The advance members' booking for the NT Nov-Feb period opens on August 26, and I plan to book for something during the last week of February. Here on the WOS board we have our yearly mod summer meeting, but I'd like to instigate a sort of "board regulars" unofficial outing for anyone that's interested in meeting up in RL. Would anyone else be interested in this? Perhaps meeting up before and after a play for a drink? I don't yet know what will be on, but surely there will be something that would be worth seeing, so would any of you be interested in this?

//Jenny

This sounds like a great idea...and I promise not to be late! Keep us posted with details of what you book!

Depends what play is gone for, but potentially, sure.

Yeah, I agree

Sounds good.

Excellent. Does anyone have a preference for a particular weekday? I'm quite flexible, and am considering anything Thursday-Friday-Saturday.

Count me in. Great idea!

It is kind of hard to for me to plan in advance for that long, but i am certainly up for it.

I come from Oxford so tend to favour Saturday matinees but if this doesn't seem popular I can manage any of the other evenings! Just arrange to suit you and I will come if possible

For those who'll have to travel and have work I'd think Saturday would probably be easiest wouldn't it?

Theoretically yes, but would depend on what was being seen. I also tend to be in London during the week and rarely do weekends (travelling for work once or twice a week tends to mean I don't want to do it in my spare time too) but will certainly keep it in mind once something is in the diary.

I'd be interested especially if it's at the National as it's close to Waterloo for the train.
(As long as it's not a musical! )

Oh sorry, I misunderstood the subject, I thought there were going to be lots of posts along the lines "TheatreSquirrel is really Andrew Haydon".

Anyway, maybe I'll attend.

I also took it to be that kind of "outing" but if Jan Brock is coming/going count me in! (just not a Katie Mitchell please).

OK, I guess I could edit the title of this thread. And no worries, nothing could make me attend another Katie Mitchell production again. At least nothing short of Olivier rising from the dead to star in a suddenly rediscovered Cardenio, I suppose that might make me reconsider, but it would be a close call.

I'm thinking along the lines of that new play that will be directed by Marianne Elliott, I have no idea if the play is any good, but with her directing there's every chance that it'll be an excellent production. Saturday evening is also looking most likely.

If Jan Brock is attending, NOTHING IN THE WORLD COULD KEEP ME AWAY.

If Jan Brock isn't attending, I would very much like to come - university allowing.

Hi, I didn't notice this post this morning. I've booked already for a few things for the Nov-Feb season - the booking opened today for supporters. Pitmen Ps for Feb is already booking and I didn't have a great choice of seats.
Would be nice to get together if what I am doing coincides or maybe I could come along and meet up before a show anyway...please keep me posted and I'll watch this thread.

OK, so let's make a decision then, it'll be the new Marianne Elliott-directed play, and it'll be the evening performance on Saturday Feb 28. There's a bit of info on the production on the NT website:

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/mrsaffleck

No can do for me on a Saturday unfortunately. My last train home on a Saturday night is, ridiculously, 8.10 (despite being 11.30 during the week) so a Saturday night involves staying over. Much as it'd be great to meet everyone, I can't afford you if I have to shell out for accom

Feb 28th also happens to be my mum's birthday and I'd quite possibly be beaten with a stick if I chose to ignore that and spend my day with some people from the internet instead.

I have been debating wheter to see Mrs Affleck. "Inspired by the Ibsen play". For me that phrase "Inspired by ..." is a big red warning flag when it appears in pre-publicity material, second only to "Devised by the company" as an advance warning of low quality.

Would anyone have a problem with a matinee instead?

Not as such, but I notice that the matinee of Feb 28 is advertised as "Audio Described", not sure if that would in some way provide a distraction, as I don't think I've been to such a performance before. Is it something that us other theatregoers would notice?

That gave me good laugh.

Personally, i prefer Saturday matinee, but i can make the evening baring something unexpected. Feb. is still 5 months away, and i can't predict what will happen.

EDIT: Just read the previous post. Same question.

I can do 28th Feb. Hope that doesn't put everyone else off! matinee or evening. I don't mind the choice of play. I wasn't going to book that one but I'm game as we say. 2 tix please. Ta.

ps Do we all have to wear red carnation button holes and carry rolled copies of The Times?

LOL, I think we can work out some other way of finding each other, at least I hope so. But regarding that Audio Described performance, does anyone know if that poses a problem/distraction? If not, I'm game for the matinee, especially if that means that Matthew can join us, as he's always excellent company, and we might also get one or two of the other mods to come along, plus perhaps someone from the WoS staff.

A matinee seems a good idea to me. Having a chat after a matinee is easier too, I would think (from the point of view of people getting home).

Does "Audio Described" mean someone beside the stage translating the lines in sign language? I've seen this before, and personally didn't find it a distraction at all.

