5,691 posts
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Post by lynette on Oct 3, 2018 12:47:07 GMT
How utterly crazy. A ballot! When will people get over themselves?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2018 13:03:42 GMT
Out of interest, why do you say this? I feel like, in instances where demand so massively outstrips supply like this or the recent Punchdrunk thing or the RADA Hiddlestone thing, having a ballot is the easiest way to give everyone a fair chance.
Don't get me wrong, it'll be frustrating to miss out, but it seems fair and at least I won't be sat for hours jumping between computers hitting refresh.
But wouldn’t it be just as fair to just sell the tickets to everybody in the usual way? |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2018 13:06:44 GMT
Or they could either put the show on in the Lyttleton, or not hire an A-list star for a show in the Dorfman.
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4,155 posts
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Post by kathryn on Oct 3, 2018 13:14:58 GMT
Out of interest, why do you say this? I feel like, in instances where demand so massively outstrips supply like this or the recent Punchdrunk thing or the RADA Hiddlestone thing, having a ballot is the easiest way to give everyone a fair chance.
The night I saw HiddleHamlet, there were 2 empty seats next to us, and at least 10 student seat-fillers who came in at the last minute to fill gaps in the stalls. Not sure if that was the no-returns policy at work, or unused house seats they held back from sale (Helena Bonham Carter was on the end of our row and I would be very surprised if she got her seats in the ballot), or tickets they had cancelled because they were listed for re-sale by touts, but the net effect was that seats that *could* have been filled by the general public, weren't. I am actually pretty sure the National will be organized enough to avoid those issues - as long as they apply their usual sensible returns and day seat policies - but the experience has left me a bit suspicious of the claim that ballots are about ensuring 'fairness' of access. I suspect the goal was to set up a system that didn't cause large numbers of obsessive Hiddles fans to be hanging around outside RADA - and indeed, made sure that all the tickets weren't snapped up by fans to start with. |
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3,040 posts
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Post by crowblack on Oct 3, 2018 13:27:07 GMT
made sure that all the tickets weren't snapped up by fans Would that have been a bad thing? It would have introduced a lot of young TV-watchers or film fans to theatre, whereas a ballot seems to have left gaps. |
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2,743 posts
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Post by n1david on Oct 3, 2018 13:27:51 GMT
I'm not sure most Martin Crimp productions get this sort of pre-publicity:
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1,861 posts
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Post by NeilVHughes on Oct 3, 2018 13:47:40 GMT
As it is a ballot, by definition people will lose out, has an NT Live broadcast been scheduled? which at least will provide an opportunity for the unsuccesful to see the play.
The cynic in me says they will hold off with the expectation of the transfer, if this is the case why did they not put it on in the Lyttleton in the first place which will likely be a similar size to the transfer venue, thereby debunking the intimate line.
If the 10,000, 2 ticket allocations is true which implies you cannot buy a single seat, us singletons on the site will need to pair up which could have repurcussions that the NT has not thought through.
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4,155 posts
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Post by kathryn on Oct 3, 2018 13:48:25 GMT
made sure that all the tickets weren't snapped up by fans Would that have been a bad thing? It would have introduced a lot of young TV-watchers or film fans to theatre, whereas a ballot seems to have left gaps. Well, I don't think so - but given that it was a fundraiser, they may have wanted to cast a wider net and get some people in who could be encouraged to give larger donations? I can't think how it could have been effective enough fundraising event to justify the effort that went into it unless they were expecting to attract money on top of the ticket sales. But we digress... |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2018 13:52:02 GMT
I have no horse in this race in terms of desperation to see it (I will live without) what my particular nerd brain gets annoyed about is the use of spaces at the NT in the 'wrong' way. The Dorf/Shed/Cottesloe has always been the 'experimental' space supported (financially and artistically) by the other two. With the other two also being where you make your money (so whacking out a bog standard Shakespeare, or putting a star on stage). Anyway it's a minor nerd point but it irks me.
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4,155 posts
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Post by kathryn on Oct 3, 2018 14:00:25 GMT
I guess we'll have to wait for reviews to get a sense of whether the 'experimental' nature of the staging means it *couldn't* go in one of the larger spaces.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2018 14:54:34 GMT
I have no horse in this race in terms of desperation to see it (I will live without) what my particular nerd brain gets annoyed about is the use of spaces at the NT in the 'wrong' way. The Dorf/Shed/Cottesloe has always been the 'experimental' space supported (financially and artistically) by the other two. With the other two also being where you make your money (so whacking out a bog standard Shakespeare, or putting a star on stage). Anyway it's a minor nerd point but it irks me. I personally don’t think this is a minor nerd point at all. Blanchett’s salary alone must have eaten up a sizeable chunk of the budget - unless she’s on fee waiver. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2018 14:57:48 GMT
This production just gets worse and worse and worse, my excitement levels are THROUGH THE ROOF. If one of you lot wins the ballot, please let it go on record that I would KILL to be your +1, I am not too proud to beg and will sit anywhere.
