Old Vic £10 PWC previews

[Jon]

The change in eligibility must be from A Christmas Carol onwards because the PwC tickets were due to be released in the coming weeks.

Sept 6, 2024 16:27:43 GMT kathryn said:

So it looks like once again we have a scheme that was intended to get ‘first time theatregoers’ in that is apparently ineffective at doing so and just used repeatedly by the same regular theatregoers.

Showing once again that the problem is not cost per se, it is knowledge.

To actually know about PWC previews you have to be a theatre geek already. Non-theatre-geeks generally don’t find out about a show until the reviews come out, at which point it is too late.
Run the scheme for long enough and you will run out of theatre geeks who have not booked for the Old Vic before

The PwC tickets have been running since Matthew Warchus took over as AD so nearly a decade. They can't have realised 9 years later that the scheme was just attracting regular theatregoers, you'd found that out in the first couple of years. All you're saying is correct but even with the pandemic and rebuilding audiences after theatres reopened, I wonder why it took this long to make this eligibility change because I'm starting to think it's sponsorship reasons.

[Dave B]

I've just had a very different response from Old Vic Box office.

The PwC £10 Previews Scheme is still continuing and there are no barriers to stop people booking at any time. We understand that due to this, you may have attended more than once through the scheme and may well do so again. However, the scheme is intended to encourage first time bookers to The Old Vic and it is those people who have priority communications when we go on sale as there are a limited amount of tickets available. We hope that you understand that we would like for everyone who wants to, to have access to the £10 tickets for their first visit to The Old Vic.

My emphasis....

[Jon]

The mystery thickens, I think that there are going to be changes to the scheme but they're not happening just yet.

[westendcub]

Got further response also (below)

Hi,

The scheme hasn't changed and there are still no barriers to booking. The email today was to highlight that the scheme is designed to inspire a new audience to visit the theatre for the first time for £10 and we hope that, once people have visited using the scheme, they will continue to visit the theatre in one of the other ways we highlighted.

Best,
Elin OV

[edi]

I don't even understand how they will promote this - usually they send an email to regular customers. How are they going to get "new customers" know about it?

[kathryn]

Aha! So they don’t have the ability to stop repeat bookings!
They are just hoping that people who got the email about not being eligible won’t use it again.

[ceebee]

This would be a PR disaster had the Spacey era not already gone before it (and if enough people even cared).

It's a classic case of "how to pee off and confuse your loyal customers without even trying".

In one email, they managed to alienate me and reconsider my future spending plans with them.

Whatever change they were trying to manage here has backfired. Talk about crapping on your own doorstep.

[ceebee]

Sept 6, 2024 17:14:34 GMT kathryn said:

Aha! So they don’t have the ability to stop repeat bookings!
They are just hoping that people who got the email about not being eligible won’t use it again.

I'm looking beyond the subtle behavioural change they were trying to initiate and am focusing on the damage to goodwill causes by their deliberate ambiguity and careless communication.

[Jon]

Sept 6, 2024 17:14:34 GMT kathryn said:

Aha! So they don’t have the ability to stop repeat bookings!
They are just hoping that people who got the email about not being eligible won’t use it again.

Which is dumb because the current booking system isn't designed to prevent ineligible people from using the scheme. The only way they will be able to do that is to make the scheme more akin to other theatres and having stricter criteria. 

Sept 6, 2024 17:16:52 GMT ceebee said:

This would be a PR disaster had the Spacey era not already gone before it (and if enough people even cared).

It's a classic case of "how to pee off and confuse your loyal customers without even trying".

In one email, they managed to alienate me and reconsider my future spending plans with them.

Whatever change they were trying to manage here has backfired. Talk about crapping on your own doorstep.

The Old Vic isn't going to affected too much just because a few people can't get tickets for a tenner. Don't get me wrong, the email thing was handled badly but it is not that big a deal.

[kathryn]

I haven’t booked any PWC previews for ages, to be honest, as I usually find these days that the mid-week dates don’t work for me. So it’s not likely to affect my behaviour either way.

I should think anyone really needing to use the scheme will figure out that they can carry on regardless soon enough and that this minor kerfuffle will blow over.

[ceebee]

I agree, it'll blow over and it's quite minor. I was just surprised at the tone and quality of the email. If I want a £10 ticket that badly I'll still try (with a new email address).

[mkb]

This new emphasis on first-timers probably explains why, despite being signed up, I stopped getting notification emails. Thankfully, these forums have come to the rescue more than once.

If the Old Vic thinks that email is, in any way, going to change the proportion of tickets going to OV virgins, they're living in cloud-cuckoo land. Their ends could be achieved with proper registration with photo id that's checked on entry, but that's never gonna happen.

[Jon]

Sept 7, 2024 12:00:06 GMT mkb said:

This new emphasis on first-timers probably explains why, despite being signed up, I stopped getting notification emails. Thankfully, these forums have come to the rescue more than once.

If the Old Vic thinks that email is, in any way, going to change the proportion of tickets going to OV virgins, they're living in cloud-cuckoo land. Their ends could be achieved with proper registration with photo id that's checked on entry, but that's never gonna happen.

Their social media platforms give away when PwC tickets go on sale as well. 

The only way to make sure it's going to first timers or people who actually would benefit is changing the criteria and I suspect that won't happen just yet but I think it'll happen in the near future. As I've said, it seems weird that they're only reminding people now considering the scheme is nearly a decade old. 