Regarding tickets, my thought was that we could all buy ourselves the seats that we wanted, as I don't think that a new play that no-one has seen would be sold out long in advance, and that would avoid us having to get WOS and the NT involved in this officially with reserved seats and the like.

I'm sure we can arrange some way of meeting up before the play, either by way of posting a sign in the bar at the NT or by me giving out a physical description of myself (I've found that us women are more identifiable by description, probably because of the hair, which we tend to have very different styles of, or at least I think so - Matthew, did you have a problem picking me out from the description the first time we met?).

From the National Website:



So no, shouldn't affect other audience members at all, unless someone's got their headphones up WAY too high. And as it's for the visually-impaired rather than the hearing-impaired, I'd say we'd be fine.

Not much. If any mods who turn up arrange a particular location to meet we can recognise each other, and if we all have a rolled copy of WoS Magazine everyone else will be able to spot us.

Matinee would suit me much better and with lots of red curly hair you can't miss me. As I am not a "friend" of the theatre will have to wait for public booking date so I'll be the one at the back!!!!

I'm away when supporters booking opens so you may well find me at the back with you Latecomer. Good idea Jenny, I'm a board regular lurker rather than a regular poster but the chance to put faces to names is rather appealing.

I'll be joining y'all at the back ... sounds an excellent idea. I've been to audio-described performances before, and as mentioned above, unless someone has a headset cranked up to 11 it's not distracting.

ok, so tell me when to go ahead and buy me tix - mat or eve?

I don't recall anyone violently objecting to the matinee idea, so unless someone points out a compelling reason why this wouldn't work for us by, let's say noon tomorrow, we'll officially confirm it as the matinee on Saturday Feb 28, and then people can start to buy their tickets.

then people can start to buy their tickets.

Have you decided which play it will be yet?

Yes. Mrs Affleck, as linked in post #17.

I'll check with WOS if we can't arrange for something little extra for the board regulars in conjuction with this. It might not be possible, but I'll sound them out and see if we can't come up with something - I'll keep you posted.

I'm up for it, it's my friend's birthday that day though, so I'll see

count me in on this!

*whispers*
dare I suggest a second meeting (perhaps later next year) for the more musical-biased amongst us? plus i can't make this date but would have loved to come along otherwise.

I'd definitely be up for that! =)

Seconded

I'm sure Matthew would have an idea or two for such a musicals meeting, if he's got the time. Or Viceroy.

I've now got my ticket for the February meeting (and will edit the topic sub-title to specify the date, time and production that we'll be seeing), and we can wait until February to start to think about details on where to meet up, at what time etc.

I did ask about the possibility of something extra, but this is too small scale for WOS to bother too much, so no such luck, anyone interested in that sort of thing would have to sign up for one of the official WOS outings, usually attended by a couple of hundred people or so. And no, I've never been to one of those, so I don't know what they're like, or if there will be one in connection with this production.

Jenny - it might be worth contacting the National (perhaps a little nearer the time, with a clearer idea of numbers) and asking if they could reserve you an area in one of the bars for pre/post show. That would also make identifying people slightly easier, as you could put a sign up saying 'whatsonstage' (or something cryptic, if you don't want to give away your identity too easily).

I'll probably be doing that once I have a clearer idea of how many will be attending. Do you suppose the NT would be willing to consider something little extra for us, even though this isn't an official WOS outing? Say, a special backstage tour that would let us see parts not usually shown on the regular tours?

OK then, I want to get this organised so that I can keep track of the total number. Can those of you who have bought tickets and know for certain that you'll be attending let me know, either by posting on this thread or by PM-ing me, and tell me the following:

1) that you'll be coming
2) if you want to meet up before the play for a drink
3) if you'd be interested in something extra before the play, if we can arrange for it
4) if you'll be bringing your significant other or other people along and want them to be included in any of the activities mentioned above

And those that get tickets in the future, can you also let me know the same details as soon as you've got your ticket(s) sorted?

I'm sure you can tell that I'm a compulsive administrator Oh well, at least I get paid handsomely for this character trait by my employer, even though the WOS gig is for free.

I would imagine it's got to be worth asking! Nothing to lose...

I want to come but cant book tickets at the moment as I'm not a friend - as soon as pblic booking opens im there so please add me to the list! - in terms of a musical one why not try and get a group together to see Imagine This at the new London before Christmas as a sort of Christmas Gathering ( will WOS be doinga trip for this??)

Funsters, I have booked my tix for Mrs Affleck and was told that the configuration of the seating will be " very different" Yippee. See ya' ll there. Red carnations, is it Jenny or have you found us a niche in which to gather?
ps don't worry, I am not hyper usually.

We'll see how we can arrange the best way to meet up once we know how many of us there will be. Lynette, 'monsta, shall I also put you down for meeting up before the play for a drink + something extra if it is possible?

Public booking opens on Wednesday, I think.