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Post by lynette on Mar 3, 2018 22:59:25 GMT
Anyone else have a problem with too few Saturday nights at the National Theatre? Translations has three Saturday nights published. This together with the very short lead in to booking makes the NT quite difficult to book. I like a Saturday night for a decent play, makes the weekend, can be a social occasion with friends, maybe dinner...yes push the old boat out I do on occasions but I can’t do all this on a week night. And of course, I have already booked out most of the Saturdays, in fact all of them through the summer with all sorts. Other theatres give out their dates so much have earlier. I know other theatres just have one play at a time and so that is easier. Mind you, the Globe has plays in rep and they get out the schedule light years before anyone else. It can’t be beyond the wit of man, or the computer geek, to get out a National schedule in better time. I wonder how the tourists cope when they want to book their summer London Theatre as some of them do. I just wondered what others think of this.
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Post by showgirl on Mar 4, 2018 5:10:34 GMT
This has honestly never occurred to me lynette, and though I've no reason not to go to the NT on a Saturday evening, in practice I rarely do.
Saturday is one of my regular London days but I tend to go elsewhere for the evening production and of late, when I do book for anything at the NT, because they never provide even an indication of running times or whether there will/will not be an interval, I have to play safe and book a matinee.
OK you have a fair idea of likely running time with revivals but not with new work. Worth emailing the NT, I think as they do seem quite responsive to audience comments, though whether they would do anything as a result would probably depend on how much feedback they received.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2018 8:56:36 GMT
I opened this thread thinking it was going to be about Saturday nights on the telly! I’ve started avoiding Saturday nights at the theatre- I find the London streets and trains overcrowded with what Tibidabo calls Feral Fartheads so I’ve recently taken to booking a midweek or Saturday matinee with a nice lunch with or without friends beforehand. Saturday night TV last night saw the start of a brand new series of Ant and Dec’s Takeaway. It’s not my thing at all but I do like it on “in the background” while we’re backwards and forwards to the kitchen with drinks and sorting out dinner, eaten off trays like we’re having a takeaway. Why oh why does everyone these days think they’re up there with Morecambe and Wise? First it was Susan Calman and Kevin. Last night Michael Ball (I love Michael Ball, I really do, but I honestly can’t look at him when he’s with his bezzie) and Alfie Boe were singing Bring Me Sunshine. (How did anyone think those two voices actually sounded good together???) They were then joined by Ant and Dec themselves, as if they’re the nation’s new Morecambe and Wise not even managing to carry off their own ‘act’ they’ve trotted out for years. All of a sudden the stage was swarming... I’m sure Ruthie Henshall was one of them... Sorry lynette; I know it doesn't help you with your NT problems... |
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Post by joem on Mar 4, 2018 9:13:32 GMT
If you go to theatres like the Finborough or the Courtyard you'll find the feral farthead thin on the ground.
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Post by TallPaul on Mar 4, 2018 9:32:37 GMT
I have no opinion, one way or the other, on Saturdays at the National Theatre, but how fascinating to learn a little about life at Chez Caiaphas. All very hygge!!!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2018 9:35:09 GMT
If you go to theatres like the Finborough or the Courtyard you'll find the feral farthead thin on the ground. It’s not the theatres that are usually full of them, it’s the streets and trains on the journey to and from... (Incidentally, I was brought up virtually on the doorstep of the Courtyard theatre when it was my local library. The streets surronding it were full of feral fartheads back then, and from more recent trips back to ‘Oxton, I haven’t seen much evidence that it had changed.) |
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Post by joem on Mar 4, 2018 9:52:24 GMT
It’s not the theatres that are usually full of them, it’s the streets and trains on the journey to and from... (Incidentally, I was brought up virtually on the doorstep of the Courtyard theatre when it was my local library. The streets surronding it were full of feral fartheads back then, and from more recent trips back to ‘Oxton, I haven’t seen much evidence that it had changed.) Yes, streets is what I meant. Really? Whenever I've been to the Courtyard streets have been so empty around it I would almost have welcomed seeing an ff. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2018 10:22:01 GMT
Whatever happened to Saturday Night?
When you dressed up sharp and you felt alright?
Well hot patootie, bless my soul.
I try to avoid Saturday nights if I can help it. The great unwashed usually seem more 'unwashed' than normal on a weekend.
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1,584 posts
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Post by anita on Mar 4, 2018 10:35:25 GMT
I opened this thread thinking it was going to be about Saturday nights on the telly! I’ve started avoiding Saturday nights at the theatre- I find the London streets and trains overcrowded with what Tibidabo calls Feral Fartheads so I’ve recently taken to booking a midweek or Saturday matinee with a nice lunch with or without friends beforehand. Saturday night TV last night saw the start of a brand new series of Ant and Dec’s Takeaway. It’s not my thing at all but I do like it on “in the background” while we’re backwards and forwards to the kitchen with drinks and sorting out dinner, eaten off trays like we’re having a takeaway. Why oh why does everyone these days think they’re up there with Morecambe and Wise? First it was Susan Calman and Kevin. Last night Michael Ball (I love Michael Ball, I really do, but I honestly can’t look at him when he’s with his bezzie) and Alfie Boe were singing Bring Me Sunshine. (How did anyone think those two voices actually sounded good together???) They were then joined by Ant and Dec themselves, as if they’re the nation’s new Morecambe and Wise not even managing to carry off their own ‘act’ they’ve trotted out for years. All of a sudden the stage was swarming... I’m sure Ruthie Henshall was one of them... Sorry lynette; I know it doesn't help you with your NT problems... Can't stand "Saturday Night Takeaway". And NOONE compares to Morecambe & Wise. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2018 10:40:06 GMT
Saturday is my theatre day, but I work very hard to NOT be in the West End in the evening. Saturday night West End crowds are full of the most terrible people. Stick to the fringes! Somewhere like the Hampstead or the Bridge is good for a Saturday evening. I'll take the Nash if I have to, but since the cheapest tickets on a Saturday night are £3 more expensive than for the matinee (that's like 20% extra!) I prefer matinees there.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2018 11:45:11 GMT
Hmm I hadn't ever noticed a pattern until this thread pointed it out but I do tend to veer towards the Nash of a matinee on a Saturday. Partly because if I book WAY in advance I tend to book my matinee spot first in case I can't stay over.
