Rob S Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 11 minutes ago, Blossom said: Just received a survey from a research partner of London Coliseum about attendance which includes ’Would you be more likely or less likely to attend if the following was offered DURING the performance’ -Freedom to talk or make noise during the performance -At seat ordering of drinks/confectionery - Different seating options eg standing, reclining, cabaret tables, dancing - the list goes on - The ability to take photographs during a performance - The ability to take confectionery/drinks into a performance -The ability to use my phone/social media during a performance - Freedom to leave and reenter the performance Let’s just say I am very much aligned with the views on this specific thread. If they want to make one performance in a run with this 'anything goes list' then fine ...mark it as such on the booking page with a note: 'Please note this performance is a Sh*t Show'. As you can probably imagine I would love to be able to take photos during a performance but that would be from a designated spot at the back of the auditorium, with an electronic shutter, not mechanical, no flash and with an eyepiece, not a screen....there's no way a free for all anywhere in the auditorium could work 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 The World has gone mad on all levels at the moment. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 38 minutes ago, Rob S said: If they want to make one performance in a run with this 'anything goes list' then fine ...mark it as such on the booking page with a note: 'Please note this performance is a Sh*t Show'. I love this, Rob S. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 1 hour ago, Blossom said: Just received a survey from a research partner of London Coliseum about attendance which includes ’Would you be more likely or less likely to attend if the following was offered DURING the performance’ -Freedom to talk or make noise during the performance -At seat ordering of drinks/confectionery - Different seating options eg standing, reclining, cabaret tables, dancing - the list goes on - The ability to take photographs during a performance - The ability to take confectionery/drinks into a performance -The ability to use my phone/social media during a performance - Freedom to leave and reenter the performance I despair. Why the hell are these kinds of questions even being asked? 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 I'd like to add to their appalling list of so-called freedoms: Freedom for the performers to clear off in disgust..... 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 41 minutes ago, capybara said: I despair. Why the hell are these kinds of questions even being asked? And how much money is being squandered on this rubbish instead of paying the performers and orchestra or reducing ticket prices? Admittedly the situation doesn’t even come close to the ever-increasing disaster that is the ROH, and the ENO cuts are not the fault of the Coliseum, but it all adds to the ever expanding cult of consultancy that seems to blight every aspect is modern day life. And for what, exactly, apart from the usual box ticking and providing unnecessary and bloated fee income for the consultants? 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 I got the email from the Coli but haven’t done the survey yet instead sent an email explaining I didn’t want to be “anonymous” I wanted them to see what I thought about some of the possible proposals in my name!! I couldn’t help getting in another dig about the loss of the cloakroom …to sell popcorn!!! Why are Theatre managers treating people like children? It’s all very baffling. Perhaps Theatre managers these days don’t ever go to the Theatre? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 3 hours ago, Blossom said: - Different seating options eg standing, reclining, cabaret tables, dancing - the list goes on While the other possibilities absolutely horrify me, this one is just baffling. Surely the Coliseum needs to make as much money as possible in ticket sales, given ENO's major financial problems. Every one of these options would surely reduce ticket revenue, either by selling the space more cheaply (standing) or being able to fit fewer seats into the same area (reclining, cabaret tables). As for "dancing" that's what the highly skilled professionals on stage are doing & they are the only ones in the theatre who should be doing it! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 perhaps they mean standing on cabaret tables - 25 per table or so, all trying to take photos of the show. Perhaps they'll be revolving cabaret tables to allow different standers a turn at seeing the stage better and all welcome not just to dance in the aisles but on the tables too. Those seated at the table ordering their drinks via their phone, will have a foot or so reserved in front of them for their refreshments; I'm sure there'll be no fisticuffs over split beverages as everyone having such a splendid time - or perhaps they'll have a mini-table fitted into their recliner seat instead... As you've probably guessed, I'm not thinking that this is a particularly good idea 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 (edited) @zxDaveM The mind boggles - and not in a good way! Edited October 20, 2023 by Dawnstar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 I imagine that the researchers are thinking of shows like the current Cabaret in the West End (pre-show entertainment, foyer areas redesigned as a Berlin nightclub, drinks and foods at seat, theatre redesigned so the first few rows of the stalls are replaced with cabaret style tables) and Guys and Dolls at the Bridge (stalls seating taken out so a large part of the audience stands and follows the show around, with NY-style pretzel sellers and so on mingling with the crowd at the interval). Both of those shows were great fun, performed to a very high standard, the audiences very well behaved and quiet during the actual performances and both have been commercially and artistically successful. They become a 'novelty event', attract lots of press coverage and casual/occasional theatre goers will buy tickets for the experience. However, they take a considerable investment to re-do the space "for a specific show" in a style which is appropriate to that show (taking us to 1930s Berlin nightclubs or 1940s Broadway)!! It is lunacy and ridiculously simplistic to think this idea can cross over into lyric theatres whose raison d'etre (at least thus far) is to run a series of different show in one season. I would hate to see Coli given over to a year of Swan Lake or Tosca, with whatever decor that might command (although I might have fun thinking about the menu and concessions) I don't blame artistic and management teams of lyric theatres for trying to think of new ways to spark interest in their shows in a very competitive market (unlike the West End, they can't bring in big TV or film stars to attract crowds). But I think they have to be realistic about what is achievable in subsidised theatre which can't afford a heavy up front investment for every show and which is reliant on a regular (and quite conservative with a small c) audience. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 12 minutes ago, Lindsay said: However, they take a considerable investment to re-do the space "for a specific show" in a style which is appropriate to that show (taking us to 1930s Berlin nightclubs or 1940s Broadway)!! It is lunacy and ridiculously simplistic to think this idea can cross over into lyric theatres whose raison d'etre (at least thus far) is to run a series of different show in one season. I would hate to see Coli given over to a year of Swan Lake or Tosca, with whatever decor that might command (although I might have fun thinking about the menu and concessions) Quite; and Cabaret and Guys and Dolls are both very different types of shows in which an element of audience participation (effectively) could work. Ballet is not like that! And, I'm getting really fed up with the apparent inability of so many people to even conceive of putting others centre stage even for a few hours. Live ballet is not an interactive computer game in which you are a main character, or something you can dip in and out of whilst still eating/drinking/chatting when the mood takes you. The audience is there to watch, listen, absorb, appreciate, think; to focus entirely on the stage for the period of the performance which is being given by hugely talented professionals. It's a humbling, and at best thrilling, experience. It's a gift, not an opportunity to continue thinking about oneself. 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Per the seating plan, the ‘jazz’ Nutcracker (an original take on a traditional story) choreographed by Drew McOnie (running time 75 minutes) opening at the ‘Tuff Nutt’ club at the Southbank next weekend has been designed to have that ‘club’ feeling with tables adjoining the stage. On certain dates the ticket price includes being able to stay late and carry on your revelling. Tickets are not yet being snapped up. Nor are any of the other seats available at the moment. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 I’m concerned about ENB Giselle in Bristol next week. The Hippodrome have just sent through this info about ordering refreshments direct to your seat !!! https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome/food-and-drink/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Oh gosh this really smacks of desperation to me. I guess they think that if they turn their theatre into a free for all more people will attend. Looking at the behaviour of some of today's audiences, they may be right. I have not yet received the email but if I do I will make clear that my support of the Coli is over if even one of those suggestions were to come into force. And, to paraphrase Professor Higgins, why can't the English learn to sit in a theatre without having to eat or drink the whole time?* Can't they last the 30-60 minutes in the auditorium and then imbibe in the interval? I have seen ballet/opera in various countries and no-one else behaves in this way....at least, not in the theatres I have been to. I am so appreciative of how the ushers at the ROH stop anyone trying to bring their drinks into the auditorium. * Obviously not all English people do this, but it seems to be quite the phenomenon in this country. Most theatres now allow people to eat and drink with abandon during the performances. Then they wonder why there's 'crowd trouble' at some of these shows! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 29 minutes ago, FionaM said: I’m concerned about ENB Giselle in Bristol next week. The Hippodrome have just sent through this info about ordering refreshments direct to your seat !!! https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome/food-and-drink/ I think the Hippodrome trialled this a few years ago before Covid - I would have been watching WNO. I can't remember it causing any real disturbance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 4 minutes ago, Sim said: And, to paraphrase Professor Higgins, why can't the English learn to sit in a theatre without having to eat or drink the whole time?* Can't they last the 30-60 minutes in the auditorium and then imbibe in the interval? I have seen ballet/opera in various countries and no-one else behaves in this way....at least, not in the theatres I have been to. It was definitely going on in Paris (Bastille) in July. I was rather surprised! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 40 minutes ago, FionaM said: I’m concerned about ENB Giselle in Bristol next week. The Hippodrome have just sent through this info about ordering refreshments direct to your seat !!! https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome/food-and-drink/ Uh-oh. And I was just considering going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 23 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said: It was definitely going on in Paris (Bastille) in July. I was rather surprised! I haven't been to Bastille for many years....it's certainly changed!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllAboutTheJourney Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 (edited) 7 hours ago, Blossom said: Just received a survey from a research partner of London Coliseum about attendance which includes ’Would you be more likely or less likely to attend if the following was offered DURING the performance’ -Freedom to talk or make noise during the performance -At seat ordering of drinks/confectionery - Different seating options eg standing, reclining, cabaret tables, dancing - the list goes on - The ability to take photographs during a performance - The ability to take confectionery/drinks into a performance -The ability to use my phone/social media during a performance - Freedom to leave and reenter the performance Let’s just say I am very much aligned with the views on this specific thread. Sadly it’s not just the Coliseum, I got an email with a link to a survey with the same questions this week from the ROH! Edited October 20, 2023 by AllAboutTheJourney Spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Just now, AllAboutTheJourney said: Sadly it’s not just the Coloseum, I got an email with a link to a survey with the same questions this week from the ROH! Really?? Maybe it's an umbrella company that has undertaken the survey on behalf of all the London theatres. Or it's some kind of a joke... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllAboutTheJourney Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 4 minutes ago, Sim said: Really?? Maybe it's an umbrella company that has undertaken the survey on behalf of all the London theatres. Or it's some kind of a joke... It’s an external company, yes, but the email came from ROH. I’ve pasted the text below. “To help us learn more about our audiences and better understand how we can provide the best possible experience, we are asking for feedback from people who have visited us for the first time since we reopened after the Covid lockdowns. We've partnered with research specialists Indigo to gather your thoughts and experiences of live performing arts, including your experience at the Royal Opera House.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 4 minutes ago, AllAboutTheJourney said: Sadly it’s not just the Coliseum, I got an email with a link to a survey with the same questions this week from the ROH! And the ROH, which is in need of all the financial support it can get, spends money on rubbish like this! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 I suppose we should be glad it's actually consulting (part of) its audiences at all. Certainly better than those useless stupid "How do you rate the production / Would you recommend the ROH" questionnaires I've no problem with them asking questions about starting times and so on. But if this is a one-size-fits-all questionnaire, will it really be any more suitable for the ROH than for the Coliseum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 This really is SO disappointing if going to apply to the ROH. Im usually pretty polite in emails etc but this morning I suddenly felt really mad at the questions in the Coli survey so didn’t mince words in my email. Since the demise of the cloakroom I will only go to the Coli if can get an end seat as refuse to have to step over peoples bags and coats and shopping etc etc to get to seat and I also regard this as a danger if the theatre had to be evacuated quickly (as happened to me in 1980’s due to an IRA threat at the time). I genuinely do not understand why people can’t go without something to eat or a drink for less than an hour in most cases. The idea suggested that people can just leave their seats whenever they feel like it ( unless unwell) or play with their phones whenever is just both patronising and ludicrous. We are not pre school children!!! Of course lots of theatres are more lax these days and they all hide behind this saying “well other Theatres allow it” Certainly both the Coli and Sadlers Wells have said this to me. Obviously “Relaxed performances” are something separate and have no problem with these but this should not be for every performance! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 33 minutes ago, AllAboutTheJourney said: “To help us learn more about our audiences and better understand how we can provide the best possible experience, we are asking for feedback from people who have visited us for the first time since we reopened after the Covid lockdowns. Interesting, and for me concerning, if they are only asking the opinion of new audiences. I would think the opinion of established audiences should be of at least equal if not higher importance. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 13 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Interesting, and for me concerning, if they are only asking the opinion of new audiences. I would think the opinion of established audiences should be of at least equal if not higher importance. My thoughts, too, Dawnstar. It does make me wonder quite why only new audiences are being targeted. Is this because new audiences, who may be more used to these things in other venues, are more likely to answer enthusiastically, giving the commissioning organisations an excuse to say that these are the sort of things their audience wants? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 29 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Interesting, and for me concerning, if they are only asking the opinion of new audiences. I would think the opinion of established audiences should be of at least equal if not higher importance. But we don't count. The ROH thinks that we are already 'captives' - they will soon find out that we are not. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 57 minutes ago, Scheherezade said: My thoughts, too, Dawnstar. It does make me wonder quite why only new audiences are being targeted. Is this because new audiences, who may be more used to these things in other venues, are more likely to answer enthusiastically, giving the commissioning organisations an excuse to say that these are the sort of things their audience wants? That's why I find it concerning. I am very glad that the ROH, unlike most other venues, doesn't allow things like eating & drinking in the auditorium. I would hate it if that changed because people, some of whom may have only been to the ROH once or twice, want to be able to knock back drinks at their seats because that's what they do in other theatres. 55 minutes ago, capybara said: But we don't count. The ROH thinks that we are already 'captives' - they will soon find out that we are not. In terms of wanting to see classical ballet, I feel like those of us who can't afford to travel further afield kind of are captives! The only other option in London is ENB, and since they only perform 2-3 ballets per a year they're not really a viable replacement for seeing the RB regularly, plus as many of us found earlier this year the Coliseum has already started to allow a lot of the audience behaviours many of us find very annoying. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 4 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: In terms of wanting to see classical ballet, I feel like those of us who can't afford to travel further afield kind of are captives! Agree but, if we are in any way representative of the regulars, there are a lot of us saying we will have to go to the ROH less from now on. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 I can't help feeling that one of the reasons why they won't reverse their suicidal pricing strategy is because to do so would mean publicly admitting that they had made a mistake. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 21 minutes ago, Scheherezade said: I can't help feeling that one of the reasons why they won't reverse their suicidal pricing strategy is because to do so would mean publicly admitting that they had made a mistake. They could always call it a 'mis-step'... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 5 minutes ago, bridiem said: They could always call it a 'mis-step'... On a par with some of McRae's accidents?! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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