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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2017 11:41:10 GMT
I also find (not naming any names!) but I find when I go to the theatre with people, I am easily influenced to drink and therefore be a little worse for wear by interval and become an emotional wreck at the slightest thing emotional in the show. And some on here would of experienced that, namely Half a Sixpence and Rachel's last show at Wicked.  |
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2017 11:45:30 GMT
Go alone the vast majority of the time. Living outside of London and not having friends with the same interest as you makes it difficult for it to be otherwise. If I see something I love, I will occasionally come back with my mum in tow to show her.
Having said that, I've had that many requests to come with me to see Hamilton that I'm taking three different groups of people.
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Post by infofreako on May 13, 2017 12:07:08 GMT
I also find (not naming any names!) but I find when I go to the theatre with people, I am easily influenced to drink and therefore be a little worse for wear by interval and become an emotional wreck at the slightest thing emotional in the show. And some on here would of experienced that, namely Half a Sixpence and Rachel's last show at Wicked. Easily influenced. I fear you didnt take much persuading |
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2017 12:11:33 GMT
I also find (not naming any names!) but I find when I go to the theatre with people, I am easily influenced to drink and therefore be a little worse for wear by interval and become an emotional wreck at the slightest thing emotional in the show. And some on here would of experienced that, namely Half a Sixpence and Rachel's last show at Wicked. Easily influenced. I fear you didnt take much persuading Well... a glass of Rosé is a glass of Rosé. |
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2017 12:19:28 GMT
Extremes of big groups or alone and taking student groups to the theatre regularly is probably why I prefer being on my own when I have the choice, I'm lucky in always having had well behaved students who are a joy to take on a trip but it's still stressful. Usually it's ten or less but groups of seventy plus have been known. One nightmarish trip had a larger group on a coach stuck for an hour or so somewhere in North London between fire engines fighting a fire when we were due at the National. We were in very visible seats and entering late would have been horrific, fifty or so people trying to sneak quietly in to the first few rows. After a series of phone calls they agreed to hold the curtain if we were in the building by 7:30. the coach was eventually able to carry on and I ran from the coach parked behind the National at 7:29 to inform the box office of our arrival with seconds to spare.
So being on my own is great.
On the other hand some shows are greatly enhanced by going with others, especially immersive shows like Heist or Accomplice. Punchdrunk too, as you then get together afterwards, discuss and piece together the jigsaw from what you each saw.
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Post by showgirl on May 13, 2017 15:17:15 GMT
All the advantages of going alone which I'd have listed have been well covered by previous posters so I'll just say that I'm absolutely in favour, to the extent that it quite throws me now if someone ever suggests seeing something together. Plus, as with some of my other interests, other people don't do things to the extent I do: if I like something, I really want to make the most of the opportunity, be it seeing as many plays as possible or walking as far and as fast as I can. But suggest to someone else that you not only go to the theatre but to two performances in one day, preferably preceded by a film or visit to an exhibition, and they think you are weird rather than simply enthusiastic.
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2017 15:29:17 GMT
About half the time I go alone. Working in the industry as a freelancer means I can never really plan anything in advance, which doesn't fit in with how most of my friends live. I do have a couple of people I go to the theatre with occasionally (one gets more anxious than me about missing the start which is lovely) but we all have very similar tastes and we are pretty easily impressed so it is very calm and casual. I have the opposite problem (if it's really a problem - I keep changing my mind on whether it is or not!) - my friends hate planning in advance, so I can never get them to be organised enough to go to anything that requires booking in advance, like Harry Potter or Hamilton, both of which I'm seeing alone. Occasionally I go with others if we by some miracle manage to get organised, usually for day seating rather than advance booking, but 95% of the time I end up going alone. It doesn't usually bother me, but sometimes it would be nice to have someone to discuss the show with in person rather than just telling my folks about it over the phone while on the bus home, but at least I can post about it on her and find others who've seen the same show. |
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Post by Mark on May 13, 2017 15:32:56 GMT
I usually go alone. It's been nice this week in NYC to have a friend with me to discuss with after (and to share the rush queue burden). I have some friends I go with occasionally but it's all very last minute.
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Post by shady23 on May 13, 2017 19:58:49 GMT
One of my friends complained that I booked for Hamilton and didn't ask her along. The stress of getting tickets for things like that is bad enough without finding two good tickets together and then having to ring the friend "oh are you free on this day? Will you pay this price?" By which time the tickets would be gone.
