I Found My Horn at Hampstead Theatre

[howyoudoin]

Surely that's exactly what the SOLT booths (e.g. the one in Leicester Square) are for? And the advantages of the booths are that the theatre can wait until the day of the performance to offer tickets (if at all) and they are not free, but half-price, so the theatre still makes some money.

That's true but I think the booths only carry big West End shows that everyone has heard of. I'm certain that wouldn't carry tickets for a 'fringe' theatre performance in Hampstead like this.

HYD

[anakin]

Maybe they could have issued them on a not guaranteed / first come first served basis, that way they'd know on the night how many spares they have and then if you're too late, you're too late..? Probably would have been full then.

[Ms Thrifty]

You are right in that the SOLT boths generally offer only tickets from big-name theatres, but not only have I seen them offer tickets for the National Theatre and Coliseum (opera) but also for smaller nearby venues such as the theatre formerly known as the Venue, just off Leicester Square. Besides, there's no reason why it shouldn't work for off-West-End theatres, provided people allowed time to travel. The theatres won't know until they try and they might even acquire new p*ying business from people whose first visit was free! I think the new Hampstead Theatre is lovely and it's only a few tube stops or a bus ride north of the West End, but how many theatre-goers stick solely to the Shaftesbury Avenue circuit?

[ejwrank]

Well I think if they want to fill up their theatres, they could offer some free tickets just a few hours before the performance to See Film First. Some people who are able to get there would be happy for a free ticket and of course once you go to a theatre you might be tempted to go back (and p*y for it!). Obviously the reason Hampstead Theatre is selling more tickets is down to the recent good reviews (why the theatre didn't seem to anticipate this I do not know) so they really should not have offered free tickets so far in advance and they will probably learn from their mistake.

By the way my daughter went to the Rose Theatre in Kingston for a free performance of Miss Julie a few weeks ago. The theatre was empty even with the free tickets, but good on them to offer for both Miss Julie and Bedroom Farce. And now that she has made the journey there (first time), she will be tempted to go back so the theatre having been generous will become the winner.

As for the cheap ticket booth in Leicester Square, I don't really find it a bargain as they are often only selling the most expensive stalls tickets and even reduced they are very expensive. I find it better to go online and see what's available at the last minute. And the National Theatre has certain plays at £10, sponsored by Travelex, which is a pretty terrific price for top notch theatre.

[Ms Thrifty]

So I'm not the only one who thinks that people who go to a theatre free for the first time might then return as p*ying customers! However, as someone who has always pa*d (and a lot, by my standards) to go to the Rose in Kingston, I will hesitate to book in future, in case free tickets subsequently become available, so I think this particular theatre might have shot itself in the foot. I have certainly booked the £10 seats at the NT (when available), which is partly why I begrudge p*ying double that for the equivalent seat at the Rose - regardless of the "Others might go free" issue. I don't know, either, why theatres assume that it's only the young and old who deserve cheap deals. Not everyone in between is necessarily in pa*d employment. Maybe it's time they rewarded their regulars rather than favouring people who have never been - perhaps by having a loyalty card offering the 6th visit free, or something of the sort? I agree that the SOLT tickets are always the most expensive, and you have to p*y a fee on top. But at least if you are prepared to p*y, it enables you to see shows which might otherwise be totally unaffordable. And some of those shows (musicals, not plays with small casts) are very expensive to produce.

[sonia]

luckily our tickets for Tuesday were ok.I would thoroughly recommend this play to anyone.The acting was absolutely superb This wasa one hander that worked really well.I had not been to this theatre before it is an intimate venue that seats about 200.I would go back as a p*ying costomer anytime.

[Ms Thrifty]

Ejwrank and I were right, then: going to a theatre for the first time, free, may well lead to further, pa*d-for, visits. The new Hampstead theatre is certainly one of the nicest in the London area - much more attractive than the Rose, actually, because it feels smaller and more intimate but everyone gets a good view and the auditorium is broken up into several areas, which helps that impression.