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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 13:59:58 GMT
Indeed! And what is exactly wrong with wanting (needing?) a cheap night out. Many people-myself included at various times-simply cannot afford a membership. Should be exclude these entirely (it probably goes without saying I'm not directing this at Lynette's response here)
I'm not saying the scheme or any comparable ones are perfect, and that people who CAN afford don't end up taking the tickets. But that's not to say there shouldn't be ANY schemes offering affordable-dare I say 'Cheap' tickets. Not least because not all people on a limited income who love theatre are under 25/a student.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 14:00:29 GMT
Front row still in operation for St joan. They are still doing 10 pound seats released every monday, but not front row, seats throughout the theatre Seats "from £10" - I read that as an allocation of seats at all prices. So any £10 seats would be back of the circle Agree with Lynette, Parsley and Constance on both schemes. Particularly Lynette's point about reserving so many of the best seats for the scheme. Even though I've used front row a lot . If I was Barclays I would have raised an eyebrow seeing the "new audience" my sponsorship had brought in |
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Post by zahidf on Nov 16, 2016 14:14:38 GMT
Front row still in operation for St joan. They are still doing 10 pound seats released every monday, but not front row, seats throughout the theatre Seats "from £10" - I read that as an allocation of seats at all prices. So any £10 seats would be back of the circle Agree with Lynette, Parsley and Constance on both schemes. Particularly Lynette's point about reserving so many of the best seats for the scheme. Even though I've used front row a lot . If I was Barclays I would have raised an eyebrow seeing the "new audience" my sponsorship had brought in '@littleleaf2 FR continues for St Joan. In the new season, tickets from £10 will be released every Monday across the house.' Across the house seems to indicate everywhere. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 14:18:00 GMT
Yes, but "from" indicates every price  |
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Post by Jan on Nov 16, 2016 14:18:21 GMT
Can be knock off the "loony liberal elite" bashing in one thread? Ffs. Nothing to do with theatre. I didn't say "loony". Or "elite". And I didn't do any "bashing". Apart from that good comment. I just find it amusing that the Donmar, with its supposed commitment to diversity, should stage something quite so tailored to the earnest Guardian readers that make up its wealthy middle-aged core audience. I feel sorry for whoever has to play Bill Rodgers. |
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Post by Latecomer on Nov 16, 2016 14:31:31 GMT
I'm not unhappy the scheme has finished. As a supporter I used to book well in advance and hand over my dosh thinking that lovely young people would be encouraged to visit the theatre But when I went I found that my tix were back row and often corners whilst people of my age were in the best seats. They obviously had the time and the nimble fingers to snap up front row seats on a Monday morning or had someone who did it for them. I may have mentioned this gripe once or twice. I used to say that young people with better hearing and eyesight not to mention supple knees could be accommodated upstairs. And I realise that I'm treading on toes here because you don't have to be young to need a cheap tic. But I assumed the scheme was for under 25 s or so. So what with that and unappealing plays ( apart from the gals' Shakespeare) I haven't been to the Donmar lately. I will book for the new season. Maybe not the Gang of Four - painful. I'm thinking that even a slight teetering of regular support can affect a theatre's policy. Globe ? ...or maybe Barclays just changed their ideas. I always used my nimble fingers to get front row seats for everything and then started calling them "Lynette's seats" to myself and peering behind me to catch a glimpse of the real Lynette!!!! I am sad it is ending but it was too good to be true.....it did mean I saw practically everything at the Donmar but probably won't be able to afford to now....hey ho. |
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Post by peggs on Nov 16, 2016 14:49:53 GMT
