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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2016 17:54:39 GMT
Suggested we needed this thread just now then thought I'd start it as I came up with a great title for it  So - we all know that the real reason anyone joins a theatre membership scheme is because of an altruistic wish to support the theatre blah blah blah but really that's nonsense and we're all in it for freebies and perks. So post away and recommend worthwhile membership schemes or complain about ones that are useless! So to kick off - the RSC. Despite my current whinge, not bad value - £40 gets you full membership with advance booking ahead of Torygraph readers. Also no fee to change tickets. 10% off in bars and the hopeless restaurant and a little advertised discount of £10 off two tickets. Also money off in the shop but (as the people on the tills will snootily point out) not on programmes. Once you have an RSC tea towel this discount is therefore of little value Lower membership level is £18 so effective cost is the same Cons: nothing without Doctor Who in it sells out so is advance booking worth it? Ticket offers get pushed out via Twitter and Facebook rather than to members - I saw 3 shows last year for £5 or £10 through such offers In my next essay I will discuss the continuing decline of the Barbican membership scheme and explain why nobody should join the Soutbank centre until 2018 |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 8:03:00 GMT
OK, so Barbican membership. £50 for the first level of membership. Despite recent downgrades to the benefits, still I think the best value theatre membership scheme I have.
Benefits:
- priority booking
- no booking fee (save £3 a time)
- 20% discounts on most theatre shows. Not for some visiting companies (eg the RSC) - from what the box office told me this is at the request of the visiting companies.
- Also 20% discount on most "contemporary music" shows - but not for classical shows.
- 20% discount on the cinemas (and the 3 cinemas are very nice and cheap for London anyway)
- free entry to the gallery - worth ~£12 a time and there are usually 3 exhibitions per year
- access to the "members lounge" which is nicer than the other bars in the Barbican and quite handy during intervals
- discount in the shop (but not on programmes)
So if you see a couple of shows and use the cinema and gallery, very easy to recoup your membership fee
Cons:
- it's the Barbican
- nothing without Doctor Who or Sherlock in it sells out
- theatre discounts are "limited" so only a certain number available for each show
- wording of the membership is ambiguous on the level of discount - used to state 20%, now says "Special offers on selected music and theatre events" so this could change? They were asked about this when the wording changed and said the 20% discount was staying.
- the catering discount (15% off at all bars and cafes in the centre) was removed last year
- the great deal of a free bottle of wine (worth £20) when 2 people dine in Cote has also gone
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 24, 2016 8:10:19 GMT
What are the tea towels like at the Barbican?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 24, 2016 8:17:17 GMT
ATG Standard : £40 or £35 by recurring direct debit.
Priority
If you love to sit in the front row, or like to be the first to know about productions then this is certainly for you. We will give you priority access to tickets before they are released to the general public but please make sure we have your email address – we don’t want you to miss out!
Ticket deals
If you can’t make it for opening night they don’t panic! We still have a range of great ticket deals and offers throughout the week for our Theatre Card members and you can book up to 4 tickets with your Card.
No extra fees to pay
No one likes paying those extra fees when they book theatre tickets. When you become a member, we’ll waive fees on most productions when you buy your tickets on our website
Exchanging your tickets
You will never need to worry about missing a performance again! It won’t matter if the babysitter cancels or if something else happens, your Theatre Card allows you to exchange your tickets for another performance, subject to availability.
Making your visit a night to remember
Take your Theatre Card with you when you visit and you and your guests will receive 10% off drinks at the bar and a complimentary cloakroom on us!
Theatre events
Every now and then we offer a range of Q&As, pre theatre talks, special workshops and tours for our members. These allow you to look behind the scenes and find out that little bit more about your favourite stars, actors and theatres. (Extra charges apply for these, the card just gives you access to book)
Restaurant and visitor attraction offers
Fancy something to eat before the theatre? Entertaining the kids during half term? We’ve got some great offers for our members.
Where you can use your card
There are 21 Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) venues across the UK and 15 in the West End and London*
ATG Gold membership: £95
Theatre Card Gold – a little bit of luxury and style to your membership
Our ATG Theatre Card Gold offers all the benefits of ATG Theatre Card plus some amazing additional extras!
