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Post by n1david on Feb 18, 2016 12:18:58 GMT
Haven't had time to study the NT brochure in detail but I see that the spectre of dynamic pricing raises its head:
"Book early for the best seats.
Prices may change according to demand. Book early to ensure the best seats at the best prices."
They might as well have added:
"Prices may go down as well as up and past performance is no guide to the future"...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2016 12:34:08 GMT
Wow - top seats at the NT now up to £65 for some plays and dates; Fri and Sat nights cost more and they're playing the premium seats game with the centre stalls in the Olivier more expensive than other front stall seats - all feels very mercenary. Will be doing Friday rush for most things, I think.
Really expected better from the NT than this - again, it's hard not to feel that any hole in their finances is their own fault and that this wouldn't be happening under Starr/Hytner, who managed to reduce the dependence on Arts Council funding.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2016 12:40:30 GMT
I'm wary of anyone who says "best prices". Best for whom? If they were best for me wouldn't they be "lowest prices"?
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378 posts
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NT 2016
Feb 18, 2016 12:41:53 GMT
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Post by Ade on Feb 18, 2016 12:41:53 GMT
Wow - top seats at the NT now up to £65 for some plays and dates; Fri and Sat nights cost more and they're playing the premium seats game with the centre stalls in the Olivier more expensive than other front stall seats - all feels very mercenary. Will be doing Friday rush for most things, I think. Really expected better from the NT than this - again, it's hard not to feel that any hole in their finances is their own fault and that this wouldn't be happening under Starr/Hytner, who managed to reduce the dependence on Arts Council funding. Yes I was pretty appalled at this, and then even more so after seeing about dynamic in the post further up. Sad times indeed! I mean I get it, from a business point of view, but still... |
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Post by Snciole on Feb 18, 2016 12:46:04 GMT
Where are the Travelex productions for the newly announced plays? Am I going mad/blind?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2016 12:50:13 GMT
The Threepenny Opera and The Plough And The Stars are Travelex. Don't know about anything else beyond the summer, though we can safely say that the Young Chekhov trilogy, The Deep Blue Sea, and Sunset At The Villa Thalia aren't.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2016 13:28:06 GMT
Really expected better from the NT than this - again, it's hard not to feel that any hole in their finances is their own fault and that this wouldn't be happening under Starr/Hytner, who managed to reduce the dependence on Arts Council funding. It's Starr/Hytner's fault then; it surprises me how people think that nine months into a job you are supposed to be responsible for the past decisions that led you to now. Hytner let things drift towards the end of his incumbency, he didn't make the tough decisions that were needed and so it's left to the incoming team. Anyone could see that War Horse wasn't going to last for ever. Dynamic seating prices make economic sense, as do premium seats as the West End is awash with them. Friday Rush and Travelex are just part of that same continuum; those who can find a way of paying less can, those who don't mind paying more, will. |
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923 posts
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NT 2016
Feb 18, 2016 14:05:04 GMT
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Post by Snciole on Feb 18, 2016 14:05:04 GMT
The Threepenny Opera and The Plough And The Stars are Travelex. Don't know about anything else beyond the summer, though we can safely say that the Young Chekhov trilogy, The Deep Blue Sea, and Sunset At The Villa Thalia aren't. Thank you, Baemax. Clearly mad and blind! |
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Post by lynette on Feb 18, 2016 15:43:38 GMT
Yes, well charging more for seats you can actually hear from isn't so surprising. I've yet to navigate the pricing maze but I do like a Saturday night and a middle aisle in the Olivier. Doomed.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2016 16:32:20 GMT
Really expected better from the NT than this - again, it's hard not to feel that any hole in their finances is their own fault and that this wouldn't be happening under Starr/Hytner, who managed to reduce the dependence on Arts Council funding. It's Starr/Hytner's fault then; it surprises me how people think that nine months into a job you are supposed to be responsible for the past decisions that led you to now. Hytner let things drift towards the end of his incumbency, he didn't make the tough decisions that were needed and so it's left to the incoming team. Anyone could see that War Horse wasn't going to last for ever. Dynamic seating prices make economic sense, as do premium seats as the West End is awash with them. Friday Rush and Travelex are just part of that same continuum; those who can find a way of paying less can, those who don't mind paying more, will. Mmmm - as far as I can see just from the last financial accounts, RN was handed an institution in a pretty robust financial condition. I have no inside knowledge so will bow to any you or others have - I don't have any particular drum to bang for either Norris or Starr/Hytner. I think RN had an interesting first year but the fact is that he didn't sell many tickets and, as far as I understand, that sort of box office failure has a direct impact on the NT, which they seem to be tackling with a more populist next season plus squeezing more drops of cash out of people where they can. I think it's a dubious strategy over the longer term (and probably the short term as well) - I have a reasonable level of disposable income, I'm a loyal long-standing audience member and supporter, and I'm close to giving up on them purely for price reasons. I'll miss my Friday nights at the NT but I can't justify them at the prices they seem to be moving to, and I've more or less stopped looking at the Dorfman already (and I know those prices went rocketing up under the previous regime). Same as with the ENO, I don't understand why they wouldn't rather have a full house with cheaper tickets than a half empty theatre with expensive tickets. But, as I'm probably proving, I'm no accountant... The difference for me between West End premium seats (which I also object to) is that the NT, RSC, Southbank Centre, etc are handed a load of public cash to be accessible. |
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Post by caa on Feb 18, 2016 17:48:39 GMT
The issue to me of increasing the price of seats is that it only works if they have a success, a well known play or a star that people want to see, but surely if the NT does this then it will no longer be the National Theatre.