I'm not unhappy the scheme has finished. As a supporter I used to book well in advance and hand over my dosh thinking that lovely young people would be encouraged to visit the theatre But when I went I found that my tix were back row and often corners whilst people of my age were in the best seats. They obviously had the time and the nimble fingers to snap up front row seats on a Monday morning or had someone who did it for them. I may have mentioned this gripe once or twice. I used to say that young people with better hearing and eyesight not to mention supple knees could be accommodated upstairs. And I realise that I'm treading on toes here because you don't have to be young to need a cheap tic. But I assumed the scheme was for under 25 s or so. So what with that and unappealing plays ( apart from the gals' Shakespeare) I haven't been to the Donmar lately. I will book for the new season. Maybe not the Gang of Four - painful. I'm thinking that even a slight teetering of regular support can affect a theatre's policy. Globe ? ...or maybe Barclays just changed their ideas. I always used my nimble fingers to get front row seats for everything and then started calling them "Lynette's seats" to myself and peering behind me to catch a glimpse of the real Lynette!!!! I am sad it is ending but it was too good to be true.....it did mean I saw practically everything at the Donmar but probably won't be able to afford to now....hey ho. I am sad it's ended as it meant I saw much more than I usually could but I knew we were onto a good thing. I had membership there for some years but stopped when I could get cheaper and better seats via front row. I'm not under 25 but don't have a lot of money, of course theatre is a luxury and it's one i chose to attend but with the added price of travel (I don't live in London) I can only justify it by not doing much else e.g. holidays etc. so I didn't feel bad for getting those front seats, apart from Lynette of course  . Oh well, it was good while it lasted. Am at the trilogy in a few weeks in the cheapest seat available that looks to be behind a hand rail, will be unamused if there's lots of empty free seats, unless of course I can move into one of them. |
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Post by DuchessConstance on Nov 16, 2016 14:59:43 GMT
Cheap is one thing, free quite another. There's a huge amount of market research and anecdotal evidence showing that if people pay something, even if it's a tiny nominal sum, they will consider themselves to have made a commitment. Free tickets are not considered a commitment. Often people see that magical word "FREE" and jump to sign up without considering if they are available that evening or even if they want to go, then if they find they're not available or are feeling a bit tired or just don't fancy it, they just don't bother to go. Look at freebies given out in shops or events, people always take handfuls of things they don't want or need and sometimes these things end up in the bins only a few feet away from where the person picked them up. Because FREE!!
I have no issue with Entry Pass's £5 tickets scheme, but free is problematic. A sellout show really shouldn't have 20-odd ticket holders just not showing up. Maybe the Donmar should take credit card details and charge no-shows?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 15:15:22 GMT
Cheap is one thing, free quite another. There's a huge amount of market research and anecdotal evidence showing that if people pay something, even if it's a tiny nominal sum, they will consider themselves to have made a commitment. Free tickets are not considered a commitment. Often people see that magical word "FREE" and jump to sign up without considering if they are available that evening or even if they want to go, then if they find they're not available or are feeling a bit tired or just don't fancy it, they just don't bother to go. Look at freebies given out in shops or events, people always take handfuls of things they don't want or need and sometimes these things end up in the bins only a few feet away from where the person picked them up. Because FREE!! I have no issue with Entry Pass's £5 tickets scheme, but free is problematic. A sellout show really shouldn't have 20-odd ticket holders just not showing up. Maybe the Donmar should take credit card details and charge no-shows? I agree with you on that (it slipped my mind when replying earlier) free is often problematic because yes as you say people don't see it as a commitment.
That said schemes that give last minute free tickets to say, school or University groups to put bums on seats I don't have an issue with personally, as someone might as well use it, and may turn younger people into theatre people.
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Post by kathryn on Nov 16, 2016 15:24:32 GMT
I think we all knew that the Front Row scheme was not doing the job it set out to do - getting new people in to see shows after they'd read a good review of it, to change the 'but it's impossible to get a ticket!' reputation the Donmar had. Instead, us canny experienced theatre goers were simply waiting at 10am on a Monday to snap them up. And many people were still convinced that it's impossible to get a ticket - it takes a long time for a reputation like that to die, especially when the people who believe it have given up actually trying.
Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. Like many, it means I'll see fewer Donmar productions. I'll miss the luxury of sitting in the central stalls, that's for sure! Back to the side circle for me....
