Hi guys!
I can't believe how long it's been since my last post! I've just been so busy, and frankly too hard up to afford, well, anything recently. My housemates and I are moving house and so I've had to dole out so much money in the last few weeks.
SO. MUCH. MONEY.
Deposits, insurance and summer rent certainly aren't cheap.
For this reason, when I read a blog post entitled 'Do You Go To The Theatre?' on ThoroughlyModernMaisie's blog, it really resonated with me. As a theatre blogger, it's easy to feel left out and inadequate if you're not going to the theatre 3 or more times a week and reviewing every single show. Especially when your twitter timeline seems to consist of new blog posts every time you check in.
Blog envy gets to us all. It's understandable.
But really, if you can't afford to go then you can't afford to go. Especially if, like me, you're not based in London and have to commute in on the train in order to see the shows which everyone is raving about.
That being said, London is not the be all and end all with regards to seeing fantastic theatre, and certainly by looking for ways to see more in my local area I've been able to fill that West End shaped gap when things have gotten a little tighter moneywise.
Consequently, I've decided to put together a list of hints and tips about how to see amazing theatre without having to sell a limb or forsake a weeks food shop. To regular theatregoers some of the points on this list may seem a bit obvious, but hopefully some of the information on here is helpful to someone. And so, without further ado, here it is...
1) Explore the power of the Student I.D.
I am very fortunate in that I currently live and study in a city which has not one but two brilliant local theatres, and both of them offer some form of student ticket deal. Theatres offering a percentage off the price of tickets for students is not uncommon, but my local theatre (The Marlowe in Canterbury) has a fantastic programme which enables young people aged 16-26 to access brilliant seats (often in the front stalls or first few rows of the upper circle) for prices starting at just £8!!! I've seen countless tours and fantastic one off performances at The Marlowe Theatre for the price of a night out or a cake and a coffee in Costa. This is an AMAZING example of a student ticket deal that actually makes theatre affordable for students, and as such I hope more theatres around the UK adopt a similar scheme. It may be worth investigating whether theatres near you offer a similar sort of deal because honestly it has opened so many doors for me and allowed me to see shows which I may have otherwise been hesitant to take a chance on.
2) Never underestimate a drama student.
If you go to uni or really live anywhere near a university, then you'll probably have at least been made aware of the student productions which are produced, directed and star drama students (or members of a drama society). Often these student productions will be very well acted, high quality shows, and are always fairly cheap to attend! Not to mention you may have the opportunity to witness new writing or experience a play which is staged more infrequently. I think by now every student theatre group has done Romeo and Juliet and Hedda Gabler to death and have had to dig a bit deeper! Fantastic for everyone involved!
If you go to uni or really live anywhere near a university, then you'll probably have at least been made aware of the student productions which are produced, directed and star drama students (or members of a drama society). Often these student productions will be very well acted, high quality shows, and are always fairly cheap to attend! Not to mention you may have the opportunity to witness new writing or experience a play which is staged more infrequently. I think by now every student theatre group has done Romeo and Juliet and Hedda Gabler to death and have had to dig a bit deeper! Fantastic for everyone involved!
3) Investigate unconventional venues
Pubs, clubs, forests, parks, even public toilets! Often local companies stage the most innovative, exciting productions simply out of necessity. It's worth checking out local notice boards/twitter pages etc. and exploring theatrical experiences that you perhaps weren't aware actually existed.
Pubs, clubs, forests, parks, even public toilets! Often local companies stage the most innovative, exciting productions simply out of necessity. It's worth checking out local notice boards/twitter pages etc. and exploring theatrical experiences that you perhaps weren't aware actually existed.
4) National. Theatre. LIVE.
Need I say more. See the show completely unobstructed.... from the comfort of your local cinema!
5) The cheapest options are not always the terrible ones
In fact, they're almost always not terrible.
Need I say more. See the show completely unobstructed.... from the comfort of your local cinema!
5) The cheapest options are not always the terrible ones
In fact, they're almost always not terrible.
Okay for regular theatregoers this is probably the most obvious point on the list, but I remember a time not that long ago when I bought massively overpriced seats, miles away from the stage, and was just willing to accept that when seeing a West End show, that was the way it was.
When I take a trip down to the West End, I ALWAYS sit in the cheapest seats possible. I'm a student, there's no way around it. But as strange as it may sound to some people, the cheap seats are very rarely terrible... I mean ... REALLY terrible. If you really want to see a show but you're not sure about taking a risk when ticket prices are so steep, sitting in the cheap seats is your best option. Again, this might sound obvious, however, I am always shocked by the amount of people who splash out of £70 seats when three seats along or one row behind you can get a ticket for a third of the price. You could always check out Seatplan for honest seat reviews in London venues if you want to be certain you're not going to be staring at a pillar for 2 and a half hours.
Aside from this, there's the option to get dayseats for a number of West End shows (very often these are in the front row and are normally around £20-25 so if queuing in the morning is doable for you then I'd fully recommend it.). Not to mention a load of student ticket schemes that operate in London theatres, such as the RSC Key, National Theatre Entry Pass and Menier Chocolate Factory Golden Tickets to name but a few. Yes, theatre in London is expensive, but there are nearly always ways to cut costs while maintaining an enjoyable theatregoing experience.
When I take a trip down to the West End, I ALWAYS sit in the cheapest seats possible. I'm a student, there's no way around it. But as strange as it may sound to some people, the cheap seats are very rarely terrible... I mean ... REALLY terrible. If you really want to see a show but you're not sure about taking a risk when ticket prices are so steep, sitting in the cheap seats is your best option. Again, this might sound obvious, however, I am always shocked by the amount of people who splash out of £70 seats when three seats along or one row behind you can get a ticket for a third of the price. You could always check out Seatplan for honest seat reviews in London venues if you want to be certain you're not going to be staring at a pillar for 2 and a half hours.
Aside from this, there's the option to get dayseats for a number of West End shows (very often these are in the front row and are normally around £20-25 so if queuing in the morning is doable for you then I'd fully recommend it.). Not to mention a load of student ticket schemes that operate in London theatres, such as the RSC Key, National Theatre Entry Pass and Menier Chocolate Factory Golden Tickets to name but a few. Yes, theatre in London is expensive, but there are nearly always ways to cut costs while maintaining an enjoyable theatregoing experience.
I'll be honest, I do find this post a bit sad. It may be a fact of life, and has been ever since I began going to the theatre, but unfortunately, there is no way to avoid the fact that theatregoing IS an expensive hobby. While I hope I've helped to prove that ways to see great theatre locally, and avoid unnecessary expenses, it is rather unfortunate that as far as the masses are concerned, the epicentre of all buzz-inducing theatre is still London.
However, I hope that this post has helped to prove that there are ways to see theatre without breaking the bank. There is only so much that we as audience members can do though, and I do feel that in order to attract younger audiences, theatres need to radically adjust their accessibility, and tailor themselves towards a younger audience. Otherwise I fear young people may be further deterred from attending the theatre full stop.
How horrendous!
But what do you think? Is theatre in London more well regarded by the masses? Do you find the theatre inaccessible because of price, or because of any other reason actually? Let me know here or on Twitter if you'd like.
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Right, that was long but fun. If you're still reading them I really hope you've enjoyed this post. Yes, it was a bit different my usual stuff, but hopefully I'll be posting regularly again soon. I've got some really exciting shows coming up in August / September, and then I'll be back at uni at which time business will resume as usual! Finally!
Thanks for sticking with me this long though guys,
Charlotte xx
