, and presales. Supports an incredible 'local' venture too.

[theatrelover97]

I have in recent weeks bought NT. Alleluia and Donmar memberships.

[clarefh]

I also have Orange Tree as it’s my ( relatively) local theatre. Haven’t actually managed to go that much recently however but kind of view it almost as my charitable giving as want to support a local theatre. I’m a supporter of New Diorama for similar reasons, even though it’s a trek but I think it’s a great theatre doing interesting stuff.

I have ATG as it ends up worth it for the booking fees (Partic if the kids go to a few things), then Donmar and the National. I used to be a friend of ROH when I went to a lot of ballet as it was worth it for the standing tickets and early access to the cheap/good view, rehearsals and masterclasses but let that lapse a few years ago when I couldn’t get to as much stuff.

The other one I ummed about was the Hammersmith Lyric as again relatively local and doing good stuff.

[kate8]

None at the moment, but I’ve had NT, Hampstead and Royal Court previously. I can’t think of anything I’ve failed to get tickets for since Covid, whereas the advance booking was well worth it a few years ago.

[djdan14]

I’m a member of the Lowry in Salford which has paid for itself with the 2 for 1 tickets on opening nights.

I am also a NT Young Patron and have a ATG card

I was a keen the other palace member with its early access, free programme for all in house main productions and discounts in the bar Etc however with the never ending run of Heathers it’s just not worthwhile at the moment.

[theatregoer22]

In terms of theatre, none at the moment because I've had no problems getting tickets to most of the shows I've wanted to go to (for Streetcar prebooking I just signed up to the Almeida mailing list for free).

Like a lot of people on here though I am a member of the BFI. It's been well worth the £37 I've paid the last couple of years, both in terms of the free/discounted tickets and the priority booking.

[lynette]

Just to say that the Donmar has changed its membership levels obviously in the hope of raising more dosh. There is a huge gap between levels , with £500 then £1800plus. This is to my mind off putting but I suppose they did the research. They offer comps at the higher levels but is this enough?

[londonpostie]

The last ones I let lapse were the NT and Royal Court leaving only the ROH, which is above basic Friends level. Every new season at the Opera House is quite the project management exercise (4 busy seasons a year each for opera and ballet).

Generally, muddling through with bookings though need to be discipled about maintaining the spreadsheet with dates.

I, too, am *pivoting* towards Richmond. Membership likely: Orange is the new big banana.

[Jan]

Currently Orange Tree, Finborough and Jermyn Street, partly because they are deserving causes. I was a member at NT and RSC for decades but now there is no point as they have lots of money already and there are no worthwhile member benefits for me, you can always get tickets through normal booking. I've been a member on and off at the Donmar, Almeida and Young Vic several times, tactically to get priority booking when there's a few plays in the season I want to see but actually I've never failed to get tickets there during normal public booking.

[matty]

I've got an ATG membership, which definitely pays for itself with no booking fees and I always try and go on opening night when they offer good discounts.

Almeida, got for when Spring Awakening went on sale, but also helped massively with getting decent tickets for this season. Joined the Donmar earlier this year, largely out of guilt as they were trying to get my company to sponsor them and we didn't it did pay off with being able to get Macbeth tickets.

[properjob]

I'm a member of a few local theatres mainly as a means of support as I'm not normally organised enough to book far enough in advance to make use of exclusive booking periods.
Two that I think are worth mentioning are Leicester Curve that due that rare thing of a much cheaper single membership where you only get a discount on 1 ticket which suits me fine.
The national theatre do a combined national theatre at home and in person membership which I have but don't make as much use of as I should.

[ladyfan]

I became a friend of the Donmar warehouse. As seeing how there was over just 200 seats I felt I didn't stand a chance so was able to get tickets for David Tennent in Macbeth last Frtiday. So glad I did as there all sold out now. I've got front row of the circle. And my birthday is December the 9th and it starts on the 8th so the second night. I'm so excited. And even paying the £85 pounds to becone a friend much cheaper than tickets I got to see David in Good last December. I couldn't get tickets on line as too late getting them. So as I was in London just went up to the boxoffice and asked if they had any. And we got to choose the night we wanted. So I got tickets for the 8th of December. And not only that but about 11 rows from front. It was a great view. And to add to it Peter Davidson who is Davids father in law and his wife sat next to us. I kind of feel that being a small theatre they need all the money they can get so by doing this they get more money. It's ashamefor people who don't have much money though.

[A.Ham]

Thinking of getting the Theatrecard Classic ATG membership to give me a better chance of decent seats for Sunset Boulevard when it goes on sale. As someone who only tends to go to ATG venues in the West End rather than regionally, would you guys say it’s worth it? Thanks in advance!

[cavocado]

Jun 3, 2023 16:46:27 GMT A.Ham said:

Thinking of getting the Theatrecard Classic ATG membership to give me a better chance of decent seats for Sunset Boulevard when it goes on sale. As someone who only tends to go to ATG venues in the West End rather than regionally, would you guys say it’s worth it? Thanks in advance!

Depends how many shows you see at their theatres and how many people you book for. Members don't pay the £3.60 (?) booking fee, so 10 tickets a year means you've saved money. It's also worth it for the early booking, especially for a sell-out like Streetcar Named Desire. I haven't used the bar discount, but nice to know it includes free ticket exchanges if needed.

[mkb]

For me, the ATG fee pays for itself with a couple of 2-for-1, first-night tickets.