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Post by foxa on Feb 18, 2016 18:07:33 GMT
Yes, when they have a big hit, it will work for them. But I just had a scroll over a couple of the plays that they have on now and there are are a lot of unsold seats. Picking a random mid -week evening of 'Waste' there were over 300 tickets available, and for a mid-week performance of Talk House over 200. I can't imagine raising the prices for those shows would help, but I guess they hope the hits will pay for the flops (the way 'The Master Builder' will have to subsidise much of the Old Vic season - though I would have cried if I'd paid more than about £20 for that show myself.)
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923 posts
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NT 2016
Feb 18, 2016 20:27:36 GMT
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Post by Snciole on Feb 18, 2016 20:27:36 GMT
With no disrespect to Kinnear, McCrory etc are they the big names people will pay £65 to see?
In 2018 people might pay that for Ralph Fiennes but he's been doing so much theatre that he won't be that much of a draw.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2016 22:36:04 GMT
You say that, but The Master Builder's been selling out, and Man & Superman went pretty quickly too. As a frequent theatre-goer, I do tend to forget that some actors are international movie stars...
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Post by caa on Feb 18, 2016 23:30:43 GMT
With no disrespect to Kinnear, McCrory etc are they the big names people will pay £65 to see? In 2018 people might pay that for Ralph Fiennes but he's been doing so much theatre that he won't be that much of a draw. Also with these Ralph Fiennes productions they were / are short runs, where as the NT shows will be over a longer period which may well mean some tickets will end up at Leicester Square tkts |
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Post by Polly1 on Feb 18, 2016 23:49:15 GMT
I see they've introduced 'saver performances' for the new (non- Travelex) shows where top price tickets are "only" £49....
(Also, don't think Plough & The Stars is Travelex)
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NT 2016
Feb 19, 2016 0:24:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2016 0:24:13 GMT
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Post by Jon on Feb 19, 2016 0:25:25 GMT
Really expected better from the NT than this - again, it's hard not to feel that any hole in their finances is their own fault and that this wouldn't be happening under Starr/Hytner, who managed to reduce the dependence on Arts Council funding. It's Starr/Hytner's fault then; it surprises me how people think that nine months into a job you are supposed to be responsible for the past decisions that led you to now. Hytner let things drift towards the end of his incumbency, he didn't make the tough decisions that were needed and so it's left to the incoming team. Anyone could see that War Horse wasn't going to last for ever. Dynamic seating prices make economic sense, as do premium seats as the West End is awash with them. Friday Rush and Travelex are just part of that same continuum; those who can find a way of paying less can, those who don't mind paying more, will. How much revenue did War Horse in the West End add to the coffers? it had been declining for a while, I suspected when they sacked the musicians in 2014 that they trying to cut running costs. The misguided transfer of Great Britain ended up wiping out profits they had during its National run and likely made a loss by the time it finished. They still have Curious Incident but that won't last forever either |
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Post by Polly1 on Feb 19, 2016 0:34:23 GMT
Maybe they've altered their press release then, because in that link only Threepenny Opera is mentioned as Travelex and on the NT 'what's on' page, there's no mention of it for Plough. |
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Post by rumbledoll on Feb 19, 2016 7:36:55 GMT
The brochure doesn't suggest Plough being Travelex either.. But they do have some bugs on the web site- like Depp Blue Sea page showing only performances in June though it's running through the August..
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923 posts
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NT 2016
Feb 19, 2016 12:04:44 GMT
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Post by Snciole on Feb 19, 2016 12:04:44 GMT
You say that, but The Master Builder's been selling out, and Man & Superman went pretty quickly too. As a frequent theatre-goer, I do tend to forget that some actors are international movie stars... Absolutely but these were his first productions after a long time. If he does Richard III at Almeida this summer (as rumoured) the novelty of seeing Fiennes on the stage may start to wear off. It would be the same if Kidman, Cooper etc did theatre all the time. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2016 12:27:16 GMT
You say that, but The Master Builder's been selling out, and Man & Superman went pretty quickly too. As a frequent theatre-goer, I do tend to forget that some actors are international movie stars... Absolutely but these were his first productions after a long time. If he does Richard III at Almeida this summer (as rumoured) the novelty of seeing Fiennes on the stage may start to wear off. It would be the same if Kidman, Cooper etc did theatre all the time. Granted, but the Almeida is a 300 seat venue and the run will only be 6 weeks or so, so demand will be high! |
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Post by Latecomer on Feb 19, 2016 16:21:03 GMT
The brochure doesn't suggest Plough being Travelex either.. But they do have some bugs on the web site- like Depp Blue Sea page showing only performances in June though it's running through the August.. I helpfully rang the box office and told them the Deep Blue Sea page was missing July and August but the woman there said "oh yes, they are still working on it, it doesn't have to be correct yet as Monday is when booking opens" ...I pointed out that everything else had the correct dates and maybe she could pass on the message, as usually all the dates are pretty much correct when they put them up...but she was quite dismissive! |
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NT 2016
Feb 19, 2016 18:31:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2016 18:31:12 GMT
I've said it before and I'll say it again - the NT box office staff get less helpful and more obstructive by the day. I'm glad I rarely have to deal with them, bless the online booking and the ticket collection machines.
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Post by showgirl on Feb 19, 2016 19:17:57 GMT
Why can't these theatres liaise and spread out the new season booking a little more? That's Chichester, Hampstead and the NT, all with new productions booking within the same week, and a large number in 2 of the 3 cases. Diary-juggling will be a nightmare!
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