ATG Theatre Card Gold includes 6 red label packages which includes; access to the Ambassador Lounge, a welcome Prosecco (soft drink for our Kids Package), complimentary cloakroom, dedicated host and 2 free ATG house programmes.
There are 24 Ambassador Lounges where you can use your ATG Theatre Card Gold.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 8:17:52 GMT
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 24, 2016 8:21:21 GMT
15 quid for a tea towel?  |
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Post by foxa on Feb 24, 2016 9:06:57 GMT
I have a lot of arts memberships and generally get a lot of pleasure from them. The Young Vic membership that I was complaining about originally was one of the best value ones but it has been chipped away at (it really is just the priority stuff no extras except you can exchange tickets for the same show for free - though I've never done that) so that when they have a poor season it doesn't seem worth it (I don't think priority booking was necessary for much in 2015.) Having said that, I looked again at what I was paying for the membership and by direct debit it is only £35, so if they have, say, two winner shows in that period it will feel worth it. The Young Vic is really good about keeping ticket prices down so I suppose as a supporter we are contributing to that as well. I'm mulling over the worth of that one. Similarly, I'm a bit conflicted about the point of the Donmar membership.
My favourite arts membership is the South Bank Centre. They are excellent about keeping in touch, there is a discount in the shops, no booking free, priority booking, free visits to the Hayward Gallery (currently closed however), competitions (I won one for an AMAZING meal at a pop-up restaurant where Atal Kochhar cooked for us), special members events and best of all, a beautiful members' room (fantastic views over the Thames) with a very generous happy hour and inexpensive food.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 9:14:39 GMT
I've given up on the Southbank membership this year due to the Hayward closing - for me this makes the cost worthwhile over the year. It's pricey compared to other schemes at £65. Agree with you on the members' room though, as with the Barbican this is a nice benefit.
Only £13.50 if you're a member! If you buy 33 tea towels you recoup the cost of membership.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 9:25:45 GMT
Globe membership: £50. This is a pretty good deal, and they seem to do more to make members feel part of a community than other schemes.
Gets you
priority booking (which is worthwhile for the Sam Wanamaker to get the best value seats)
free admission to the Globe exhibition and tour (£12) - although can't imagine doing that more than once!
invitations to friends events - never done these but there are (paid) tours of the backstage areas which you don't see on the normal public tour
free ticket exchange
three mailings a year - in the Globe's case this is a pretty good glossy magazine with articles on their productions and general things of Shakespeare / Jacobethan interest. Much better than the advertising newsletter the RSC sends out
oddly not mentioned on their website but you also get a 10% discount on food and drink at the Globe, including the Swan Bar and the bars and food stands in the courtyard.
Cons:
actually can't think of any!
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Post by foxa on Feb 24, 2016 9:47:11 GMT
I've given up on the Southbank membership this year due to the Hayward closing - for me this makes the cost worthwhile over the year. It's pricey compared to other schemes at £65. Agree with you on the members' room though, as with the Barbican this is a nice benefit. I'm sure this reflects badly on me, but I think I've probably made up the price of the membership on 2-4-1 Happy Hour wine alone. ;-) |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 9:53:12 GMT
Why is the Hayward closed? Is it going to reopen again?
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Post by foxa on Feb 24, 2016 9:59:44 GMT
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Post by Marwood on Feb 24, 2016 10:27:29 GMT
I've also got SBC membership, it's worth it for priority booking, more for the contemporary music shows than anything classical in my case, particularly for stuff like the Meltdown festival.
Not too bothered about the Hayward Gallery being closed until next year, more disappointed in the Queen Elizabeth Hall being closed at the same time, a great place to see the lower key musical acts up close, and also some top notch spoken word/stand up.
