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Post by Rory on Sept 10, 2023 10:01:29 GMT
I completed this survey and told them that prices should definitely not exceed the current £86 and that the only real benefit of membership was priority booking.
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3,930 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Sept 10, 2023 11:11:50 GMT
The survey was very money centric geared to the price of tickets It also seemed geared towards the high prices, I was asked about £126 more than once. Not a single mention of Rush, £20 seats or Amex Previews etc. The questions about seating were odd as well. The choices were whether you preferred the back on the side, or the front in the center, but not the front on the side, which I prefer. It sounds quite like a survey the Royal Opera House sent out a few months ago, where the example ticket prices were absolutely eye-watering (even by ROH price standards) & none of the seat options covered the area where I almost always sit. I wonder if both organisations use the same data gathering company.
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357 posts
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Post by lichtie on Sept 10, 2023 13:08:37 GMT
Maybe they spotted I was a cheapskate as all but two of the pricing options I got had <40 quid selections (20, 26 and 36 if I remember right). I just said none of the above to the ones that only had ludicrous pricing. The idea of an early Saturday evening performance was interesting though as it would mean I could fit in an extra show and still get home to Leeds (hotel pricing on a Saturday now rulingout too many weekend stays except in mid-winter).
Quite why they would see Macbeth as a winning offer after their last disaster, and with so many other current production, is a strange one. Much happier to see small new things in the Dorfman (where their pricing hasn't yet gone through the roof), so told them so.
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Sept 10, 2023 13:23:59 GMT
Obviously you don't have to believe them but I think it does say that the examples of productions are purely hypothetical. I imagine they will have slipped in some which they've been considering for real. They also said the price options you had to choose between were randomised so some of them might not be within the realm of anything they'd legitimately price tickets at.
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3,480 posts
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Post by showgirl on Sept 10, 2023 13:59:12 GMT
The survey was very money centric geared to the price of tickets It also seemed geared towards the high prices, I was asked about £126 more than once. Not a single mention of Rush, £20 seats or Amex Previews etc. Exactly! I rejected every single set of options in this section yet the algorithmd - or whatever they were using to tweak the options - didn't seem to get the message. Plus I'm another person who only ever wants to sit near the front - so I can see the actors' faces & feel engaged.
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4,596 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Sept 10, 2023 14:16:50 GMT
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1,909 posts
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Post by sf on Sept 10, 2023 16:17:56 GMT
6pm seems too early for an evening performance, 7pm is more likely IMO. The questionnaire specifically asked whether you'd consider performances beginning at 6pm.
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Post by cartoonman on Sept 10, 2023 18:41:18 GMT
I would pay extra to see WSS. But I have seen Peter Pan at the NT and Macbeth and Hamlet but they will always get the schools in.
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18,858 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 10, 2023 18:44:28 GMT
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Post by kate8 on Sept 10, 2023 19:34:16 GMT
It said the shows were hypothetical (although obvs with a couple of real ones mixed in). I can’t imagine they’d use a survey to announce real shows.
I thought it was geared to working out how they can get wealthy patrons to cough up more, not those of us who like the £20 seats and don’t want to pay £100+ for membership.
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1,370 posts
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Post by Dave B on Sept 10, 2023 19:39:14 GMT
(although obvs with a couple of real ones mixed in) We know Nye is real, do we know another one is real? Thanks!
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1,279 posts
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Post by mkb on Sept 10, 2023 19:59:50 GMT
Thanks for the heads-up. I deleted that email yesterday not realising what it was about.
I agree that it was a poor survey, seemingly designed to provide justification for some options they're probably already intent on doing, with little scope to provide nuanced answers.
I'm expecting big price increases "because it's what our customers (sic) said they wanted".
As for varying performance times, the most useful for me -- not mentioned -- would be to bring back Sundays. On weekdays, why not have one night earlier at 7pm and one night later at 8pm (or even 9pm if the show is no more than 150 minutes)?
