Lost Theatre Mojo

[theatremiss]

I know this sounds a ridiculous post to make on a theatre forum, but does anyone get to saturation point with theatre visits? Apart from Dec and any overseas holidays (although I try to find theatre when I’m away) I’m at the theatre at least twice per week, if not more throughout the year. I’m just feeling really exhausted and started to resent trekking up and down to London at weekends. I’ve cancelled a few shows this month through being tired and awful rail schedules and I’m relieved to not be going to a show (due to trains) until 15th Jan. Does anyone else feel this way?

[catcat100]

Yep, have felt like that before.

Accept it as a chance to try something different, check out your local area and try something new.

Or try something again that you've enjoyed in the past.

Your overall love of theatre will bring you back when its ready and you'll start feeling excited about it again.

[Jon]

Twice a week seems like a lot, mine is 2-4 times a month although that varies depending on what I have planned.

[bee]

Yes, I have started to feel that way quite a bit. I've bailed on maybe 5 or 6 shows this year for no better reason than I can't be bothered, though mind you it's usually shows which haven't had great reviews. I think, "would I rather go and see this show which sounds a bit crap or would I rather stay at home, watch something good on TV and get to bed at a decent time?". I think it might just be me getting on a bit, and I do feel a but ashamed of myself when I do it, but I increasingly feel it necessary to recharge the batteries.

[theatremiss]

Nov 30, 2024 14:29:58 GMT bee said:

Yes, I have started to feel that way quite a bit. I've bailed on maybe 5 or 6 shows this year for no better reason than I can't be bothered, though mind you it's usually shows which haven't had great reviews. I think, "would I rather go and see this show which sounds a bit crap or would I rather stay at home, watch something good on TV and get to bed at a decent time?". I think it might just be me getting on a bit, and I do feel a but ashamed of myself when I do it, but I increasingly feel it necessary to recharge the batteries.

That’s just how I feel

[theatremiss]

Nov 30, 2024 14:16:33 GMT Jon said:

Twice a week seems like a lot, mine is 2-4 times a month although that varies depending on what I have planned.

I try to make the most out of my train fare, so I do 2 on a Sat. The staged concerts and short runs throw me as that invariably means a Sun or mid week trip too. Although about 80% is in London I do go to my local and regional theatres too plus Chichester which is a bit of a schlep.

[jake]

In my experience, it’s very common for people to feel jaded (‘cultured out’ is how one friend described it) if they find events clustered too close together. For example, my host in London often accompanies me to the theatre but would think two shows in one visit rather excessive (whereas I – not having the privilege of living in the capital - will usually try and see more than one per visit).


I think it’s less common for someone who has developed a habit to suddenly find their enthusiasm waning. But, as someone else said, your at least twice a week seems a lot. At the height of my theatre-going I might have averaged twice a week but lots of weeks would have had no theatre at all. These days it’s about 50 per year. I doubt I could cope with the amount I used to see – and the amount of traveling it entails - but that’s probably natural tiredness due to getting older rather than ‘saturation’. I don’t seem to get ‘saturated’ if I see three things in a week’s trip – but I might get more fatigued than I used to!

[Someone in a tree]

In my late 20, moving back to london and with a salary i went a bit crazy. Now, im more selective. I find a lot of plays and the west end uninspiring plus there is only so many Carmen's or Carousel's that i want to see.

I have 15 shows booked for 2025. I will be booking for 1 more opera, 1 more dance piece and I suspect the Open Air theatre musical (its a family tradition). These bookings take me through to summer 25 so when I frame it like that I don't think I have much booked.

[n1david]

Yes, I understand this. After I retired I went a bit crazy (after years of having jobs where I couldn't go to theatre much because work finishing times were variable) - in 2019 I somehow managed to get to 131 shows, which when holidays etc are taken into account, comes to more than two a week. At the start of some weeks I'd look at my calendar and feel tired before even starting the week because of all the shows to which I had committed. A lot of this was driven by FOMO - every time a booking period opened, I'd get in there just to make sure I didn't miss out on this year's hottest ticket. And the gap between booking and seeing a show made it more of an issue - booking in July and thinking "yeah sure 4 plays that week will be fine" can feel rather different when it's freezing and raining in December and you've got to get to the West End 4 times in a week (and I live in Zone 1!)

