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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 7:47:40 GMT
I'm sitting looking at my "tickets" for shows I've booked over the next couple of months. They say, "Only another week, fortnight, month... and you'll be seeing me!" They are pinned to a large notice board in my office (special turtle pins, which were found in my Christmas stocking last year, for this purpose) but they are taking up a lot more room than usual. Why? Because a lot of the "tickets" aren't tickets at all. They are folded bits of A4 paper with a barcode over it which will get me admitted to the show/event/extravaganza. And whilst they serve a purpose, they are completely characterless. Even the real tickets, rectangular and made of card, are characterless because they are mostly white with black writing printed on them.
Royal Albert Hall tickets used to be rather posh, with gold on them. My Kate Bush Before the Dawn tickets (now framed) were colourful, mini works of art.
But how I used to love days when tickets were made of paper! They were much smaller than our cardboard friends. And they were all different colours. Different colours for different parts of the theatre. Presumably to help the box-office staff to issue the right tickets, and to help the ushers direct you to the right part of the theatre on the day. (The stubs were always torn off and put in special little boxes by the entrance to each level.) There were buff tickets, and creamy orange, and pale green, and pink, and pale blue ones. I bet that's where Tim Rice took his inspiration from when he wrote Joseph... I don't remember the show name always being on the ticket (I could be wrong) but I do remember the name of the theatre being on them. That reminded you that you were going to somewhere special. Sometimes the writing was black, but certain words were picked out in red. On rare occasions, the Box Office Lady had scribbled on your ticket in biro, but this usually meant good news- you had been upgraded to a better seat for the price you had paid. Each theatre had its own colour and size range, but they always formed part of one big theatre family. For years and years I kept the stubs in little note books (that's how I remember that it used to be 55p to sit in the Palace Theatre balcony for Superstar) and every so often, I'd take a trip down Memory Lane and remind myself of the shows I'd seen but forgotten. Seems I spent a lot of time in the balconies (or the gallery in some cases) of West End theatres. The Upper Circle was only ever entered when I was feeling flush. Or the Box Office Lady had been nice.
Nowadays I don't bother keeping hold of my bits of A4 after the event. Seems a bit pointless.
Anyone else got any tickets stories they want to share on a dull, grey Bank Holiday Monday? Anything at all. As long as it's about tickets.
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Post by Carly on May 2, 2016 8:37:52 GMT
Even if I have the option of printing my own "ticket" out for free I always go for the option of collection/postage of a proper one.
I keep a scrapbook of all my tickets from theatre/concerts/other memorable events, with a page for each one, and I design a page around the show using flyers for a collage, or I draw something.
It'll be kind of sad if tickets die out and we end up with having the A4 print out all the time. It's not really the same is it.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 9:08:44 GMT
I remember the coloured tickets. All pre-printed and arranged in trays, and an extension of the booking period came hand in hand with another print run. If you were in the cheap seats you tried to keep your ticket concealed as much as possible so the colour wouldn't clue people in to the fact that you'd be looking down on the show through a layer of cloud, while the prestigious expensive colours would be waved around for all to see.
Print-on-demand tickets may be more efficient but I miss the individuality of the older tickets. As for print-at-home tickets, they might as well have nothing printed on them but "meh" and a barcode.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 9:35:17 GMT
Even if I have the option of printing my own "ticket" out for free I always go for the option of collection/postage of a proper one. I keep a scrapbook of all my tickets from theatre/concerts/other memorable events, with a page for each one, and I design a page around the show using flyers for a collage, or I draw something. It'll be kind of sad if tickets die out and we end up with having the A4 print out all the time. It's not really the same is it. I scrapbook them too, although at the moment I have a backlog of about three years' worth waiting to be put in. Finding the time to do it is difficult, yet I will never stop collecting from the box office, picking up flyers and insisting they remain perfectly flat until I get home! I would even go as far to say I'd rather spend more on a ticket if it means it's going to be a card one, rather than print your own at home. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 2, 2016 10:08:30 GMT
A fascinating (if unsolicited) glimpse into caiaphas' domestic situ. Turtle pins? What fun!  As for 55p for a ticket to the theatre......  How old ARE you exactly?  Back to topic, I decline the "print at home" option and insist on them sending me a real ticket in the post. The fact that they still charge you the handling fee when you've booked on line and printed your own ticket, so the only "handling" has been done yourself, is an absolute disgrace. |
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 10:21:36 GMT
Oh yes, the excitement of those little coloured paper tickets arriving in the post; carefully stored, as much harder to get replacements than in this computer age. Takes me right back in time.