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6,348 posts
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Post by Jon on Sept 10, 2023 20:06:18 GMT
Thanks for the heads-up. I deleted that email yesterday not realising what it was about. I agree that it was a poor survey, seemingly designed to provide justification for some options they're probably already intent on doing, with little scope to provide nuanced answers. I'm expecting big price increases "because it's what our customers (sic) said they wanted". As for varying performance times, the most useful -- not mentioned -- would be to bring back Sundays. On weekdays, why not have one night earlier at 7pm and one night later at 8pm (or even 9pm if the show is no more than 150 minutes)? 7pm would be quite useful in the summer and even the Winter, both The Crucible and Dear England in the West End had or will have 7pm evening shows. 8pm and 9pm I think unless it's a show with no interval probably not going to happen although I do remember Here Lies Love having 8pm and 9pm performances when they reopened the Dorfman and I think a lot of the Dorfman shows were 8pm but they reverted back to 7.30pm. I suspect the National aren't going back to Sundays and indeed a lot of the venues have done them only to revert to Monday-Saturdays.
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Post by kate8 on Sept 11, 2023 6:02:43 GMT
(although obvs with a couple of real ones mixed in) We know Nye is real, do we know another one is real? Thanks! It also mentioned Underdog by Sarah Gordon, which is scheduled for the Dorfman in March.
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Post by kate8 on Sept 11, 2023 6:06:37 GMT
I agree with mkb that Sundays would be nice. I suppose varying start times might mean more people arriving at the wrong time, but I’d like an occasional early start, and I’m sure others would like later starts - maybe a couple of each per run.
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Post by Jan on Sept 11, 2023 6:31:30 GMT
As for varying performance times, the most useful for me -- not mentioned -- would be to bring back Sundays. I was a bit surprised that when they tried Sundays before (it was under Hytner ?) it was a flop, given that I doubt they'll try it again. Did they only send this survey to current NT members ? - I seem to have missed out on it which is a pity because I've got plenty of advice for them. As they keep telling us in their annual report that their audience numbers are at an all-time high their reason for asking about possible programming is only to see how they can increase ticket prices.
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1,370 posts
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Post by Dave B on Sept 11, 2023 6:50:29 GMT
Did they only send this survey to current NT members ? No, I am not a member. I assumed recent attendees or maybe regular/semi-regular bookers.
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537 posts
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Post by jek on Sept 11, 2023 7:59:27 GMT
I am a member and I got this survey. The 6 pm thing is quite interesting. The London Symphony Orchestra have had some success with what they call their Half Six Fix which is where they programme a short 6.30 pm concert. It's usually about an hour long and takes one element of whatever they have programmed for a full length concert in the same week. Now, of course, you can't show half a play but with a shorter play I can see the attraction of something starting at 6 pm and ending at 8.30 pm especially given how much more flexibly many people are working now. I got quite bamboozled by the options offered for membership but stressed that, for me, it is priority booking - especially as I have mobility problems which dictate seat choice - which is the clincher. Having been to a members' Christmas party and separately a Christmas quiz I can categorically say that social events for members are not an attraction to me! I did suggest a discount on programmes for members - I can't kick the programme habit (and NT ones have good background information) but do recycle them pretty quickly after the event.
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Post by Jan on Sept 11, 2023 8:16:24 GMT
Did they only send this survey to current NT members ? No, I am not a member. I assumed recent attendees or maybe regular/semi-regular bookers. I'd have thought it would be more interesting for them to get the views of people who aren't regular bookers.
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Post by Jan on Sept 11, 2023 8:26:20 GMT
I am a member and I got this survey. The 6 pm thing is quite interesting. The London Symphony Orchestra have had some success with what they call their Half Six Fix which is where they programme a short 6.30 pm concert. The NT did this for years under Peter Hall. They programmed a series of one-off Platform Performances in the Cottesloe (Dorfman) which lasted about an hour and ended before the main evening performance began. They were short plays, one-man shows, readings, discussions - sometimes relevant to the evening performances and sometimes now. I recall one was a reading of Harold Pinter's cricket journalism for example when he had a main house play on.
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2,353 posts
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Post by zahidf on Sept 11, 2023 8:35:49 GMT
They used to have panels/interview with the cast and creatives for the shows for around 6.00 as well, together with the odd reading and book talk pre-pandemic. I miss those, they should bring them back
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1,279 posts
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Post by mkb on Sept 11, 2023 8:46:03 GMT
I did suggest a discount on programmes for members - I can't kick the programme habit (and NT ones have good background information) but do recycle them pretty quickly after the event. Anyone can already get 10% off programmes (and drinks) by paying with an American Express card.
