The National Theatre General Thread

[Fleance]

Sept 9, 2023 22:03:02 GMT MrBunbury said:

Today I completed a survey for the National Theatre (one of those on theatre habits with a potential prize at the end) and among the questions there were some questions on how much I would spend for potential future productions with actual examples. A couple were things I had not seen mentioned before so I was wondering if someone else had heard about them:

"Hamlet" with Idris Elba
"West Side Stories"

I completed that survey today as well. The questions that intrigued me most were my feelings about the Kiln and the Old Vic. They were the only two theaters that were singled out for specific questions, as I recall. Subtle Rufus replacement queries, do you think?

[bobby]

I also completed the survey, some of which I found very interesting. I would imagine Indhu Rubasingham is a massive potential to run the National.

[nottobe]

The survey I did also had Old Vic aimed question so maybe Matthew Warchus also in running ?

Also god we do not need another bloody Hamlet there and with Idris Elba and the hypothetical questions they asked about prices I'm sure it would be eye wateringly high. Also please not another Peter Pan!

[Jon]

6pm seems too early for an evening performance, 7pm is more likely IMO.

[showgirl]

I also completed the survey but found it frustrating in places as these things always are: sometimes I could only select 1 option when 2 or more would have applied, yet at others - particularly the dire "membership/support" section - every option was awful and they were all far too expensive. Ditto with the suggested productions: I preferred the new work or re-interpretations of classics, yet the questions which followed were all about blasted Shakespeare or Sondheim. As if they aren't already done to death everywhere, all the time!  I was left feeling that the NT had no idea who I was, what I wanted to see, when and how much I was prepared to pay - and didn't even want to know any of these things. I did like the idea of early evening performances, particularly 6 pm starts, as they'd mean far less hanging around after a matinee and an easier journey home by public transport.

[Someone in a tree]

Can anypost post the info about the Sondheim question(s) please and ta

[Dave B]

Peter Pan adapted by Zadie Smith
Neverland awaits.

The much-loved story of adventure and growing up is given a magical new staging

Nye a new play by Tim Price starring Michael Sheen

The story of Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan's extraordinary life in a dynamic and spectacular production. From campaigning at the coalfield to leading the battle to create the NHS, Nye Bevan shaped key aspects of modern Britain.

West Side Story by Stephen Sondheim

The much-loved classic musical in an exhilarating new production. In 1950s New York, two young people from rival gangs fall in love, but tensions build towards tragedy.

Macbeth by Shakespeare 

The famous tragedy in a brand new, epic staging.

A story of ruthless ambition and its consequences, shot through with magic and murder.

Underdog a new play by Sarah Gordon

A funny and irreverent retelling of the lives of the Brontë sisters, looking behind the legend to tell the story of the sibling power dynamics that shaped their uneven rise to fame

Hamlet by Shakespeare starring Idris Elba

To be, or not to be?

An electrifying new production of Shakespeare's classic tale of how the Prince of Denmark seeks to avenge his father's murder.

---

My note, Nye with Michael Sheen has already been announced.

[Dave B]

Sept 10, 2023 0:04:45 GMT kit66 said:

The survey was very money centric geared to the price of tickets

It also seemed geared towards the high prices, I was asked about £126 more than once. Not a single mention of Rush, £20 seats or Amex Previews etc.

[Fleance]

The questions about seating were odd as well. The choices were whether you preferred the back on the side, or the front in the center, but not the front on the side, which I prefer.

[Rory]

I completed this survey and told them that prices should definitely not exceed the current £86 and that the only real benefit of membership was priority booking.

[Dawnstar]

Sept 10, 2023 8:16:18 GMT Dave B said:

Sept 10, 2023 0:04:45 GMT kit66 said:

The survey was very money centric geared to the price of tickets

It also seemed geared towards the high prices, I was asked about £126 more than once. Not a single mention of Rush, £20 seats or Amex Previews etc.

Sept 10, 2023 9:48:31 GMT Fleance said:

The questions about seating were odd as well. The choices were whether you preferred the back on the side, or the front in the center, but not the front on the side, which I prefer.

It sounds quite like a survey the Royal Opera House sent out a few months ago, where the example ticket prices were absolutely eye-watering (even by ROH price standards) & none of the seat options covered the area where I almost always sit. I wonder if both organisations use the same data gathering company.

[lichtie]

Maybe they spotted I was a cheapskate as all but two of the pricing options I got had <40 quid selections (20, 26 and 36 if I remember right). I just said none of the above to the ones that only had ludicrous pricing. The idea of an early Saturday evening performance was interesting though as it would mean I could fit in an extra show and still get home to Leeds (hotel pricing on a Saturday now rulingout too many weekend stays except in mid-winter).

