Matinee Times - Have You A Preference?

[showgirl]

Following a discussion elsewhere on here, I thought I'd ask the above.

My own preference is for 3 pm or later, as this allows time for a second play/show afterwards but still plenty to do something else before the matinee.  But what do others like best?

[Deleted]

I like the traditional 2:30pm matinee time, as I like to have time to walk between theatres and get something to eat before seeing my evening show, and a 3pm matinee or later doesn't always lend itself to this unless I'm very careful with my planning. Also, if a play is likely to be long, then I'm more than happy for the matinee to start even earlier. I couldn't help but feel for the cast of The Crucible at the Old Vic, having so little time between shows to get themselves together, fed, and ready to start again.

[freckles]

2.30 for me, but I don't mind earlier. 3pm can be a bit late if it's a long show and I want to get to something else.

I don't like any later than 3pm really, I find 4pm/5pm starts a nuisance.

[Deleted]

Agree with all the above, though I do like a 4pm/5pm start on a Sunday specifically - gives me plenty of time to get things done beforehand and I still get home for a respectable early night!

[TheatreDust]

2.30pm feels about right for me for a normal length performance, which gives time for a meal ahead of an evening performance.

I agree generally that a 4pm matinee on a Sunday works well, but I've recently been frustrated by two fringe shows I wanted to see on a Sunday: one starts at 4pm and the second starts at 6pm which is just a touch early to be able to be certain to be able to get to it from the first.

[Mr Wallacio]

Ultimately it depends on the length of the matinee show really.

I like to arrive at a theatre 30 mins before curtain up to use the loo, get a programme and get settled in the auditorium, and if you have a long matinee then travel time between theatres and getting food could be stretched.

I have been to London so many times now that there isn't really much for me to do outside of my theatre time short of wiling away time in a coffee shop.

If I've travelled up early to dayseat then a 2:30pm matinee is goid because I'll have run out of time wasting patience by about 1pm.

I saw the 3:30pm Funny Girl at the Menier followed by the 7:30pm Gypsy at the Savoy and there was just about time to grab a sandwich on the move between theatre visits, which wasn't ideal.

[Mark]

3pm for me!

[JJShaw]

not too fussed if its 2:30 or 3pm on a weekday, but agree that its nice to have sunday shows at 3 or 4pm

i wish we would go the way Broadway has and have more theatres dark on a Monday with a show on Sunday instead

[showgirl]

I think those who prefer the later starts are in the minority. I don't usually plan to eat out between shows; I always take food with me and eat it wherever and whenever I can - NOT in the theatre, in case anyone is wondering! My priority is to fit as much as possible into the day, provided I can travel to London (or wherever) off-peak, and the later matinees allow me time for a film first, plus errands such as booking other tickets in person if that avoids fees, collecting pre-booked tickets, etc. Also, if a play or show is short, I'd rather see that in the evening slot so I don't get home quite so late, but it's usually impossible to know which way round to book things unless you leave it relatively late.

[Deleted]

I don't mind really so long as it's a reasonable time when you can have a G&T in the interval.

So I guess I'm happy with a start anytime after 11.45am really.

[freckles]

Yes, fair point, Sundays are a bit different.

[Deleted]

It really depends as people have said, if it's a long show I'm fine with an earlier start time than 2.30 because either I'm travelling home (as when I went to Bristol last week) and want to be home at a reasonable time to eat or I'm going to another show so I want time to walk there/grab food etc.

And from a show/tech point of view nobody on or off stage wants a turnaround so tight you barely catch your breath.

And as someone who travels home on a Sunday from London I'd like a few earlier ones so I can catch a Sunday show-those 4pm ones are too late usually.

[49thand8th]

It depends if I'm vacationing or I'm home. I'd prefer a 2 p.m. if I'm away from home because it gives me more time to do whatever after, but a 3 p.m. if it's in NYC, so I can sleep in and very slowly leave my house.

[Dawnstar]

I prefer 3pm as I can go down to London later & have less time to have to kill between shows. I nearly always go to the theatre on my own & never eat between shows so the less time I have to spend wandering around London waiting for the evening show to start the better.

[Phantom of London]

Even 3pm start gives you around 2pm between shows, plenty of time for coffee and food.

I would think theatre staff front and back of house, plus actors would prefer a 3pm start.

3pm is the perfect start time for me, as I can sometimes get away from work at 2:30 thus giving me a better chance to see a matinee.

However saying all this, it is great in London that we have matinees on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

[Michael]

I, too, prefer having as little time between shows as possible, so I prefer a 3pm start.

Apr 11, 2016 17:41:59 GMT Phantom of London said:

However saying all this, it is great in London that we have matinees on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

We do? Jersey Boys is the only Tuesday Matinee I'm aware of, and I don't know any on Fridays - I so wish there were some. For my weekend trips, I usually take the Friday off work anyway, so I'm in town early enough for a Matinee.

[Phantom of London]

The Woman in Black, The Mousetrap and Guys and Dolls have a Tuesday show also.
In the Heights do/ did a Friday matinee.

So 3 more theatre opportunities than New York.

[showgirl]

Don't forget Saturday and Sunday matinees - they have been mentioned in earlier posts on this thread!

Shame the NT and the Park have given up on Sundays and a few West End theatres have that odd early evening one on Fridays (e.g. 5 pm and 8 pm), but so far as Tuesdays are concerned, the NT has some of those; the Orange Tree switches its weekday matinees from Thursday to Tuesday in summer; Southwark Playhouse has Tuesday matinees for a forthcoming show and the Finborough regularly has Tuesday matinees for the second play/show which runs Sun/Mon/Tues in tandem with the main one.

[Michael]

Apr 11, 2016 18:36:50 GMT Phantom of London said:

The Woman in Black, The Mousetrap and Guys and Dolls have a Tuesday show also.

Two of them are plays, and I'm so not into plays. And I have absolutely no interest in seeing G&D. But then again, ITH have apparently switched to a Tuesday Matinee.

Apr 11, 2016 18:36:50 GMT Phantom of London said:

In the Heights do/ did a Friday matinee.

Not anymore.

[Phantom of London]

But the question is Matinee Times - Have You A Preference?

[Michael]

Apr 11, 2016 19:06:06 GMT Phantom of London said:

But the question is Matinee Times - Have You A Preference?

Asked and answered, your Honour. At the very top of this page.

Apr 11, 2016 17:47:32 GMT Michael said:

I, too, prefer having as little time between shows as possible, so I prefer a 3pm start.

[caa]

I used to like going to the Orange Tree Theatre when it had a Tuesday Matinee.  As for Start times I don't really care although 4pm seems too late. 

[perfectspy]

It depends for me. On Sundays I like 2pm starts, which the Finborough and Old Red Lion do. In the week a standard 3pm start is good.

[showgirl]

It'd be really interesting to know why some theatres schedule the times they do, and generally so unwaveringly. The valid point about allowing turnaround time on a 2-show day has already been made, and the NT varies the matinee (and sometimes) evening start times according to the length of the play, but why other theatres opt for relatively early or late matinees is a mystery to me and means much re-checking, depending on what I'm seeing. And at some theatres, e.g. the Park and Southwark Playhouse, I'll only go to a matinee because the evening performance time is too late (7.45 pm or 8 pm in the smaller spaces).

[Steffi]

I like a 2:30pm start. It gives me plenty of time between shows to meet friends for coffee, food and catch ups. And I rarely have any proper plans pre matinee so the later it starts the more time I have to kill. Having said that I like the late matinee on Sundays as it gives me time to catch a movie or (in the summer) spend time in a park and such without compromising a nice sleep in. :-)