COVID came along, and since theatre came back I've become more restrained, trying not to jump in when booking opens unless it's something for which I can make a compelling case (favourite playwright, actor etc), wait more for reviews and try not to fill up my calendar solidly whenever I'm in London (and I now spend about half my time outside London which acts as a natural limiter). In the last couple of years I think there are only a couple of shows that I'm really sorry I missed because they properly sold out before I realised I wanted to see them. I haven't dodged every bullet - my tickets for The Duchess (of Malfi) went unused - but on the whole I've managed a higher hit rate than I was in 2019. I've also diversified into more fringe theatre, because it's cheaper and (usually) more diverse.

So for me, a key aspect was accepting that I did not have to have an opinion on every major opening in the West End. Good luck. The break you're taking over the festive period will probably help.

[parsley1]

Absolutely agree with the original poster

When going to the theatre feels like chore

Then it’s time for a break

There are so many better things to do

And production standards along with director quality keeps falling

Actors are so variable

And audiences accept any old sh*te nowadays

[Dr Tom]

Twice a week isn’t a lot!

But I completely agree that a break can be good. And, even as someone at 200 or so shows this year, there are times when there’s nothing I care enough to see.

[unseaworthy]

Yes, absolutely. I have spent a week in London doing 10 or more shows and by number 8 have stopped enjoying it. Less is definitely more.

[kallyloo]

I was feeling a similar thing and immersive theatre and magic drew me back.
Hope you discover something else to enjoy for now.

[BurlyBeaR]

Nov 30, 2024 14:52:30 GMT theatremiss said:

Nov 30, 2024 14:29:58 GMT bee said:

Yes, I have started to feel that way quite a bit. I've bailed on maybe 5 or 6 shows this year for no better reason than I can't be bothered, though mind you it's usually shows which haven't had great reviews. I think, "would I rather go and see this show which sounds a bit crap or would I rather stay at home, watch something good on TV and get to bed at a decent time?". I think it might just be me getting on a bit, and I do feel a but ashamed of myself when I do it, but I increasingly feel it necessary to recharge the batteries.

That’s just how I feel

I’ve cut my spending on theatre down massively. I haven’t been to London since autumn 2023 when I saw Sunset and Old Friends. Brilliant shows but when I added up how much that weekend cost… just no. I used to be down there four times a year but it isn’t viable since covid when everything has gone up in price. 
For shows I’ve booked up here in the north if it gets bad feedback I have no qualms bailing out. Life is too short. 
Any void is filled reading everyone’s opinions here. I’m sure you’ll find a level of theatregoing that works out for you. Don’t be influenced by people who are there multiple times a week. That’s their choice, it doesn’t have to be ours. 

[Phantom of London]

After the pandemic, where theatre was a wasteland for 18 months, where the only thing to look forward to was standing on the doorstep on a Thursday night clapping (social distanced of course) and washing my hands whilst singing happy birthday. So after the pandemic it was a good excuse to cut back and said I would limit myself to just 2 productions a week and wouldn’t see anything repeated, of course this didn’t last long.

[blamerobots]

I think it's just regular burnouts that you get with any hobby. I'm in a bit of a show burnout myself right now, so I definitely get it.

There's not many interesting shows in 2025 coming up for me so I have quite an open schedule. All the shows I want to see are nothing but rumours right now lol.

My mentality at the moment is just to rock up on the door if I feel like seeing shows that certain day if I have the energy to, but it's very hard when you've gotten off work and you just want to go home and basically pass out

[longinthetooth]

I feel my enthusiasm is currently flagging too. For various reasons I needed to be out of the house for the best part of two weeks recently, so spent five out of ten days at the theatre. However, this felt more like a chore than a joy. I struggled to find anything I fancied that I hadn't seen before, and even my old go-to shows didn't hold their magic. I really don't know why I feel like this.

