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.

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.

Audience Club has a wide range of shows: West End Theatre, lots of interesting fringe venues - some overlap with pbp but some different venues too. There are usually 8-10 productions to choose from at any time. Big difference with pbp is that audience club also has classical concerts at some of the top venues - plus occasionally a big popular music venue and occasionaly have opera and ballet.

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

Is it worth being a member of both? is there an overlap of shows?

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

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.

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.

Thanks.

Job

I disagree... I've found playbyplay (playbyplay.co.uk) offers more quality opportunities than theaudienceclub. Audienceclub often has a good number of pub shows & fringe productions, but rarely anything on the west end. I have attended numerous major productions through playbyplay like Lord of the Rings, Gone With The Wind, and Desperately Seeking Susan. Audienceclub is cheaper, but I've found playbyplay a great value... not so much with theaudienceclub.

Listing the names of the shows is in clear violation of PBP's TOS. Not to mention impolite and ungrateful. I doubt that the producers who've given you those free tickets appreciate you talking about it on a public forum.

I don't think they are going to come shooting them down as all the above have been closed for quite some time!

That's not really the point, is it? PBP terms and conditions clearly state that users must never mention getting complimentary tickets to specific shows. Is that so hard to understand?

Oh my gosh... I didn't think that was violating anyone's trust or confidence by mentioning shows that had long since closed. That's why I didn't mention any of the great productions I have seen recently.

After thinking about your comment and reviewing the play by play terms & conditions I agree there is no mention in their rules as to whether shows are closed or not. Thank you for pointing this out. I will not mention any by name again.

I do hope Play By Play continues with great success. This organization has truly changed my life and I recommend it unconditionally!

I think that like myself, the person asking this question is just trying to ascertain whether it is worth paying the annual fee upfront without any idea of the productions available. I don't think it is either impolite nor ungrateful if it encourages more people to join the scheme. I have been considering it.

I too am curious to know what shows members have recently been offered, which performances etc and at how much notice.I think a forum such as this ought to be a place where such information could be shared (we are all quite discreet!) in order to help others.

However, if anyone would be more comfortable PMing me, I'd be grateful for some info.

I don't think Play by Play always requires the annual fee up front. I was offered a trial membership which allowed me to use the service for a month or so without paying the fee. This was very helpful as I gained comfort with the service before I had to commit... which I was pleased to do, I might say. I don't really see how you can go wrong. A quick look at their website does not say anything about a free trial, but I'd wager they will accommodate if you ask: www.playbyplay.co.uk

Thank you EmmaS.

Yes, thankyou!

I had never heard of this service before, but I checked out the website via the link EmmaS gave, and it looks
perfect for me and my daughter! I'm definately considering signing up

Speak for yourself.

It depends on the Theatre, I'd rather that the Old Vic and the Palace were half full every time as then I'd be able to stretch out and not risk DVT.

Am I alone in finding something indefinably odd and ooky about this? I totally accept this is probably irrational and I can understand why the theatres would want to do it, and why theatregoers would want to participate. As I said, I can't really define exactly what I mean. It's just... oh, I don't know.

The 3 days notice is the other main thing that puts me off. As a compulsive forward-planner, especially when it comes to theatre, the idea of 3 days' notice makes me go all twitchy.

I agree...wouldn't it be better if they lowered all the prices so that the place was full in the first place! The Donmar West End manages it quite succesfully and rewards forward planning as you get the best seats without those awful "premium seats" prices for the central stalls!

I joined Play by Play just last week and I have already seen 4 shows and a classical music recital.
they have West End, off-West End, Fringe and classical concerts.

The value of the tickets I have had in a week is nearly £250 for a £75 membership and they are all events I wouldn't have been able to see otherwise!

You're missing the point. Papering services are not intended to replace your normal ticket-buying. They supplement it. It's very rare to see popular shows on offer at either PBP or The Audience Club.

The point of joining a papering service is that you get to see things that you wouldn't normally see. There are shows that I may be curious about, but not enough to spend £20 on a ticket. But for £2, I have nothing to lose but a couple hours of my time.

I still book most things weeks or months in advance. But if I have a free evening and feel like checking out something new, I'll look on PBP and go see something I may not have otherwise considered.

These organisations provide an excellent service. I've been a member at PBP for a couple years and haven't had a single problem. I've also used them from the production side. They were very efficient and totally discreet. Lovely people.

I understand that some people are cautious and reluctant to join without seeing what's on offer, but those are the terms. If you don't like it, don't join. The rules are clear and perfectly logical. If you can't follow them, please don't ruin it for the rest of us.

I'd never heard of PBP before but it sounds terrific. Does anyone know if there's anything like this in regional areas or is it just mainly London? I live in Cardiff but do go to see productions in London whenever I'm able. I adore live theatre and would see several plays/shows a week if I could but I simply can't afford to, so really only go to see the productions that really interest me. There's a lot of stuff I'm curious about but not interested in enough to pay the high prices, so I have to give them a miss. I go to the local theatre here in Cardiff (and in Bristol) when I can but once again can't afford to see that much. Would be wonderful if there was a local version of PBP or AudienceClub!