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2017 20:31:55 GMT
Oh I can never book in advance. Its actually a problem haha! This is the most shows I have booked in advance I have ever had, and its only 6 shows! I know eventually I wil have to book for Hamilton and Harry Potter and I've accepted that, but I am gererally such a spur of the moment person. One day I will wake up and be like "I fancy a double show day" and just do it. The upside being, I am very lucky that I have means of discounts and other ways of getting free or very cheap tickets that barely make a dent in the bank, so I can do a spur of the moment trip and it doesn't make my bank go into meltdown. Obviously I know I am incredibly lucky, and I know not everyone has some of the same luxuries I do with regards to getting cheaper tickets, and I am very grateful of that, as it does mean I can see new shows, as well as return to old favourites as often as I want and it isn't such a big deal.
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Post by Peach on May 13, 2017 22:22:12 GMT
One of my friends complained that I booked for Hamilton and didn't ask her along. The stress of getting tickets for things like that is bad enough without finding two good tickets together and then having to ring the friend "oh are you free on this day? Will you pay this price?" By which time the tickets would be gone. Exactly the reason why I only booked a single for Hamilton! I occasionally go with a friend but 95% of the time I go alone. My friends tend to be the 1 show a year on a special occasion type. |
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Post by Tibidabo on May 13, 2017 22:47:53 GMT
*Pokes head above parapet* Five pages. FIVE PAGES....and I'm the first one who would rather eat a toenail toastie than go to the theatre by myself.  |
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Post by Phantom of London on May 14, 2017 0:02:08 GMT
As I said in a earlier post I saw Lettice and Lovage at the Menier and was going to see Fracked at Richmond, but no trains from Waterloo put the block on that 😕. So thought I try for a Angels in America Part 2 ticket, bring forward my visit as kind wait to see it, but sold out 😕. So rocked up at Drury Lane and got a day ticket for £15 for 42nd Street 😋.
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Post by wickedgrin on May 14, 2017 2:32:37 GMT
Just the kind of thing I do Phantom. We have never been seen in the same room have we?
I go alone to the theatre 90% of the time. It's a real drama getting my friends to agree a date etc. Then if they sort themselves out I have to do all the organisation , book the tickets, chase the money, remind them, suggest transport, be the tour guide, ridiculously take responsibility if they don't enjoy the show. It's far too much like hard work!
I don't tend to tell them I've seen something as their response is always "oh you should have said you were going I would have loved to have seen that "!
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Post by showgirl on May 14, 2017 5:04:43 GMT
*Pokes head above parapet* Five pages. FIVE PAGES....and I'm the first one who would rather eat a toenail toastie than go to the theatre by myself. But that's absolutely fine, Tibidabo - each to her own and the important thing is that we are all free - or should be - to do as we please. I started going to the theatre (and cinema) alone as a teenager so it was a well-established habit before I was an adult and at a time when few of my friends - even from my English Lit class at school - were interested, so it never occurred to me to question it and I always thought others were the odd ones when I encountered someone who was surprised by this or said s/he could not do the same. That said, I started walking in groups and it was only when I was driven - by sheer frustration at others' slow pace and paltry distances - to strike out on my own, that I really got going. That was well over 20 years ago and I've never looked back in either sense, so I'd suggest trying a solo theatre trip just once to see how you fare; you never know, you might find you prefer it! |
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Post by moelhywel on May 14, 2017 7:54:36 GMT
Like showgirl I started going to the theatre alone when I was in my teens. These days I usually go to local theatres with my husband but when I go to London I either go alone or sometimes with my son who lives in London. He is very much a film person so l have been trying to educate him in theatre by buying tickets for him for things I think he will like to see, usually because of who is in the play. I'm obviously succeeding because occasionally he has now asked me if I want to see something. I also go to the ballet a lot and because the same people go to several performances of the same thing for different casts I have made several friends because we keep seeing each other and have got chatting. I enjoy going alone because I can do my own thing but having someone else with me does mean that I've got someone to discuss the performance with. So for me I like the combination of alone and with someone that I have.
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Post by Jan on May 14, 2017 9:06:25 GMT
*Pokes head above parapet* Five pages. FIVE PAGES....and I'm the first one who would rather eat a toenail toastie than go to the theatre by myself. That said, I started walking in groups and it was only when I was driven - by sheer frustration at others' slow pace and paltry distances - to strike out on my own, that I really got going. I very rarely go to the theatre alone but I have absolutely no problem at all about doing so - makes no difference to me either way. However, on walking you are 100% right, alone is the only way I do it when on a "serious" long walk - Thames Path, Capital Ring, London Loop - you need to establish your own pace and rhythm. |
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Post by kathryn on May 14, 2017 9:46:45 GMT
I've always resented missing Sean Bean in Macbeth because someone else in the friendship group had already seen it, and didn't want to go again. That meant we had to see something else, and I was too stupidly timid to go back on my own at that age. But I think that was the experience that made me realise that I had to go to the theatre solo if I was ever going to see the things *I* wanted to, waiting to find someone to come with me wasn't going to work.
