[Backdrifter]

Last week I saw this dramatised account of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo's unfortunate encounter with the blacklisting practices of the late40s/early 50s. It's based on the collection of his letters, and adapted for the stage by his son Christopher.

I'm very interested by this subject area so was keen to see this. It's okay, but I came away thinking it would be better handled by someone unconnected with Trumbo. It also left me feeling that I should simply read the letters (which I probably now will).

I don't think I'll bother with the Jermyn again. As I said in another thread, this is partly because I want to press on with my aim to visit as many London fringe/"off-West End" venues as possible, partly my dissatisfaction of their handling of my booking. For a previous production, I got moved with no explanation to a terrible seat that bore no resemblance to what I asked for and was told I had at the time of booking. I had to ask three times about this and eventually got a terse, unapologetic reply.

For Trumbo, I was kept front row but still moved from the seat I originally had, again with no warning or explanation. As I was trying to pick up my ticket, I saw on the BO screen the flag "do not move from front row", suggesting seat moves by the BO are not unknown. Plus, they couldn't give me my ticket, claiming they'd given it to me when I arrived for the previous production (they hadn't). So, in marketing terms, a 'moment of truth' for me regarding the Jermyn. Ah well - I'm sure they won't miss me. Just a word of warning to other bookers - check where your seat is ahead of the show and ask that you don't get moved.

[Backdrifter]

Yes, it's fair enough if they want to reserve an area to seat latecomers, but if that's where I was originally seated when I booked the 1st production (and I think it was - I was told "front row of the side block"), why sell me that seat in the 1st place? And also, why couldn't they have the simple courtesy to tell me they'd moved me (and to a horrible restricted view seat too). For Trumbo, it made even less sense - I initially had the front row aisle seat in the 'pit' where there's no way they could accommodate latecomers anyway, but got moved from there - again with no explanation. But generally, as I said, I agree with the notion of having a "latecomers' area" and indeed other venues do this too.