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Post by viserys on Apr 12, 2016 6:24:44 GMT
I've actually never given this much thought. I tend to do a "double bill" on Saturdays when I come over and I guess I'm fine with the regular time of 3pm or 2.30pm. I don't want to do rush from theatre to theatre, since I want to be able to "digest" the afternoon show for an hour or two before seeing something else.
I don't want to have too much time to kill either though. Of course it also depends on where I am. If I'm seeing two shows in the actual West End, there's often just a short walk between theatres, so I end up killing time in the shops or in a coffee shop. If one of the shows is further away in Victoria, Southwark, etc., I'm glad to have plenty of time to get to the other location.
So either way, I don't really care and I've never looked into weekday matinees, as I'm usually only in London from Thursday afternoon to Sunday morning. Even if there'd be a Friday matinee, I like to have time to do other things like meeting friends, shopping or go on day trips outside London since my life isn't entirely wrapped around theatre. If only the trains weren't so expensive. I also couldn't do some of the hardcore theatre-going others do, like stuffing ten shows into five days. I understand the wish to "maximise" the time, especially with hotel costs in London or Manhattan, but it would be overkill to me. For me theatre is like fine wine, enjoyed in gentle doses, and not a mad alcoholic binge.
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661 posts
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Post by Oleanna on Apr 12, 2016 6:49:24 GMT
2:30 for me. 3pm is fine if the show is no longer than 90-100 minutes.
I can't comment on Sunday, because I never go to the theatre on a Sunday. Never. Well, hardly ever...
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2016 8:06:45 GMT
I'm very firm on the idea of seeing two shows in a day, because doing so means I keep my relative travel costs down, but I do like a leisurely Sunday afternoon with only one show. That's not to say I never do two-show Sundays but there is something to be said for having lunch, heading into London, seeing a show, then getting home with time to do necessary things before bed. I also like that the Globe's Sunday shows tend to be at 1pm and 6:30pm as opposed to Saturday's 2pm and 7:30pm, 'cos that hour really does make a lovely difference when you're going to the theatre on a school night, if you will.
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3,578 posts
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Post by showgirl on Apr 12, 2016 10:54:29 GMT
Hadn't seen myself as a binger (I regard it as making the most of my time) but suppose I am, given that I try to fit 3 activities into each London trip. It's also a case of trying to derive the maximum benefit from the train fare and travelling time involved. This isn't so easy when visiting other towns as in that case I'm lucky if I can manage a film plus a matinee, but in exchange I have the chance to see somewhere more pleasant than London for a change, e.g. Chichester or Guildford.
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Post by schuttep on Apr 12, 2016 11:45:16 GMT
I quite liked the NT's 1:30 matinees.
Combined with 1-1.5 hour shows, no interval. Bliss!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2016 12:05:45 GMT
I love 2:30 Saturday matinees - it's when I always go to the theatre. I've only been to 7:30 shows if I have to due to seats, stars only at evening shows or the way it works.
I wonder why shows do midweek matinees sometimes twice a week? I didn't think midweek matinees did very well due to not many people being able to go?
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Post by theatremiss on Apr 12, 2016 12:12:02 GMT
I rather like a mid-week 3pm matinee as I have to take a half day off work to catch the 1259 train which gets me in Waterloo at 1420. I can't make a 1430 matinee even if it was in the Old Vic as I can't guarantee the train won't be late (generally it gets in at 1422) so a 1500 start is OK. On a Sun I prefer a 1430 start again due to trains only running every 2 hours and I get back home early evening.
I suppose it's all personal preference.
What does irritate me however, are plays that only run for 1hr 55 and they start at 2000 so by the time I clear the theatre I miss the 2215 train home and have to wait until 2340.
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227 posts
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Post by galinda on Apr 12, 2016 12:36:00 GMT
I like a 2.30 matinee on a Saturday so I have time between shows for food etc and get to the next theatre (always a rush when you see two fringe shows) but prefer 3 or 4pm starts on Sunday as my trains are less frequent/take longer and I do like a lie in!
I love how almost everyone on here does double show days!
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2,702 posts
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Post by viserys on Apr 12, 2016 12:57:51 GMT
I love 2:30 Saturday matinees - it's when I always go to the theatre. I've only been to 7:30 shows if I have to due to seats, stars only at evening shows or the way it works. I wonder why shows do midweek matinees sometimes twice a week? I didn't think midweek matinees did very well due to not many people being able to go? Pensioners.... they have time and money and are glad to go on midweek outings, plus they often don't like to stay up late. Could also see these matinees work well for school trips from outside London, so the kids don't get home too late. More and more shows are also geared towards tourists anyway. Come a rainy day and museums are regarded as being too brainy, they'll be happy to spend the afternoon at a theatre instead. The older I get, the more I appreciate earlier start times, too. Don't mind in London so much, where I'm in my hotel bed quickly after a show, but around here, I really am no longer keen on the usual start time of 8:00 which means I'm rarely at home before 11:00 or 11:30. Soon enough I may only be looking at matinees myself. |
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Post by basdfg on Apr 12, 2016 13:08:52 GMT
Midweek matiness also work for birthday treats. Plus in the school holidays for families and those of us who don't like travelling home too late( even on routes with frequent trains)>
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2016 13:15:24 GMT
I love 2:30 Saturday matinees - it's when I always go to the theatre. I've only been to 7:30 shows if I have to due to seats, stars only at evening shows or the way it works. I wonder why shows do midweek matinees sometimes twice a week? I didn't think midweek matinees did very well due to not many people being able to go? Pensioners.... they have time and money and are glad to go on midweek outings, plus they often don't like to stay up late. Could also see these matinees work well for school trips from outside London, so the kids don't get home too late. More and more shows are also geared towards tourists anyway. Come a rainy day and museums are regarded as being too brainy, they'll be happy to spend the afternoon at a theatre instead. The older I get, the more I appreciate earlier start times, too. Don't mind in London so much, where I'm in my hotel bed quickly after a show, but around here, I really am no longer keen on the usual start time of 8:00 which means I'm rarely at home before 11:00 or 11:30. Soon enough I may only be looking at matinees myself. Pensioners, tourists, students, people with non-standard-Monday-to-Friday working, the independently wealthy, working actors taking advantage of their Thursday matinee to go see their mates in a Wednesday matinee, people who've just booked some time off work because there aren't enough Saturdays for all the theatre they want to see, there's really no end of people who are in London on a weekday for non-work-related reasons, so why wouldn't they take in a matinee?  |
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Post by cat6 on Apr 17, 2016 16:30:28 GMT
I tend to attend matinees at home (NYC)and not in London. In NYC I am happy with the 2 pm start... followed by an early dinner! For some reason plays make me hungry; especially the ones where there is talk of food and there seem to be more and more of these. Plus on-stage cooking :-)
Oh, I don't do matinees in London, b/c I'd rather be out during the daytime, since my time there is so limited. The 7:30 evening performances start is just right.
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Post by maggiem on Apr 18, 2016 10:46:57 GMT
I prefer 2:30pm starts.
When I go to London it's usually for a Saturday matinee, and I tend to book the 10:55am train down from Manchester (I have a packed lunch on the train), arriving at Euston at 13:05pm. It gives me time to get to the theatre and settle in (loo/programme/seat)without dashing. After the show, I usually have time to have a look in FOPP or Forbidden Planet before getting my train back at 18:40pm
It's 18:40 now because of the Old Vic's "The Crucible" in 2014. If it hadn't been for some of you guys seeing the previews I wouldn't have known about the long running time and been caught out with my original train booking of 18:20 It still annoys me 2 years on (silly, I know!)
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