54 replies to this topic

[armadillo]

AnnieInTheStalls, on 13 September 2012 - 05:11 PM, said:

Were any tickets for the Effect made available to Advance members?

I got a couple but not together. So there must have been a fair amount (I didn't get on the site until mid-morning)

[Pharaoh's number 2]

I gave them a ring to book for Magistrate as I had the same problem, well, sort of. Could get normal tix with promo, when I wasn't logged in, but no EP tix (again with promo) when I did log in. Lady on the phone said EP couldn't use the promo online, because the website couldn't deal with it or something like that.  

Hate the new site though, esp the pick your own seat graphics, but it's nice to have your pick in the Cottesloe.

[dude-1981]

I gave detailed feedback on the website yesterday evening via this link:

http://www.nationalt...rm/website-help

Join me, can't do any harm.

Don't expect to pay £15 and get cheap seats for brand new shows, but you can get good tickets in the 2nd booking period I used to find.  Either wait for the 2nd period or if you don't want to do that (I didn't) then pay the £65.  It was great at that level, until this last booking period.

(1200 in the queue, even though I was clicking refresh at 8:30 exactly.)

[Latecomer]

fringefan, on 13 September 2012 - 02:49 PM, said:

Amazed to wait several hours to simmer down before coming here, only to find no posts since 10 September.  So was I the only mug who wasted a precious day off to stay in for the opening of Advance booking this morning?  The new system worked well up to a point, but yet again, not only had all the reasonably-priced seats gone but most of those for matinees, when on weekdays I'd have qualified for a concession.  This proves to me beyond doubt that Advance membership is a total waste of money and that it's  a case of giving it up or upgrading (ouch!) to the £65 version.

Came to this conclusion a while back....£65 is good value if you end up buying all the £12 seats...I often book 4 tickets for a production (and go with my other lowly paid library assistants) so the membership is a no brainer
4 x 47= 188,     4 x 12 = 48........

Sorry you had such a horrible time.

[fringefan]

Thanks, Latecomer, and dude-1981, while it's evidently now the case that you can't book a £12 seat with Advance membership, it was certainly the case until fairly recently, which is what has caught me out.  What I don't understand is how the Priority members manage to get them, either - don't they all face the same scrum when their booking opens, albeit earlier?  I mean, if all the Travelex seats and concession weekday matinee seats have gone by the time Advance booking opens, surely that means that there are too few to meet the previous demand?  And I won't be popular for saying this, but maybe fairer if the NT restricted tix to 2 per member - I only need 1, so no wonder there are none left if some people book 4!

[Latecomer]

It still needs you to be fairly organised but if you log on just before booking opens then it is usually fine for priority. I also found in the past that they kept some tickets back for the priority phone booking that opens the next day but I am not sure if they still do this.

I sort of agree about the 2 ticket limit but it seems a bit harsh when you actually want to go with more than 1 person....I take your point though. You will be glad to hear that this time I just booked 2 tickets for The Effect and didn't nick your tickets!

I have seen £12 tickets returned and up on the website...quite often, due to ilness or work committments people can't go and they do seem to send the tickets back.

If I am honest I think part of the problem is the tickets in the first 3 rows are SO cheap in comparison to the rest. I like a stall seat near the front as I like to see expressions of actors so I love these seats....and the price differential is huge. It makes me go to the theatre when I couldn't go otherwise. It's just a bit of a shock when I have to pay the £65!

[Lynette]

Me too I only took 2 for Effect so don't blame me.

I've found I like to phone for NT til but then prob I  have more time to do this than some of you guys. You can quibble and quobble about seats on the phone and if you are booking more than one show I find the websites begin to confuse me. I start booking matinee instead of evening on a website and all sorts of stuff. Should leave the bottle in another room eh?

I like websites for the West End theatres sometimes. And the Opera Houses websites are generally very good.
I always phone for Donmar and the RSC. Been known to keep the agent on phone for a while while I go through alternatives to seating and dates, espesh with Donmar. They must love me.

Gonna phone Donmar to book next lot this Sunday. My priority day. Will report back on availability. Last time when I left it a couple of days I could only get decent stalls for Philadelphia on a Monday.

[zyx123]

I recently bought an advance membership for the first time so I wasn't sure what to expect. Was checking the website from 8am and then got on straight away at 8.30. No tickets for the Effect (wasn't bothered though), no cheap seats for People so I gave up. Came back 20 minutes later (1500th position in queue), waited for about 20 minutes and when I got on managed to get a £12 ticket. So I was reasonably happy.

[fringefan]

Thank you all again for your helpful and tolerant comments.  I am going to sign up for Priority membership but will aim to time it just before the next booking period opens and I do check back at intervals to see if there have been any £12 returns, which has sometimes worked for me in the past, though obviously you have no choice re dates.  The new system is so much better, but if only it would allow a customised search!  It is so labour-intensive to have to select each date, then seating area, then wait for the page to load, etc, then repeat the process.  Wouldn't help the NT but would be of enormous benefit to people like me if it were possible, say, to select the production and price and see any available dates.

I do particularly agree, Latecomer, that the Travelex seats are particularly cheap vis-a-vis the rest, but they are, of course, also very cramped!  And I'm absolutely with you about wanting to sit near enough to see actors' facial expressions, as this is one of the things I like about fringe theatre, of which (as my user name suggests) I see as much as "mainstream".

[*Michael*]

Was getting ready to book for EP tickets tomorrow morning and noticed they're on sale today...anyone know when EP tickets actually went on sale for this season?  

Got most things I wanted - nothing for The Effect though - doubt they had an Entry Pass allocation for it anyway.