70 replies to this topic

[sanderling]

Thanks due to a guest on another thread for alerting me to this..  http://playbyplay.co.uk/logon.php You do live and learn.

Among other things, Members are asked to bring "energy and enthusiasm" and:    
    *Exercise discretion by never discussing how their tickets were acquired
    * Faithfully attend a performance after they have committed themselves to do so
    * Follow proper theatre etiquette
    * Applaud appropriately and generously
    * Help publicise shows by spreading good word-of-mouth whenever possible
    

Might seem OK for £75 an unlimited tickets.. but what if you had to attend Imagine This every night and look as if you were enjoying it?? Oh dear. Has anyone tried this?

[rainbow_carnage]

Thanks due to a guest on another thread for alerting me to this..  http://playbyplay.co.uk/logon.php You do live and learn.

Among other things, Members are asked to bring "energy and enthusiasm" and:    
    *Exercise discretion by never discussing how their tickets were acquired
    * Faithfully attend a performance after they have committed themselves to do so
    * Follow proper theatre etiquette
    * Applaud appropriately and generously
    * Help publicise shows by spreading good word-of-mouth whenever possible
    

Might seem OK for £75 an unlimited tickets.. but what if you had to attend Imagine This every night and look as if you were enjoying it?? Oh dear. Has anyone tried this?

I've been a member of PBP for two years. The ticket selection varies, but it's definitely worth the money. You pick the shows you see. If Imagine This isn't your cup of tea, don't see it. And if you don't like the show, no one is going to force you to praise it afterwards. Just don't badmouth it as you leave the theatre. And don't advertise the fact that you didn't pay for your ticket.

In general, if a show is selling well, it's not going to be on PBP (except maybe in previews). PBP is not a substitute for buying tickets. It's a suplement. Sometimes there's a show that you're not sure about. At full price, you may not go. But at £3 a ticket, you'd be more likely to give it a chance.

[rainbow_carnage]

I've been a member of playbyplay but also of the audience club (theaudienceclub.com) which I find has more shows available and is cheaper to join and has better customer service.

I've been meaning to join The Audience Club. Is there a lot of overlap with PBP? My PBP membership doesn't expire for a few more months, and I'm wondering if it makes sense to keep both.

I haven't had any problems with PBP customer service, and I've worked with them from both the production and the audience member side.

What sort of shows does The Audience Club offer? Is it mostly fringe? I don't mind. It's just good to know what to expect.

[Job]

Would these discreet but supportive folk be the same clowns who ruined the opening night of Delirium (egregious enough even without assistance) by guffawing like idiots at jokes that weren't funny and generally behaving like a claque of unconditional fans? Or were that lot merely unconditional fans?

Job

[rainbow_carnage]

Would these discreet but supportive folk be the same clowns who ruined the opening night of Delirium (egregious enough even without assistance) by guffawing like idiots at jokes that weren't funny and generally behaving like a claque of unconditional fans? Or were that lot merely unconditional fans?

Job

I doubt it. That was probably people involved with the production, or related to someone who is.

Papering organisations are relatively new in London, but they've been around in New York for many years. Members are not required to laugh at jokes that aren't funny, or to start 'spontaneous' standing ovations. They are simply there to fill seats. The actors don't like performing to a half-empty house. Audience members don't like sitting in a half-empty house. So they give away some tickets. In exchange for the almost-free tickets, the recipients promise no to be rude about the show, and not to leave during the interval. There's also a very general dress code, which basically just says that you shouldn't turn up filthy or wearing shorts and flip flops. And you should never tell anyone that you didn't pay for your ticket.

If a show is good, the producers can get lots of word-of-mouth publicity through papering organisations. Members tend to be the sort of people who talk about theatre to their friends and coworkers. If I see something through PBP that I like, I'm happy to tell people and write about it on message boards. But I'm not obligated to lie and promote a show I hated.

It's against PBP policy to reveal what shows are available. This is a pretty obvious one. Producers don't want people to know that they have to paper the house. So the best I can tell you is that this past week, PBP had half a dozen fringe shows, plus a big name west end musical.

[rainbow_carnage]

What shows are normally available via audience club or PBP? Can I join in even if i'm not a UK resident?

You probably can join without being a resident, but unless you're in London all the time, it's not worth it.

Tickets are usually available a few days before the show, so you can't plan far in advance. And if you're coming to London to see something specific, it's probably not going to be on there. Shows that sell well do not use papering organisations. They have no need to give away tickets for free. That is not to say that the shows that paper aren't any good. Often they are very good. They're just not as popular. Or else they're in previews.