Unlikely, since there are so few theatres in Cardiff/Bristol/[insert town-other-than-London here] compared to London.

Blimey, all right, calm down!

Play By Play is great! I was a member of Audience Club for a while but found they just didn't have much i was looking for, which basically killed the value for me. Besides Play By Play seems to have all the same fringe shows + big West End shows ...

Most recently i saw Priscilla and La Cage, and I've got tickets to Spring Awakening for next week.

How do they compare with this theatre club?

I was a little skeptical when I first read about PBP on here, but I have to say I have been delighted with the show listings since I joined up at the beginning of the month and have already seen 2 fabulous productions, with another 2 booked for next week...all West End shows I might add! Ok, so you don't get to choose your seats and may not end up with your ideal view, but if the show's that good then I'm more than happy to pay the normal ticket price and go back again. I enjoy the spontaneity of it too...not knowing what's coming up next is part of the fun! From my experience so far I'd say it's worth every penny of the membership. So to whoever it was that first mentioned it on here...a big THANK YOU! And thanks to PBP, from a very satisfied and grateful theatre-lover

Thanks for the information about PBP and Audience Club. I enjoy going to the theatre but do not do it often as it is too expensive.

I just tried to sign up for PBP but it will not let me register. I fill out the form with my name and email etc but it keeps on saying I have made a mistake. I have tried many times and used different emails but it keeps on saying the same thing. Is anyone else having the same problem?

Yes I am also having the same problem.

I contacted them and it works nows.

May I ask what shows you have seen? Or is that against the rules or something?

Against the rules I'm afraid.

What is wrong with you? Can you not read basic terms and conditions? Or are you so ungrateful for the free tickets that you choose to spit in the producers' faces?

I've been a member of PBP for over two years. I've also used them from the production side. Seeing posts like this makes me want to use The Audience Club for the latter. At least their members don't go on message boards to publicise that a show is having to paper.

And then you wonder why some shows refuse to paper even when they have a half-empty house.

Can I suggest you just ignore posts like this rather than heave the thread up to the top again by quoting it! Nothing sinks a thread (and the info on it) quicker than rising above it!!!

I'm a member of The Audience Club www.theaudienceclub.com and find them very good and have been to several West End shows with them (though these are considerably rarer than fringe theatre tickets). Customer service is always very flexible via email or phone. From what I've read here it sounds as though PBP are quite similar.

On the subject of bad audience members - I've experienced these both when paying full price and when using TAC tickets. Even if there are TAC/PBP in the audience, it doesn't automatically mean bad audience members belong to them. Comps are given to many groups - a friend gets many comp tickets through his work.

Usually it's people who've had a few too many drinks before the performance. The worst ones I've experienced were a 20ish year old group - they looked like theatre students, but I don't know for sure. They laughed at a performer's voice whilst he was singing which must have been very off putting. I find myself getting incredibly annoyed by such people. Similarly people who talk through films.

Can anyone tell me if matinee seats ever become available through PBP/TAC, as this is the only time I can get to the theatre.

I have seen the odd matinee offered on PBP, but the majority are for evening performances.

Well im thinking of joining PBP when I move down to London. Sound too good to be true to be honest, don't care what I see so seems perfect for me!!

I joined PBP 2 months ago and so far have seen 5 shows. I think it's worth it, but it is mostly small shows that are listed. Although they do have big shows up there, in the 2 months I have joined I have seen 3 west end shows.

For anyone who has been a member of PBP for a long time, do you know if around summer time do the listings on PBP decrease because it is a busier season?

Does no-one seem to care that an obligation when you sign up is NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT ON INTERNET FORUMS. Is there a moderator who cares about this as well?

No not really as it has nothing to do with this sites rules! These rules are from the organisation and I do believe the deal is not to say what shows you have seen - not to not publicise the site and what it offers!

Whatever you do dont join Showsavers PLUS,they dont charge a reservation fee for a few months of the membership,sadly the problem is they only really have the odd classical concert and things like the Last Cigarette which after Act 1 felt I should have been paid for being there!

I'm sorry but I don't see the problem with my post. I thought the rules were ,you were not allowed to mention what show you saw which I did not. I had seen other people say there are west end shows listed on PBP so I did not think it was a problem. Also the reason I actually joined PBP was because of this thread. So I do not think I have done anything wrong here.

Apologies I didn't mean to single you out - just force of habit from clicking the reply button. My problem is with this thread, and others like it, particularly when these organisations talk about the need for discretion when you join. If they wanted to advertise their services, I am sure the organisations themselves would be posting here in their official capacities, I certainly haven't seen any official posts here.

But Trev they are not breaking any rules - the rules state you are not allowed to disclose the shows you have seen, nobody so far has done that!

Laughingmonsta, you're not Michael Martin doing a spot of moonlighting are you?