116 replies to this topic

[Pharaoh's number 2]

I see this is 3 bloomin hours long. Had booked an evening, but since I'll need to get back to Canterbury, I think I'll change to a matinee.

[armadillo]

Pharaoh, on 21 September 2012 - 09:35 AM, said:

I see this is 3 bloomin hours long. Had booked an evening, but since I'll need to get back to Canterbury, I think I'll change to a matinee.

Isn't it sold out?  But I only need to get to Brixton and I still find the idea of a three hour play a real turn-off. Does anyone look at their watch at 9:30 and think 'Gosh, I really want another hour of this. Post-play drinkies are so over-rated'?

[Pharaoh's number 2]

There are standing tix, which I don't mind. Cheap too.

[shoelover]

We went last night - The £5 standing tickets allow you to sit on the green benches - either side - if you sit on the front row you are literally a few centimetres away from the action. It came in at just under 3 hours which I felt was about 30 minutes too long . Thats only a minor quibble - the whole play was really well done with Gelnister stealing the show as the Gene Hunt style deputy labour whip .Lots of politicians in the audience .

[dude-1981]

Pharaoh, on 08 June 2012 - 05:58 PM, said:

You have got to get a ticket to get in, in theory, regardless of reserved/unreserved seating. But my point is the Cottesloe seems to have so few ushers that they don't check tickets as you go in, and you'll never get caught as no one will turn up and say "you're in my seat" since it's unreserved. And you can go in upstairs anyway, where I guarantee to you no usher ever ventures.

Due to Phil Daniels pulling out with a family emergencey, they held everyone outside. Obviously we didn't know that at the time, so I left my unreserved seated friends downstairs, went up the stairs and followed some other people in. Where they were still having a last minute pep talk on stage and then realised some people were being 'let in' (or rather not stopped from going in because there was not an usher to be seen upstairs) and there was a weird moment where they were a bit thrown and we were a bit confused as well.  Poor show.

Also, could they really not clearly display what seats numbers are on the left and right sides?  Downstairs it's on a small piece of paper and not that clear and upstairs it's not shown at all as far as I can see and it was just luck I choose the right side to go in on.

(You're right showlover, 30 minutes too long, could have cut out the first 20 minutes for starters and just covered that off with a voiceover.)

[dude-1981]

armadillo, on 21 September 2012 - 09:51 AM, said:

Isn't it sold out?  But I only need to get to Brixton and I still find the idea of a three hour play a real turn-off. Does anyone look at their watch at 9:30 and think 'Gosh, I really want another hour of this. Post-play drinkies are so over-rated'?

It's a kind of arrogance among arty types to think we want 3 hour shows after a day at work and maybe an early start tomorrow on a weeknight as well.  Last 4 shows I've seen in a row were around 3 hours (Lear, 3 Sisters, Hedda & this).  The NT New Writing dept needs to give people a slap and tell them to cut stuff out but they never seem to.   Did The Veil need to be 2h30?
(No, no it didn't.)

[Pharaoh's number 2]

The Veil was much longer than 2h30 before the cuts set in, if I remember rightly.

Dude: did you think This House was any good?

[armadillo]

dude-1981, on 21 September 2012 - 11:30 PM, said:

It's a kind of arrogance among arty types to think we want 3 hour shows after a day at work and maybe an early start tomorrow on a weeknight as well.  Last 4 shows I've seen in a row were around 3 hours (Lear, 3 Sisters, Hedda & this).  The NT New Writing dept needs to give people a slap and tell them to cut stuff out but they never seem to.   Did The Veil need to be 2h30?
(No, no it didn't.)

Last of the Haussmans could have been trimmed by, well if I were being mean, 2 hrs 45 minutes, but definitely by 30 minutes. Worryingly, no time is given for Scenes from an Execution (now in previews). Perhaps it never ends...

Certainly I would prefer an earlier start time for 3 hour plays. Remember Julius Caesar at the Barbican which was 4 hours and didn't start until 7.45!!!!

[Latecomer]

shoelover, on 21 September 2012 - 01:21 PM, said:

We went last night - The £5 standing tickets allow you to sit on the green benches - either side - if you sit on the front row you are literally a few centimetres away from the action. It came in at just under 3 hours which I felt was about 30 minutes too long . Thats only a minor quibble - the whole play was really well done with Gelnister stealing the show as the Gene Hunt style deputy labour whip .Lots of politicians in the audience .

So the standing tickets are not actually standing? They are seated?

[Beth]

So the standing tickets are not actually standing? They are seated?

I just phoned the box office, and they said they were standing, with a bar in front to lean against, and a good view.  I'm tempted...  If I give up by the interval, at least it's only a fiver!