I also agree with 'free' tickets being problematic. I've noticed that they've had them available on the day at the theatre, too - presumably to reduce the number of people booking 2 weeks in advance then not turning up. Though I was chatting to a young student just the other day who is doing a theatre director's course and somehow didn't know about it (or Entry Pass) and it did make me wonder how useless university theatre departments are if they're not spreading this info around to their students!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 15:26:51 GMT
As a veteran of them I think I can safely say 'very' in terms of Universities being rubbish at passing them on (though the conservatoire ones I think are generally better usually as it means getting students out to see alumni)
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Post by Snciole on Nov 16, 2016 16:50:24 GMT
I cannot justify £75, even with such a season and I have no shame in admitting one of the reasons I have a blog and write for other sites is for the free tickets! I still pay but I agree the free/cheap ticket scheme is open to abuse and no shows but I am one of the examples of people who got into theatre through these schemes and stuck with it.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 17:12:39 GMT
A play about a scummy litlle fascist who gains power off the back of economic uncertainty? Sounds pretty timely to me..
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 17:18:42 GMT
It was Chichester which did it at the wrong time.
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Post by martin1965 on Nov 16, 2016 18:09:14 GMT
... with Kid's Company' No, really. Actually, it's Kids Company, with no apostrophe. Who they gonna get to play the Batman woman? |
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Post by schuttep on Nov 17, 2016 10:50:25 GMT
I think we all knew that the Front Row scheme was not doing the job it set out to do - getting new people in to see shows after they'd read a good review of it, to change the 'but it's impossible to get a ticket!' reputation the Donmar had. Instead, us canny experienced theatre goers were simply waiting at 10am on a Monday to snap them up. And many people were still convinced that it's impossible to get a ticket - it takes a long time for a reputation like that to die, especially when the people who believe it have given up actually trying. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. Like many, it means I'll see fewer Donmar productions. I'll miss the luxury of sitting in the central stalls, that's for sure! Back to the side circle for me.... I also agree with 'free' tickets being problematic. I've noticed that they've had them available on the day at the theatre, too - presumably to reduce the number of people booking 2 weeks in advance then not turning up. Though I was chatting to a young student just the other day who is doing a theatre director's course and somehow didn't know about it (or Entry Pass) and it did make me wonder how useless university theatre departments are if they're not spreading this info around to their students! It was predictable that experienced (but relatively poor) theatregoers would use the £10 scheme and snap up the tickets. It's original premise was laudable, but I can't think of any workable scheme that wouldn't have unintended consequences. I also wondered how long the Donmar would take to work out what was happening and discontinue the scheme as it stands. I agree with what's been said about free tickets: I'm sure there are similar attitudes to tickets from papering sites. I'm keen to see Arturo Ui having recently read a book on Brecht's plays, but the other offerings are a big fat yawn to me. The Donmar seems to be losing it, imho. |
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Post by DuchessConstance on Nov 17, 2016 11:03:41 GMT
I prefer schemes that target low income or marginalised groups. Or just discounts for the young.
I actually love the new musical for the name alone. Are they trying to be the new "The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade."
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Post by couldileaveyou on Nov 17, 2016 11:16:18 GMT
If Chanel gave out bags for free No one would want them Same as NHS
Shat on because it's free to access There is a line between being provocative and being a d*ck and you passed it. I'm a drama student and I go to theatre once or twice a week, but I wouldn't be able to do it if it weren't for things like Entry Pass, Donmar's front row, YOUNG+FREE, front row lotteries or the other student discounts offered by the Royal Court, Almeida etc. Besides, buying cheap tickets is not always a choice but a necessity, have you ever considered it? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2016 11:25:46 GMT
Yes I agree Stupid as well If Chanel gave out bags for free
No one would want them Same as NHS Shat on because it's free to access I wonder how many people pay and book for a holiday and then don't turn up I don't understand this need to force feed things down people's throats Making things cheap is not the only way to attract people They can be actually good and of high quality This expectation of getting things on the cheap is toxic And is a short term trick I'm pretty sure people would want them. Whether people who buy into Chanel would want to continue to do so afterwards is a different matter but that's all to do with the perception of a luxury brand and its value. It's hardly the same thing as a few £10 seats at the Donmar though. |
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Post by Marwood on Nov 17, 2016 11:26:26 GMT
I didn't get Front Row tickets for the Donmar that often (The Same Deep Water As Me and Splendour are the only ones I can remember actually managing to get £10 tickets for), so I'm not that disappointed that they're going to be stopping them.