The added advantage was that it was rare to get somebody in the wrong seats as it was obvious which area the tickets were for - though embarrassing when in the main foyer you are loudly told to go out to the paupers entrance in the side street!
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Post by d'James on May 2, 2016 11:13:14 GMT
What's a turtle pin? Is it just a pin shaped like a turtle? Google isn't helping!
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 11:19:13 GMT
A fascinating (if unsolicited) glimpse into caiaphas' domestic situ. Turtle pins? What fun! As for 55p for a ticket to the theatre...... How old ARE you exactly? Back to topic, I decline the "print at home" option and insist on them sending me a real ticket in the post. The fact that they still charge you the handling fee when you've booked on line and printed your own ticket, so the only "handling" has been done yourself, is an absolute disgrace. Just remember, my darling, that age is only a number... Let's just say that, in age, I would easily pass for your (very young) uncle. And if ever we were seen together (unlikely but you never know- stranger things have happened in Manchesterford) I am confident that people would assume that I am your (very slightly) older brother. (The fact that there would be no family resemblance whatsoever in that I am far from burly, and I am no bear/otter/cub etc, is beside the point.) Yes, back on topic: I once splashed out on an Upper Circle ticket for Superstar and paid £1.10. (Not a joke! And neither is the fact that the next price up was ...£1.25! I believe the top price stalls went for £4.75.) I'll allow another little glimpse into my domestic situ: the week of the show (and only the week, mind...) I take the ticket off the pin-board, removing the rather cute turtle pin carefully, and then place it on the table in the hallway. This means: "It's very nearly time to see me!" NB My Sunset Boulevard ticket is in place as I type. |
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Post by talkstageytome on May 2, 2016 11:20:22 GMT
I think I have those same turtle pins actually. Paperchase. They do a fabulous selection. I have bumble bees, ladybirds, ducks AND turtles. Just a bit of info for any novelty pin enthusiasts out there!
Anyway I do have some rather lovely looking tickets from a few years back, whereas now they all seem to look exactly the same. I like that Wicked make the effort to print the show's logo on the ticket, but that's about it! I also prefer the long thin tickets like the ones given out at the Menier and Southwark. They just look and feel a little bit nicer that the big blocky ones.
I never opt for the print at home option anymore though. Mostly because like having a physical ticket to paperclip inside my programme later, but also because last year for some reason I opted for print at home on my tickets to Memphis the Musical's closing night tickets, but thought I'd opted for collect at box office. Cue me arriving at the theatre, them being unable to find the tickets and me almost breaking down in the foyer (I think I was a bit hysterical. I ADORED that show and had been looking forward to enjoying it one last time). Of course they printed them out at the box office for me and there was nothing to worry about, but in that split second when they said they didn't have my tickets and I questioned whether I'd bought them at all I truly felt as if I grew a stress line on my forehead!
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 11:20:48 GMT
What's a turtle pin? Is it just a pin shaped like a turtle? Google isn't helping! It is! Very cute little green thing. I believe they are available in Paperchase although mine was brought by Santa. Yup, just Googled and they are! |
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Post by talkstageytome on May 2, 2016 11:22:12 GMT
What's a turtle pin? Is it just a pin shaped like a turtle? Google isn't helping! It is! Very cute little green thing. I believe they are available in Paperchase although mine was brought by Santa. ho ho ho www.paperchase.co.uk/turtle-20-push-pins.htmlAdorable! |
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Post by d'James on May 2, 2016 11:23:44 GMT
What's a turtle pin? Is it just a pin shaped like a turtle? Google isn't helping! It is! Very cute little green thing. I believe they are available in Paperchase although mine was brought by Santa. Yup, just Googled and they are! Fanks! |
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Post by Flim Flam on May 2, 2016 11:42:13 GMT
Talking about age...
I seem to remember in my distant youth that a friend and I turned up at the National Theatre on one occasion and managed to buy standing tickets for an Ibsen preview (Brand in 1978) at a cost of something like 20p or 40p? I remember that even then we thought it was really cheap!
It was even cheaper than normal as I recall, as prices for standing were reduced by 50% for previews.
(Fantastic production by the way).
