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Post by BVM on Oct 7, 2023 12:18:47 GMT
I am hearing that an extension announcement may be coming soon. Really? It’s been so easy to get tickets. This is true, but on the flip side: - Nothing at Soho Place has come near to selling out yet - The venue hasn't really moved towards the consciousness of the tourist market yet - Producers and venue owners cross over reducing costs - They may not have another show waiting to come in they think well sell better - This show has built steady momentum and word of mouth is good. |
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Post by audreytoo on Oct 7, 2023 15:05:14 GMT
I went to the Thursday matinee with some very discounted tickets and curious to see what the deal was since I'd seen some rave word of mouth reviews. Long story short, I didn't think it lived up to its hype. There are some laughs, the cast are incredible and put in some brilliant performances, I love the inclusivity of the casting, and the venue is really nice. I thought the staging was pretty effective in the round, we were sat row b of stalls in the corner so no one in front of us and my daughter loved being right next to the stage and the gangway where cast come on and off. I just didn't connect with the material that much. I did tear up more than once (I cry at everything), but I felt almost annoyed that it had made me cry because I didn't feel like it had earned my tears somehow. It felt somehow quite shallow, and the middle class-ness of it all was too distracting to me. The family dynamics were actually quite dysfunctional and that seemed to all be tied up in a neat bow quite quickly after a brief conflict, without much exploration. They never really acknowledged their obvious privilege. I was sat there thinking these are a bunch of middle class people having kind of basic revelations about there being more to life than rugby and boats. Not to take anything away from Henry and his family, I just didn't feel like it was a story I needed to see told on stage in the way it was. But then I'm not disabled, and I would be interested to know how it has been received by people who are, because if it's meaningful to them then I should probably reassess my opinion.
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Post by mkb on Oct 7, 2023 17:14:38 GMT
This was disappointing. I wasn't expecting a wafer-thin narrative, little character building, and a tone that feels aimed at young teenagers (but with the odd expletive thrown in for that middle-class edginess).
I couldn't feel any emotional engagement, nor, frankly, did I find a lot to interest me, and there was much watch checking to see how much more I had to endure. It's poorly written and the music is bland and instantly forgettable. There are one or two moments in Act 2 that briefly stirred me, but not enough.
Clearly, the rest of the (youngish) audience loved it, so maybe it's me?
On my third visit to this new venue, but this time on the far corner, which, incredibly, has no entrance door; you have to enter via an adjacent corner and traverse a whole row of seats. Exiting is still a nightmare. Such a badly designed and managed theatre.
Two stars.
Act 1: 14:34-15:39
Act 2: 16:02-17:06
Note: 16 minutes longer than advertised
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Post by capybara on Oct 8, 2023 10:43:21 GMT
I am hearing that an extension announcement may be coming soon. A significant extension or are talking just a few weeks up to Christmas? |
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Post by Rory on Oct 8, 2023 10:48:49 GMT
I am hearing that an extension announcement may be coming soon. A significant extension or are talking just a few weeks up to Christmas? Not sure but an announcement is coming this week apparently |
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Post by Jon on Oct 8, 2023 13:07:45 GMT
I think they should be able to extend to at least January or February.
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Post by anthony40 on Oct 8, 2023 14:52:14 GMT
I managed to catch this last night with my sister and her boyfriend.
Second time for me and the first time for both of them.
For me, just as enjoyable as the first time and my sister and her boyfriend both enjoyed it- and he doesn't really like musicals.
It was a full house and a standing ovation.
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Post by punxsutawney on Oct 8, 2023 17:20:10 GMT
I am hearing that an extension announcement may be coming soon. If this is the case, then they should really be in trouble for shifting to advertising it as a "strictly limited season" before continuing to extend it any way... |
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Post by Jon on Oct 8, 2023 17:31:46 GMT
I am hearing that an extension announcement may be coming soon. If this is the case, then they should really be in trouble for shifting to advertising it as a "strictly limited season" before continuing to extend it any way... Meh, they can get round that by saying extending by popular demand. |
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Post by Being Alive on Oct 8, 2023 17:35:43 GMT
I am hearing that an extension announcement may be coming soon. Which is bonkers because this is comping every day of the week. I've seen the seating plans for next week from the box office system - if you added all the seats sold up for the week you'd barely half full one auditorium. This must be haemorrhaging cash. |
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Post by BVM on Oct 8, 2023 17:49:13 GMT
Also just had a look at the box office seating plans for next week and they look roughly 50% sold, plus or minus, across the week.