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1,279 posts
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Post by mkb on Sept 11, 2023 8:55:04 GMT
I was a bit surprised that when they tried Sundays before (it was under Hytner ?) it was a flop, given that I doubt they'll try it again. The idea they were a flop was the very clear narrative that was pushed when they cancelled Sundays, but that was never the evidence I saw with my own eyes. The shows I went to on a Sunday at the NT, and others in the West End, were always very busy and as difficult to get tickets for as Saturdays, if not harder. Were employees paid more for Sundays than Saturdays and that forced the economics not to work?
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Post by Jan on Sept 11, 2023 10:26:23 GMT
I was a bit surprised that when they tried Sundays before (it was under Hytner ?) it was a flop, given that I doubt they'll try it again. The idea they were a flop was the very clear narrative that was pushed when they cancelled Sundays, but that was never the evidence I saw with my own eyes. The shows I went to on a Sunday at the NT, and others in the West End, were always very busy and as difficult to get tickets for as Saturdays, if not harder. Were employees paid more for Sundays than Saturdays and that forced the economics not to work? Interesting. I seem to recall there were union problems for the Sunday performances so I assume they ended up costing more.
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2,963 posts
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Post by crowblack on Sept 11, 2023 11:29:27 GMT
The idea they were a flop was the very clear narrative that was pushed when they cancelled Sundays, but that was never the evidence I saw with my own eyes. The shows I went to on a Sunday at the NT, and others in the West End, were always very busy and as difficult to get tickets for as Saturdays, if not harder. Were employees paid more for Sundays than Saturdays and that forced the economics not to work? Interesting. I seem to recall there were union problems for the Sunday performances so I assume they ended up costing more. As a National Theatre, for those of us outside London (who nevertheless help pay its funding), weekends visits are the main option, so Sunday afternoons would be great - assuming there aren't track works, you could make a day trip of it.
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Post by Fleance on Sept 11, 2023 12:12:59 GMT
As a visitor to London trying to squeeze as much in, it was great having the Sunday option. I remember a thrilling production of Children of the Sun (2013). The whole set exploded at the end, I'd never seen anything like that before! (Bunny Christie is a genius.)
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Post by marob on Sept 11, 2023 13:26:28 GMT
I’m not a member but had a questionnaire through on Saturday. The email says it’s a random selection of customers.
Ended up putting no to most of the ticket options. Stupidly expensive for most of them. £95 for front centre of West Side Story was about the best of the hypothetical shows on offer. 70 quid to sit at the back? No ta.
£500 draw as an incentive to fill it out. Makes me wonder has anyone ever actually won money doing a survey?
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2,539 posts
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Post by n1david on Sept 11, 2023 13:51:11 GMT
Makes me wonder has anyone ever actually won money doing a survey? I won a £150 meal at Sheekey's for completing a survey on Covent Garden Piazza! Admittedly, £150 doesn't go very far at Sheekey's, but it helped...
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1,279 posts
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Post by mkb on Sept 11, 2023 15:28:15 GMT
I do wonder what the point is of surveys that ask if you'd be prepared to pay x pounds.
Even if you would, who in their right mind is going to volunteer that information to give them the ammunition they need to raise prices?
I always give the answers that will steer them away from any changes I wouldn't like, regardless of whether it's an honest response.
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Post by Jan on Sept 11, 2023 15:50:50 GMT
I do wonder what the point is of surveys that ask if you'd be prepared to pay x pounds. Even if you would, who in their right mind is going to volunteer that information to give them the ammunition they need to raise prices? Quite, particularly as they have a huge database of past sales to analyse statistically to tell them what actually happens when they raise or lower prices for a whole range of different types of production. On another topic, how about this: "National Theatre director Rufus Norris has praised America for being "so much better" at musicals, claiming the form is taken “seriously” there." To me this seems not only untrue in general (the West End and subsidised sector is full of musicals) but the NT under Norris seems to have taken musicals far less "seriously" (whatever that means) than any of his predecessors on the South Bank - for example his conclusion that with no experience at all he could write the lyrics of one himself bears this out.
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