Any other oldies remember this, or have I created some golden fantasy land in my memories?
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 13:14:54 GMT
I believe the top price stalls went for £4.75.) £3.50 on my first visit so this must have been earlier! Sometimes on the Board because of the common theatre interest I forget about the big age range: then somebody mentions the date they saw their first play or getting too old for their under 25 concession and I remember I am a *bit* older that quite a lot of you. Just remember, my darling, that age is only a number How very true! |
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Post by CG on the loose on May 2, 2016 15:42:47 GMT
I will gloss over the question of age and go straight to the ticket issue - and I too prefer them to issue a ticket whenever possible, even if I have to pay for the privilege. I tuck it inside the programme as part of my 'archive'. The Curve recently (well, a year or so back) introduced an extortionate £3 charge whether they post your ticket out or you collect it from the Box Office (only free option is print-at-home) and as far as I'm concerned, if they're going to charge me the same anyway, they can flimmin' well incur the extra postage costs!
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Post by Carly on May 2, 2016 15:53:41 GMT
Even if I have the option of printing my own "ticket" out for free I always go for the option of collection/postage of a proper one. I keep a scrapbook of all my tickets from theatre/concerts/other memorable events, with a page for each one, and I design a page around the show using flyers for a collage, or I draw something. It'll be kind of sad if tickets die out and we end up with having the A4 print out all the time. It's not really the same is it. I scrapbook them too, although at the moment I have a backlog of about three years' worth waiting to be put in. Finding the time to do it is difficult, yet I will never stop collecting from the box office, picking up flyers and insisting they remain perfectly flat until I get home! I would even go as far to say I'd rather spend more on a ticket if it means it's going to be a card one, rather than print your own at home. I always have a backlog in my scrapbook too but I'll get round to it at some point. It's nice to look back at what shows I saw and when. I also end up comparing ticket prices but that's not so good:/ |
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 15:57:20 GMT
The Royal Opera House has lovely tickets - curved edges, thick cream coloured card, and a hologram, and they even come in a special cardboard wallet. Photos of the tickets and wallets here - www.roh.org.uk/services/advertising |
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 16:12:15 GMT
The ROH has recently introduced i-ticketing so xanderl's fetish is now an historical relic.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 17:53:14 GMT
For the youngsters (!) who think we are confused about how much we really paid for our tickets in the dim and distant past, have a look at Google images "theatre ticket stubs of the 1970s"... and you'll see the kind of thing we mean. Seems I was done paying 55p to sit in the balcony of the Palace in 1974, when in 1973 it was only £2 to sit in the stalls for David Bowie at Earls Court! Queen, it seems, were also very cheap. 80p anyone?
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Post by 49thand8th on May 2, 2016 18:09:45 GMT
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Post by shady23 on May 3, 2016 8:06:53 GMT
I put all my tickets in a storage box as a useful reminder of where all my wages have gone.
(I have the ladybird pins!)
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4,164 posts
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Tickets
May 3, 2016 20:11:47 GMT
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Post by kathryn on May 3, 2016 20:11:47 GMT
Ooh! May have to get one, as I've run out of space in my ticket-box. |
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Post by fiyero on May 3, 2016 20:18:51 GMT
I think its a shame more isn't made of the tickets. I think more should be like Wicked and have their branding on the ticket, it must be worth it - you see a lot of people taking selfies with their Wicked Tickets.
My local theatre (The Mayflower) changed their tickets in their last rebranding so the stock looks good, I remember one panto had the logo (rather than just the name) added, it would be nice if they did that for every show, surely we have the technology!
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Post by CG on the loose on May 3, 2016 23:52:44 GMT
I think its a shame more isn't made of the tickets. I think more should be like Wicked and have their branding on the ticket, it must be worth it - you see a lot of people taking selfies with their Wicked Tickets. My local theatre (The Mayflower) changed their tickets in their last rebranding so the stock looks good, I remember one panto had the logo (rather than just the name) added, it would be nice if they did that for every show, surely we have the technology! BIB - easy for a long-runner like Wicked, less so for a regional theatre with a regular turnover of shows, many of which will be on sale simultaneously. |
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Tickets
May 4, 2016 13:01:46 GMT
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Post by showgirl on May 4, 2016 13:01:46 GMT
Surely some people simply bin used tickets, as I do? But maybe the rest wouldn't be attracted to this thread!
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