Quite why they would see Macbeth as a winning offer after their last disaster, and with so many other current production, is a strange one. Much happier to see small new things in the Dorfman (where their pricing hasn't yet gone through the roof), so told them so.

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

Obviously you don't have to believe them but I think it does say that the examples of productions are purely hypothetical. I imagine they will have slipped in some which they've been considering for real. They also said the price options you had to choose between were randomised so some of them might not be within the realm of anything they'd legitimately price tickets at.

[showgirl]

Sept 10, 2023 8:16:18 GMT Dave B said:

Sept 10, 2023 0:04:45 GMT kit66 said:

The survey was very money centric geared to the price of tickets

It also seemed geared towards the high prices, I was asked about £126 more than once. Not a single mention of Rush, £20 seats or Amex Previews etc.

Exactly!  I rejected every single set of options in this section yet the algorithmd -  or whatever they were using to tweak the options - didn't seem to get the message.

Plus I'm another person who only ever wants to sit near the front - so I can see the actors' faces & feel engaged.

[Someone in a tree]

Thanks Dave B

[sf]

Sept 10, 2023 0:27:15 GMT Jon said:

6pm seems too early for an evening performance, 7pm is more likely IMO.

The questionnaire specifically asked whether you'd consider performances beginning at 6pm.

[cartoonman]

I would pay extra to see WSS. But I have seen Peter Pan at the NT and Macbeth and Hamlet but they will always get the schools in.

[BurlyBeaR]

Someone has created a specific NT West Side Story thread here

theatreboard.co.uk/thread/11035/west-side-story-national-theatre

[kate8]

It said the shows were hypothetical (although obvs with a couple of real ones mixed in). I can’t imagine they’d use a survey to announce real shows.

I thought it was geared to working out how they can get wealthy patrons to cough up more, not those of us who like the £20 seats and don’t want to pay £100+ for membership.

[Dave B]

Sept 10, 2023 19:34:16 GMT kate8 said:

(although obvs with a couple of real ones mixed in)

We know Nye is real, do we know another one is real? Thanks!

[mkb]

Thanks for the heads-up. I deleted that email yesterday not realising what it was about.

I agree that it was a poor survey, seemingly designed to provide justification for some options they're probably already intent on doing, with little scope to provide nuanced answers.

I'm expecting big price increases "because it's what our customers (sic) said they wanted".

As for varying performance times, the most useful for me -- not mentioned -- would be to bring back Sundays. On weekdays, why not have one night earlier at 7pm and one night later at 8pm (or even 9pm if the show is no more than 150 minutes)?

[Jon]

Sept 10, 2023 19:59:50 GMT mkb said:

Thanks for the heads-up. I deleted that email yesterday not realising what it was about.

I agree that it was a poor survey, seemingly designed to provide justification for some options they're probably already intent on doing, with little scope to provide nuanced answers.

I'm expecting big price increases "because it's what our customers (sic) said they wanted".

As for varying performance times, the most useful -- not mentioned -- would be to bring back Sundays. On weekdays, why not have one night earlier at 7pm and one night later at 8pm (or even 9pm if the show is no more than 150 minutes)?

7pm would be quite useful in the summer and even the Winter, both The Crucible and Dear England in the West End had or will have 7pm evening shows. 8pm and 9pm I think unless it's a show with no interval probably not going to happen although I do remember Here Lies Love having 8pm and 9pm performances when they reopened the Dorfman and I think a lot of the Dorfman shows were 8pm but they reverted back to 7.30pm.

I suspect the National aren't going back to Sundays and indeed a lot of the venues have done them only to revert to Monday-Saturdays.

[kate8]

Sept 10, 2023 19:39:14 GMT Dave B said:

Sept 10, 2023 19:34:16 GMT kate8 said:

(although obvs with a couple of real ones mixed in)

We know Nye is real, do we know another one is real? Thanks!

It also mentioned Underdog by Sarah Gordon, which is scheduled for the Dorfman in March.

[kate8]

I agree with mkb that Sundays would be nice.
I suppose varying start times might mean more people arriving at the wrong time, but I’d like an occasional early start, and I’m sure others would like later starts - maybe a couple of each per run.

[Jan]

Sept 10, 2023 19:59:50 GMT mkb said:

As for varying performance times, the most useful for me -- not mentioned -- would be to bring back Sundays. 

I was a bit surprised that when they tried Sundays before (it was under Hytner ?) it was a flop, given that I doubt they'll try it again.


Did they only send this survey to current NT members ? - I seem to have missed out on it which is a pity because I've got plenty of advice for them. As they keep telling us in their annual report that their audience numbers are at an all-time high their reason for asking about possible programming is only to see how they can increase ticket prices.