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Post by MoreLife on Oct 3, 2018 15:06:20 GMT
I have no horse in this race in terms of desperation to see it (I will live without) what my particular nerd brain gets annoyed about is the use of spaces at the NT in the 'wrong' way. The Dorf/Shed/Cottesloe has always been the 'experimental' space supported (financially and artistically) by the other two. With the other two also being where you make your money (so whacking out a bog standard Shakespeare, or putting a star on stage). Anyway it's a minor nerd point but it irks me. I personally don’t think this is a minor nerd point at all. Blanchett’s salary alone must have eaten up a sizeable chunk of the budget - unless she’s on fee waiver. Emily makes a very sensible point - this production would have made the NT a significant amount of money, had they put it in the Lyttleton, whereas in the Dorfman and with this ballot arrangement it will certainly make people talk about it and give free publicity to the NT, but do rather little for its pockets. As far as Blanchett's salary is concerned, of course there may be exceptions and the actual numbers may fall within a relatively large range, but I seem to remember from the 'Angels' days that even an A-list actor like Andrew Garfield was paid a lot less than people could have imagined, since they have some kind of cap anyway. Emily may know/remember more than I do and I'm sure she will share her knowledge  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2018 15:18:21 GMT
I think you can either do something in a small theatre for "artistic integrity", or cast a star name, but not both.
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546 posts
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Post by drmaplewood on Oct 3, 2018 15:33:56 GMT
Details on day seats at and Cate in discussion
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4,155 posts
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Post by kathryn on Oct 3, 2018 15:43:38 GMT
I am much less bothered by ballots when there is a day ticket/returns-resale arrangement in place, so the really dedicated fans *can* get their fix. Because we all know that if you really want to see something you'll put the effort in to find a way if it exists - queuing for Donmar Othello day seats is what ultimately got me addicted to this hobby, precisely because putting in the effort got me into a 'hot ticket' show.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2018 15:52:56 GMT
OohI love it when I'm right!
I can't answer for current rules, but certainly the NT used to operate a 'pay scale' for everyone, so yes 'top billing' in a play got you more than 'second spear carrier' but it didn't matter WHO you were that top rate was the same (or at least within a pay bracket of the same, because it obviously also depends on how many performances etc etc). And that such monies were while nothing to be sniffed at for a jobbing actor, certainly not what Hollywood stars get in commercial West End, and way below what Broadway pays.
On which note, obviously for some 'stars' if they're brought in on a promise of West End or Broadway transfer, then it's a good deal- kudos of the NT and the decent pay packet associated with a commercial run (all well under what the likes of Cate makes in movies obviously).
I don't know how much any of this has changed, whether there are deals to be struck for an exception under their various funding agreements (for example if you can prove to the Arts Council an expense such as a salary will bring more revenue sometimes they'll fund it above and beyond the usual etc).
BUT I very much agree that this as an economic and artistic exercise doesn't sit well. Even if the production is super experimental, whacking a star in it and making it super exclusive doesn't sit right. Maybe there's a bigger plan, maybe not though.
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2,678 posts
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Post by viserys on Oct 3, 2018 16:04:33 GMT
Didn't I read somewhere that this play had been scheduled for the Dorfman *before* Blanchett's name (and thus massive star appeal) was attached to it?
I would agree that it had made more sense to put it in a bigger theatre, but since I don't really have a horse in this race, I can't get too excited. I might enter the ballot just for the heck of it.
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3,040 posts
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Post by crowblack on Oct 3, 2018 16:23:00 GMT
I would agree that it had made more sense to put it in a bigger theatre I don't know what Cate Blanchett is like on stage, but her screen style is subtle and I'm not sure that would translate to the back seats of a big theatre space. With Mosquitoes, Olivia Colman spoke about her stage fright so that may have been a factor with the decision there, too. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2018 16:25:28 GMT
I would imagine that La Blanchett is doing it just for the love of the art dahling. Everything about this play would appear to push all of her buttons to me. She doesn't necessarily need to do it for the money nor for it to be on the biggest stage in London's glitzy West End either. I can just imagine that the combination of Martin Crimp + The Nash + Stephen Dillane + Katie Mitchell made her all excited and when they suggested that on top of all of that, it would be in a small intimate theatre and not the big old Olivier, she was like the cat that had the cream. I'm willing to bet the money was probably one of the last things she discussed. She's got a history of doing the big budget money spinning movie stuff so that she can do the smaller, interesting pieces of work so I don't see why this would be any different.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2018 16:29:03 GMT
I would agree that it had made more sense to put it in a bigger theatre I don't know what Cate Blanchett is like on stage, but her screen style is subtle and I'm not sure that would translate to the back seats of a big theatre space. With Mosquitoes, Olivia Colman spoke about her stage fright so that may have been a factor with the decision there, too. She's not too shabby in the old stage work. I don't think she's afraid of bigger spaces. |
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Post by Rory on Oct 3, 2018 16:32:09 GMT
She was last at the Barbican?
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Post by floorshow on Oct 3, 2018 16:45:30 GMT
She was last at the Barbican? Gross Und Klein was by no means a classic (more of a car crash, from memory) but she was hypnotic for the duration - good old fashioned class. |
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Post by crowblack on Oct 3, 2018 16:51:06 GMT
I don't think she's afraid of bigger spaces. No, that was Colman, but my thought when I first heard about this casting was 'better get up close' because Cate Blanchett doesn't have one of those faces that you could read from the back seats, if you see what I mean. I'm glad it's in the Dorfman, if I can get a ticket. |
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Post by kathryn on Oct 3, 2018 16:53:35 GMT
I saw Gross und Klein from the Barbican balcony and didn’t have a problem reading her performance (though the overall piece left me cold).
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