[mkb]

Sept 7, 2024 12:05:49 GMT Jon said:

... it seems weird that they're only reminding people now considering the scheme is nearly a decade old.

The 2015 ten-year deal with PWC was up for renewal, so presumably this arises from a review of what both parties have gained and what should change for the next scheme.

[Jon]

Sept 7, 2024 12:16:45 GMT mkb said:

Sept 7, 2024 12:05:49 GMT Jon said:

... it seems weird that they're only reminding people now considering the scheme is nearly a decade old.

The 2015 ten-year deal with PWC was up for renewal, so presumably this arises from a review of what both parties have gained and what should change for the next scheme.

I wonder if a review would have occurred sooner if the pandemic hadn't happened? They would have had plenty of data but I suspect that the Old Vic and PwC were more lenient to audiences while they rebuilt their audience after things reopened and now that the scheme is up for renewal, they've had to take a harder approach because costs have gone up.

[ceebee]

I had a very pleasant conversation with the head of box office who agreed that the communication could have been better and that the last thing they want to do is alienate existing loyal customers. I explained how to most of us the PwC thing is just a bit of a lottery, a bit of fun. We know that demand goes crazy for high profile productions (including, of course, A Christmas Carol). I'd say the PwC tickets for a tenner partnership has been a huge success - it has become far more popular in recent years. So, after all that, there are no barriers on anybody purchasing through the PwC lottery but that they would prefer if you have been successful previously to perhaps consider giving way to others. Of course, there is an argument to say that long-term interest in the scheme suggests long-term interest in the Old Vic and the productions it puts on.

So, I guess if you still want to participate, "watch this space" (as you might not get an email prompt)....

[Jon]

Sept 10, 2024 11:49:28 GMT ceebee said:

I had a very pleasant conversation with the head of box office who agreed that the communication could have been better and that the last thing they want to do is alienate existing loyal customers. I explained how to most of us the PwC thing is just a bit of a lottery, a bit of fun. We know that demand goes crazy for high profile productions (including, of course, A Christmas Carol). I'd say the PwC tickets for a tenner partnership has been a huge success - it has become far more popular in recent years. So, after all that, there are no barriers on anybody purchasing through the PwC lottery but that they would prefer if you have been successful previously to perhaps consider giving way to others. Of course, there is an argument to say that long-term interest in the scheme suggests long-term interest in the Old Vic and the productions it puts on.

So, I guess if you still want to participate, "watch this space" (as you might not get an email prompt)....

The PwC scheme has probably been a bit too successful and I suspect a lot of regular theatregoers are hogging the allocation and thus preventing first timers from accessing the scheme so maybe the Old Vic need to find ways to get more first time theatregoers into the door with minimal changes to the current scheme.

[Mark]

Ye if they want a scheme for first timers then make it that. Who’s going to pass on a ticket for £10 especially when similar seats for their productions are often £50,£60,£70+. All very well for them to say “regular seats start from £13” or whatever but with what view?

[Arcana]

*Never mind. Just had an email which answered my question.*

[jamb0r]

Just had the email to tell me that £10 preview tickets go on sale for A Christmas Carol at midday today. Only 40 minutes notice! I don't know why are they sending me the email if they have told me I am not eligible to purchase them? I don't want to go through the whole process of joining the queue just to find out at the end my account is blocked from buying the tickets.

[A.Ham]

Sept 12, 2024 10:27:03 GMT jamb0r said:

Just had the email to tell me that £10 preview tickets go on sale for A Christmas Carol at midday today. Only 40 minutes notice! I don't know why are they sending me the email if they have told me I am not eligible to purchase them? I don't want to go through the whole process of joining the queue just to find out at the end my account is blocked from buying the tickets.

Going by the latest posts above, it doesn’t sound as though you will be blocked from buying them, so if you want to book, try. Also just had the email, agree re. the lack of notice!

[jamb0r]

This is all very frustrating, in the email the box office sent me when I queried the original notification they specifically told me I wasn't eligible to purchase these tickets. I almost feel like not bothering now, the confusing communications combined with such short notice has left a very sour taste. If they really want to use this scheme to get new people into the theatre, how do they expect new customers to suddenly be able to contact friends or family and check everyone is available on a certain date all within 40 minutes? It's crazy.

[khiar]

Absolutely bizarre being on their email list that the PwC tickets are going on sale, while also being on the email list telling me I'm not eligible for them. If they don't want regular theatre-goers snapping them up, then why would they email their database about them? I haven't previously used the scheme, and truth told I wasn't really aware of it until I got the email telling me I couldn't/shouldn't use it

[ceebee]

Old Vic is pursuing its own personal ideology - it wants access to new people who have possibly never heard of it but don't want existing customers to provide "word of mouth" recommendations... Talk about 'shoot yourself in the foot'.

I'm in the queue and if they want to kick me out later on they can refund almost £1000 of advance bookings currently sitting in my account.

[Jon]

Sept 12, 2024 10:40:12 GMT ceebee said:

Old Vic is pursuing its own personal ideology - it wants access to new people who have possibly never heard of it but don't want existing customers to provide "word of mouth" recommendations... Talk about 'shoot yourself in the foot'.

I'm in the queue and if they want to kick me out later on they can refund almost £1000 of advance bookings currently sitting in my account.

You're being a bit hyperbolic about the Old Vic. Why would they refund you, you booked the tickets and that ticket purchase is final.