As other people here have said, most of them were going to season theatre-goers rather than people that have never been before, I think it would have been a better idea to filter out people who have bought the £10 tickets before rather than stopping them altogether. Probably best to only send tickets out by post to postal addresses that had not been registered before rather than going by email addresses, yes there would still be abuse of the system but it seems a little bit harsh to stop this altogether (although I'm guessing the sponsorship deal has probably come to an end too).
I only usually go to the Donmar once or twice a year, but I have to say, I have no interest in any of that stuff for the new season. It all sounds extremely dull and worthy.
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Post by addictedtotheatre on Nov 17, 2016 11:38:39 GMT
Anyone know when non-Friends can buy tickets? I tweeted the Donmar but they didn't bother to respond.
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Post by kathryn on Nov 17, 2016 11:40:41 GMT
It was predictable that experienced (but relatively poor) theatregoers would use the £10 scheme and snap up the tickets. It's original premise was laudable, but I can't think of any workable scheme that wouldn't have unintended consequences. I also wondered how long the Donmar would take to work out what was happening and discontinue the scheme as it stands. Read more: theatreboard.co.uk/thread/1903/new-donmar-season?page=3#ixzz4QGWXdmjqI'm not sure if it's possible to square this particular circle - you can't get people who are not currently very interested in theatre enthused about it (barring star casting) unless they get a chance to see some really good theatre. But in order to get cheap tickets to really good theatre, you need to already be enthusiastic and motivated enough to find out about the cheap access schemes and jump through some hoops. So it's the people who are already enthusiastic and motivated who snap up the cheap tickets. It's not just about the price of tickets - though clearly that *is* a barrier for those on low incomes. People also have to be willing and able to track down the information, organise themselves and their friends to book the tickets (they're unlikely to want to go on their own, if they're new theatregoers), travel into London, possibly even stay overnight. They were certainly times as a teenager when I gave up on seeing something I wanted to see because I couldn't find anyone to go with me. Which seems incredibly stupid when I look back on it! |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2016 12:12:01 GMT
What they say about Monday release in the season launch email is different from what the tweets said. Possibly this means the £10 circle seats can't be booked in advance? And they are continuing with the young + free scheme. With both of these I wonder how many tickets will actually be on sale when booking opens!
Booking dates are 30 Nov priority and 6 Dec public
YOUNG + FREE AND PAY IT FORWARD
The Donmar will be offering YOUNG+FREE tickets to those 25 and under for every night of performances across the Power Season. YOUNG+FREE will continue to be funded through the generosity of audiences with the Donmar's PAY IT FORWARD scheme. To donate click here.
MONDAY RELEASE AND DAY TICKETS
£10 Donmar tickets will be put on sale every Monday morning from 10am for the current production. The sponsorship of Front Row has come to an end, so these £10 tickets will no longer be in the front row. In addition, day tickets will also be available on the day every day.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2016 16:02:42 GMT
Anyone know when non-Friends can buy tickets? I tweeted the Donmar but they didn't bother to respond. The public booking date is clearly stated on each show webpage on the Donmar site. |
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Post by zahidf on Nov 17, 2016 19:47:27 GMT
What they say about Monday release in the season launch email is different from what the tweets said. Possibly this means the £10 circle seats can't be booked in advance? And they are continuing with the young + free scheme. With both of these I wonder how many tickets will actually be on sale when booking opens! Booking dates are 30 Nov priority and 6 Dec public YOUNG + FREE AND PAY IT FORWARD The Donmar will be offering YOUNG+FREE tickets to those 25 and under for every night of performances across the Power Season. YOUNG+FREE will continue to be funded through the generosity of audiences with the Donmar's PAY IT FORWARD scheme. To donate click here. MONDAY RELEASE AND DAY TICKETS £10 Donmar tickets will be put on sale every Monday morning from 10am for the current production. The sponsorship of Front Row has come to an end, so these £10 tickets will no longer be in the front row. In addition, day tickets will also be available on the day every day. They confirmed those 10 seats are back of circle |
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. Oh well, it was good while it lasted. 