I don't use the discount in their own shops, but have used the 10&% discount in the Foyles underneath the RFH, and also go for the 2 for 1 in the members area a lot, also use the discount in Topolski when I can. Must also use the lunch time discount in Skylon at some point (not sure if there is still a discount at Ping Pong, but the one at the South Bank is always packed, and I'm not one for queueing for seats when I go out to eat, so not bothered about that)
I also have friendship for the Royal Court, but I only took that out for priority booking for Hangmen, I haven't seen much else there over the last 8 month or so, and apart from the discount in the bar there's not much benefits wise apart from the prioty booking/no booking fees. Don't know if I'll renew it when it runs out in the summer.
And finally, also got membership for the BFI, not much of a connection to this place apart from when they have actors/actresses/directors in for Q&As after the films, but worth it to get decent seats during the priority booking period, and also to get to see stuff at the London Film Festival. The discount in the shop also helps (although only for the books/magazines, most of the DVDs/Blu-Rays are ridiculously over priced compared to other high street retailers)
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Post by Snciole on Feb 24, 2016 11:23:25 GMT
Hampstead Friends
Priority booking
10% discount at Hampstead Theatre bar
No fee when exchanging changing tickets for the same production
Guaranteed advance notice of forthcoming productions
Quarterly e-newsletter, Hampstead Backstage
Invitations to exclusive events at Hampstead Theatre including breakfast with the Artistic Director
They also have a fantastic Under 30s £15 tickets scheme if you don't mind being in the front row or the very back dress circle row (Prefer front row, obviously)
Old Vic Friends
Dedicated Friends booking line
Priority booking for main stage productions*
Priority booking for Q&As and talks
Season announcements and email updates
Almeida
Priority booking – access to your favourite seats before they go on public sale
Events – discussion with creative team and drinks reception for each production
Supporters’ e-Newsletter – exclusive interviews and insights into our work
For me these are theatres (alongside the NT) I go to a lot so it made sense to get priority and access to the cheaper tickets. I don't know if I will renew any at the moment though.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 11:36:37 GMT
So - we all know that the real reason anyone joins a theatre membership scheme is because of an altruistic wish to support the theatre blah blah blah but really that's nonsense and we're all in it for freebies and perks. This sounds like most UK citizens' attitude to EU membership. I despair. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 13:17:07 GMT
Priority If you love to sit in the front row, or like to be the first to know about productions then this is certainly for you. We will give you priority access to tickets before they are released to the general public but please make sure we have your email address – we don’t want you to miss out! "Although bear in mind that sometimes even when you provide your email address, we'll totally ignore it, just for LOLs! And when you ring to ask us could we please bother ourselves to email you occasionally when new shows go on sale, like, you know, we promised to when you shelled out 35 quid for membership, we'll say we'll do just that - and then totally forget about it once we've put the phone down!" ;-) |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 13:21:24 GMT
And finally, also got membership for the BFI, not much of a connection to this place apart from when they have actors/actresses/directors in for Q&As after the films, but worth it to get decent seats during the priority booking period, and also to get to see stuff at the London Film Festival. The discount in the shop also helps (although only for the books/magazines, most of the DVDs/Blu-Rays are ridiculously over priced compared to other high street retailers) Yes, me too. Discounts on films too + regular free members' screenings (which tend to be mid-week), plus 10% off non-alcoholic drinks and food at the BFI, also you get a discount on the BFI Player. As with the National, priority booking for the London Film Festival is also available via American Express, and they often have availability for films which are sold out to members. I tend to at least break even on BFI membership |
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Post by DuchessConstance on Feb 24, 2016 14:37:52 GMT
Not quite the same thing, but does anyone have any experience with the Bush Supporter scheme? What are the supporter events like?
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Post by foxa on Feb 24, 2016 14:40:03 GMT
My most expensive membership is for the ROH - at £94 it is a biggy.