What I do know is that I've been put off a lot of shows because of the high prices - I'm one of those people who has to be up close, in the first few rows of the stalls, otherwise I get too distracted and don't enjoy it. There are several I have looked at, but thought NO, I am NOT paying those ridiculous prices and will wait for offers - but the offers never came, so I missed out.

I'm sure I'll get my mojo back eventually. All I have booked at the moment is the Palladium pantomime, and if that doesn't put me in a good humour, I don't know what will!

[lt]

That does sound a lot of trips if you are not local. As someone who lives in London, it's much easier for me, but I find my enthusiasm can be dampened if I see several - to me - really duff shows in a row as I did a couple of months back, and I'm sure that would be far worse if I had to travel to the productions too. But then in 10 days I saw three shows I loved and felt enthusiastic again.

[steve10086]

I think theatre has moved on from what got me initially hooked. The 90’s still had the epics from the 80’s plus lots of great new musicals. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing (for theatre) but it’s not my scene anymore.

Really not interested in anything “queer”, which was all the West End was about for years.

[ceebee]

Dec 1, 2024 20:55:28 GMT steve10086 said:

I think theatre has moved on from what got me initially hooked. The 90’s still had the epics from the 80’s plus lots of great new musicals. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing (for theatre) but it’s not my scene anymore.

Really not interested in anything “queer”, which was all the West End was about for years.

Was it the epic scale of theatre in that time or the quality that got you hooked?  I think I agree, in that theatre used to feel like "an event" - something fresh - whereas now a combination of passe productions and apathy (plus audience behaviour) makes me think twice.  I've also noticed that I tend to binge on particular shows or plays and then move on - a bit of a fast food approach to theatre on a personal level.

[Jon]

I've looked at my list of shows and I've seen 27 this year and I've got two shows in December currently with possibly a third show which would take my total of shows to 30 shows in 2024 which isn't as many as some people but an average of just over 2 shows a month is pretty decent. 2025 is looking to be a lot busier, I have already have 7 shows booked between January to April.

[osdtdg]

Dec 1, 2024 20:55:28 GMT steve10086 said:

I think theatre has moved on from what got me initially hooked. The 90’s still had the epics from the 80’s plus lots of great new musicals. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing (for theatre) but it’s not my scene anymore.

Really not interested in anything “queer”, which was all the West End was about for years.

Can I ask why you are "not interested in anything 'queer'"? [and why have you put queer in quotes?]

I feel like its a good thing that queer stories are getting told, as theatre has always been a safe space for queer people and so many involved in the theatre (audience, performers, creatives etc.) are queer.

[crabtree]

absurd expense, audience behaviour, and city centres have killed for me a much loved habit. Just can't do it now.

[fclou]

I've seen 39 things this year and have 3 more to go before the end of the year - this year has been the busiest I've had and TBH I am slowing down what I'm booking - I can't do another year this packed with shows... it was starting to feel like a chore - but FOMO wins out... I wasn't going to book anythign else, but did... and already have 6 things booked for 2025 and will end up booking more no doubt.

I am being pickier though.. did too many depressing plays in a row

But I mostly go with my teenage son who has an insatiable appetite for theatre and it is such fun sharing his enthusiasm and joy when he loves somehting and I am not quite ready to give that up yet.

[aspieandy]

Fwiw, I mostly have a complete break for January* and also August, though the latter has recently expanded (I now spend less time in London between May and August). It's very important imo; you return refreshed and eager to engage

I do like the January break - it's like a firewall on my spreadsheet. And you won't miss anything, unless it only runs for that specific 5-weeks. i find I do go out but to other things as suits, like the Uber/River bus, or Tate, or Kew Gardens or British Museum.

* 'dry January'