Once you've gone solo once, and the rest of the audience has failed to point at you and shout 'weirdo!', you realise how much less stressful it is than organising a group.
Having said that, I do have a reliable theatre-buddy who comes with me half the time - to plays, at least. She's not a huge musical fan.
There was the time in New York on holiday with friends when I effectively forced my friends to see Jesus Christ Superstar by declaring in the TKTS queue that I *was* getting a ticket for it and they were welcome to pick something else as I didn't mind going alone. Mind you, we did miss out on seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman in Death of a Salesman because they couldn't get themselves up and ready quickly enough for Day seats and weren't willing to try again the next day, as we were already seeing a show that evening and it didn't want to do a matinee too. Should have done that one solo.
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2017 9:54:29 GMT
*Pokes head above parapet* Five pages. FIVE PAGES....and I'm the first one who would rather eat a toenail toastie than go to the theatre by myself. I did giggle at 'toenail toastie' But not at all, I love going with people (the right people haha) as much possibly more than alone. And in the last year or so it's actually rarer that I go alone, and I love having someone to chat to about the play/musical/weird interprative dance performance art sh*te we've just enjoyed/endured together. BUT sometimes I know I'm the only one in my friendship ground who will remotely enjoy this and/or nobody can get themselves organised. So I'd rather go alone than miss out. But also each to their own. No judgement! Unless you ARE eating that toenail toastie. Then I judge you a bit. |
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2017 10:18:20 GMT
Toenail toastie does sound awfully specific! Would you like to say anymore about that?
The problem with solo viewing is nobody to share something wonderful with. A friend dropped out of Dreamgirls last year but now wants to go and see it but I have other things I want to see now and am generally not a fan of repeat views, ( i am aware this marks me as a bit of a wierdo in some circles)
But getting someone to go with you as others have mentioned means you can feel responsible for their enjoyment which is stressful!!
I've done my share in the distant past of missing things because I had nobody to go with and not wanting to look strange but the beauty of aging (dis) gracefully is that you stop giving a 💩 about that!! 😄😄
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Post by theatre-turtle on May 14, 2017 10:28:39 GMT
Alone or with whoever my boy at the time is.
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2017 11:12:39 GMT
I always felt quite nervous about the thought of going to the theatre alone.
Last year when we went to see Sunset Boulevard, Glenn was off sick. I really wanted to see her but the hubby was not so bothered so I booked to go back on my own. First time I did it and felt completely at ease and would definitely do it again.
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2017 14:17:09 GMT
I think the first time I did it was The Book of Mormon. I remember looking around and counting about 6 other people on their own in the circle and ever since I realized how normal it actually is.
Nowadays, I go to New York every year - most of the time on my own (LOVE travelling alone) - so I have no option but to see Broadway shows alone. Although to be fair in New York it's rare that the person sitting next to you doesn't try and strike up a conversation with you.
I also go to see films a lot on my own now too.
The one I'm still struggling to get past is eating in restaurants on my own. I will conquer it one day.
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Post by samuelwhiskers on May 14, 2017 15:02:16 GMT
I adore my friends but their idea of theatre etiquette is, charitably, not always entirely up to my admittedly rather exacting standards.
I am also at the exact level of career success/blagging ability to be able to wangle most press night comps but not important enough to be allowed to bring a plus one. And a certain level of cheapness, to be frank.
Which is to say: friends are essential but some pleasures are best sampled alone. Or in the spontaneous joy of a shared experience with strangers.
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Post by viserys on May 14, 2017 15:39:16 GMT
What a lovely thread. I'm also firmly in the "going solo camp, at least when it comes to London - I can't/don't want to arrange for people to travel along from Germany with me all the time and I like the flexibility to do my own thing in London - not just theatre, but also shopping, sightseeing, daytrips, meeting local people, whatever. I like the fact that travelling solo enables me to meet people in London, including from this forum.
Here in Germany I usually go with my Mom. Just like @emicardiff I started theatre-going when I was too young to go solo (and had no driving license) and she'd start taking me to see things and so we still see shows together on occasion, though much less now as my theatre-going is almost entirely London. Sometimes I drag her along because I want her to see some excellent shows we'd never get to see in Germany but that's like once in two years or so. I used to go with a friend quite a bit, but stuff happened there I'd rather not get into on a forum and these days I just don't bother asking her anymore.
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