What they say: Become a Friend of Covent Garden today
Membership Benefits include:
• Priority booking ahead of the public for all performances and events
• Priority booking for ticket packages
• A subscription to the quarterly Royal Opera House Magazine and monthly e-newsletter with behind-the-scenes articles and information
• Access to Royal Opera and Royal Ballet dress rehearsals
• Special event invitations
• Discount in the Royal Opera House Shop
What I say: It is pricey, but the big plus, besides advance booking, are the dress rehearsals. For as little as £5 you can see the final dress of an opera or ballet with a more casual ambiance - people bring their M&S sandwiches to eat on the terrace at the interval and the whole feeling is generally friendlier and more relaxed. I'm more interested in ballet, but at those prices, I've also had a go at a number of operas and loved some of them. However, at the lowest level (which is the one I'm on) you can't bring a guest to most of the rehearsals and a lot of the rehearsals are weekdays, so not great for some. The Magazine is excellent. The booking system is very good - there is even a little gizmo that lets you see what the view is like from a given seat. They are excellent about keeping in touch (unlike jeanhunt's experience above - the ROH really use your email!) So it is a gulp-inducing amount to pay, but for the moment I think it's worth it.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 15:18:09 GMT
Never thought of ROH membership before but dress rehearsal access sounds great. What time of day are they usually on?
I did plump for a year's membership of the Donmar (mostly for SRB's Temple) but am thinking of renewing it - I forgot how nice it was to sit in the decent seats at the Donmar and not have to sweat over the Monday tickets! I also went for the RSC membership for priority booking for the SRB Tempest (if I'm coming across a bit stalky, it's a wholly accurate impression) but won't renew because their tickets are outrageously expensive and the higher prices at weekends annoy me.
Have been a long-standing member of the NT and not just for the priority booking but because I also genuinely wanted to support them; latest decision on ticket price rises is making me reconsider - I might keep it but reduce my contribution to the priority minimum rather than give them extra.
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Post by Marwood on Feb 24, 2016 16:09:20 GMT
And finally, also got membership for the BFI, not much of a connection to this place apart from when they have actors/actresses/directors in for Q&As after the films, but worth it to get decent seats during the priority booking period, and also to get to see stuff at the London Film Festival. The discount in the shop also helps (although only for the books/magazines, most of the DVDs/Blu-Rays are ridiculously over priced compared to other high street retailers) Yes, me too. Discounts on films too + regular free members' screenings (which tend to be mid-week), plus 10% off non-alcoholic drinks and food at the BFI, also you get a discount on the BFI Player. As with the National, priority booking for the London Film Festival is also available via American Express, and they often have availability for films which are sold out to members. I tend to at least break even on BFI membership You can also take tickets back for a credit, and unlike the NT or Southbank, they don't take a deduction for doing so. |
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Post by loureviews on Feb 24, 2016 18:34:40 GMT
Re BFI ticket returns. Only if the screening is sold out or with 24 hours notice.
I have BFI membership, £35, mainly for priority booking and shop discounts.
Barbican membership, £45, good for no booking fees and some discounts but the members bar opens at weird times.
National, £80. Mainly to get priority on Travelex in particular.
Southbank Centre, £250. Was good for facilitated booking but we have been told that benefit has been withdrawn as they now have too many members. Can attend events and rehearsals but we don't do that much. Can book a table in the members bar.
ATG, £40. Usually pays for itself with discounts etc but we tend to stick to Richmond and the odd central London venue.
Just joined Old Vic, £60. Will see how that goes.
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Post by schuttep on Oct 1, 2016 19:01:39 GMT
The RSC membership no longer offers £10 off two seats. They offer an upgrade - if available - on the day. How will they work that one out, I wonder? Surely it will involve a delay at check-in?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2016 20:00:27 GMT
Delmac just sent me a letter, saying they are changing their scheme to "DMT+." The extra benefits are "no online booking fees" (worth it for that alone for me), a free monthly draw for one winner and a ramped up number of extra theatre tours and events etc. Do you have to pay more for the tours/special events, or is it included in the £30? |
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Post by Marwood on Oct 3, 2016 12:42:52 GMT
Yes, me too. Discounts on films too + regular free members' screenings (which tend to be mid-week), plus 10% off non-alcoholic drinks and food at the BFI, also you get a discount on the BFI Player. As with the National, priority booking for the London Film Festival is also available via American Express, and they often have availability for films which are sold out to members. I tend to at least break even on BFI membership You can also take tickets back for a credit, and unlike the NT or Southbank, they don't take a deduction for doing so. 10% off the alcoholic drinks as well now (only amounts to 50p off a pint but it all adds up)  |
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