So if you added them up that would be filling the auditorium 4 times.
I remain baffled by the urge some people have to exaggerate “poor” ticket sales to the point of fantasy!
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Post by BVM on Oct 8, 2023 17:51:52 GMT
Would add that most things, other than the usual few sell out big hitters, have oodles of availability for this week.
Fun though guessing (and exaggerating) may be it’s only the producers that have the full picture of a show’s financial position IDK 🤷🏻♂️
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Post by Being Alive on Oct 8, 2023 18:14:20 GMT
We're looking at two different things - this isn't selling, and almost everyone who is going is on some kind of offer or discount.
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Post by LaLuPone on Oct 8, 2023 18:16:43 GMT
Also just had a look at the box office seating plans for next week and they look roughly 50% sold, plus or minus, across the week. So if you added them up that would be filling the auditorium 4 times. I remain baffled by the urge some people have to exaggerate “poor” ticket sales to the point of fantasy! Many seats are held back by box office management teams to make a show look like it’s sold better than it has (because no one wants to book for a show that’s barely selling, especially at “full” west end prices), so there’s probably in actual fact a lot more seats available for this for the next week than what the Nimax site would lead you to believe. |
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Post by anthony40 on Oct 8, 2023 18:18:30 GMT
There are some terrific performances here- especially Amy Trigg- she steals every scene she in!
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Post by Being Alive on Oct 8, 2023 18:18:30 GMT
Also just had a look at the box office seating plans for next week and they look roughly 50% sold, plus or minus, across the week. So if you added them up that would be filling the auditorium 4 times. I remain baffled by the urge some people have to exaggerate “poor” ticket sales to the point of fantasy! Many seats are held back by box office management teams to make a show look like it’s sold better than it has (because no one wants to book for a show that’s barely selling, especially at “full” west end prices), so there’s probably in actual fact a lot more seats available for this for the next week than what the Nimax site would lead you to believe. Correct |
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Post by BVM on Oct 8, 2023 18:35:25 GMT
I know some seats are held back. But they’re in blocks and easy to see if you’re familiar with the Nimax system.
I still don’t see seats sold as HALF of ONE auditorium for an entire WEEK. That would be even fewer tickets sold than Rebecca 😱
(And if it were true - that’s a very depressing situation for a decent show. And would surely make extension suicide).
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Post by punxsutawney on Oct 8, 2023 20:16:50 GMT
If this is the case, then they should really be in trouble for shifting to advertising it as a "strictly limited season" before continuing to extend it any way... Meh, they can get round that by saying extending by popular demand. Agreed in general, but this was not initially advertised as "strictly limited". They changed it partway through, presumably due to the poor sales, and are supposedly now extending it anyway despite the sales not really improving. I think that's some pretty dodgy practices, if nothing else. |
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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 9, 2023 9:29:43 GMT
I haven't seen direct comps (I am sure they exist, just not on sites I use), but there are regular restricted offers for £15 tickets, where the seats aren't known in advance. So it is likely there are more seats sold than are directly showing as such. I can't see any way this can be a financial success though, but there are all kinds of financial reasons why a show can run at a loss for a time but it's still worth keeping the show running.
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Post by Being Alive on Oct 9, 2023 11:10:10 GMT
Extended to March....wild
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Post by Jon on Oct 9, 2023 11:19:32 GMT
Extended to March....wild I would have understood January but March seems too long. I wonder if @sohoplace has nothing planned until the Spring. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Oct 9, 2023 11:24:59 GMT
Must be selling ok then?
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Post by partytentdown on Oct 9, 2023 11:25:43 GMT
Woaaahh
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Post by Someone in a tree on Oct 9, 2023 11:26:42 GMT
How are they going get bums on seats? Stunt casting, i guess Les Denis is now free
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Post by Being Alive on Oct 9, 2023 11:35:54 GMT
Or did they assume it was going to sell a lot better than it has, and no programmed anything in for Dec-Feb assume this could comfortably do a 6 month run in a 600 seat house? I'd assume that over it's selling ok personally |
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