But I also try and avoid the West End of a Saturday evening for the reasons cited above. *shudder*
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Post by showgirl on Mar 4, 2018 15:05:43 GMT
Another thing I've done recently on Saturdays is book a second film (i.e. film/matinee/film) rather than a second play. Peak cinema prices used to be prohibitive but now I've more or less been forced to upgrade my Curzon membership level (as with my NT membership - funny that, isn't it?) to the inclusive one, it not only makes no difference when I go but actually represents better value if I do book for a Saturday evening film.
This also has the advantage that, as the early evening performance tends to have a pretty standard start time of 6/6.15/6.30 pm, it saves at least an hour of the hanging around required for an evening performance at the theatre, so I can get home that much earlier. I'm almost invariably the only person on her own, but who gives a stuff?
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Mar 4, 2018 15:52:21 GMT
I feel the air is getting hot, like you baby
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Post by wiggymess on Mar 7, 2018 9:42:23 GMT
Another thing I've done recently on Saturdays is book a second film (i.e. film/matinee/film) rather than a second play. Peak cinema prices used to be prohibitive but now I've more or less been forced to upgrade my Curzon membership level (as with my NT membership - funny that, isn't it?) to the inclusive one, it not only makes no difference when I go but actually represents better value if I do book for a Saturday evening film. This also has the advantage that, as the early evening performance tends to have a pretty standard start time of 6/6.15/6.30 pm, it saves at least an hour of the hanging around required for an evening performance at the theatre, so I can get home that much earlier. I'm almost invariably the only person on her own, but who gives a stuff? Oh to have a Curzon near me. 2 trips on 1 Saturday sounds like heaven. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2018 8:46:34 GMT
For Andrew Lloyd Webber fans who like their Saturday Nights at home after a matinee ( Jamie for me today) we’re in for a treat! Andrew certainly knows how to celebrate a Big Birthday in style- he’ll sharing a Takeaway with Ant’n’Dec, featuring in the End of the Show Show! All our favourite numbers, performed in ways we’ve only imagined in our darkest dreams... (A bit of a dilemma for you, anita !  ) |
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Post by anita on Mar 10, 2018 10:36:31 GMT
For Andrew Lloyd Webber fans who like their Saturday Nights at home after a matinee ( Jamie for me today) we’re in for a treat! Andrew certainly knows how to celebrate a Big Birthday in style- he’ll sharing a Takeaway with Ant’n’Dec, featuring in the End of the Show Show! All our favourite numbers, performed in ways we’ve only imagined in our darkest dreams... (A bit of a dilemma for you, anita ! ) Hopefully someone will post the finale on youtube or I'll have to resort to fast forwarding the ITV Hub tomorrow. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2018 20:30:17 GMT
^ anita , TheatreBoard awaits your reaction with bated breath  . |
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Post by richey on Mar 10, 2018 22:01:44 GMT
For Andrew Lloyd Webber fans who like their Saturday Nights at home after a matinee ( Jamie for me today) we’re in for a treat! Andrew certainly knows how to celebrate a Big Birthday in style- he’ll sharing a Takeaway with Ant’n’Dec, featuring in the End of the Show Show! All our favourite numbers, performed in ways we’ve only imagined in our darkest dreams... (A bit of a dilemma for you, anita ! ) Hopefully someone will post the finale on youtube or I'll have to resort to fast forwarding the ITV Hub tomorrow. There you go |
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Post by showgirl on Mar 10, 2018 22:59:04 GMT
Well today, instead of the usual mix of a film and 2 plays or 2 films and a play, I managed to squeeze in 3 films (had such a backlog due to the combination of snow and a tenacious virus) PLUS a play to finish with, which I had hoped would be the icing on the cake as I do like to see something live, especially after a few films. But what a let-down it was, despite some 4-star reviews. I left at the interval and may resume ending my Saturday with a film.
Only thing I don't like, being used to daytime film screenings when audiences tend to be sparse, is how absolutely heaving cinemas are in the evening - just like theatres, I suppose - but why pay theatre prices for a mere film when you can see live performance for the same price or less?
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 10, 2018 23:39:00 GMT
I have never noticed the theatre schedule for the National, but you would have thought they try and have all 3 theatres available for the peak performances, such as Friday night and both shows Saturday.
I assume each theatre only does 8 performances a week, so all theatres do 24 performances in that time.
Ant & Dec are getting a bit stale now, like Noel Edmunds did later on.
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Post by anita on Mar 11, 2018 10:39:50 GMT
Hopefully someone will post the finale on youtube or I'll have to resort to fast forwarding the ITV Hub tomorrow. There you go Thanks to you both. Watched the youtube link. Once you ignored the ridiculous distractions of Ant & Dec I enjoyed it especially "School of Rock" & Philip Schofield. |
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