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Post by normasturban on Nov 29, 2024 10:57:52 GMT
If I was involved in the show I’d be raising a suspect eyebrow at that woke comment. The problem is not that the marketing was woke, the problem was that the marketing was bad to the point of non existent. It told you nothing about the show and seemed to be aimed at an audience 10 years younger than the characters and their issues.
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Post by ladidah on Nov 29, 2024 11:30:24 GMT
I don't think you can look at the audience of most modern musicals in the West End, especially new ones, and accuse the audience of not wanting to see a 'woke' show.
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Post by unseaworthy on Nov 29, 2024 11:40:25 GMT
I don't think you can look at the audience of most modern musicals in the West End, especially new ones, and accuse the audience of not wanting to see a 'woke' show. Agreed - Isn't the point of theatre to reflect the modern world? |
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Post by sph on Nov 29, 2024 15:21:28 GMT
I think really it's a fringe show in a West End house which can't cover the overheads at that level. Especially opening cold with no previous identity.
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Post by properjob on Nov 29, 2024 21:18:56 GMT
I saw it after the early closure date had been announced. I liked it but wasn't surprised it was closing as it did feel niche. It would have absolutely smashed at the fringe and that may have helped build an audience but then a run at the fringe isn't exactly cheap either.
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Post by danb on Nov 29, 2024 21:30:10 GMT
I don't think you can look at the audience of most modern musicals in the West End, especially new ones, and accuse the audience of not wanting to see a 'woke' show. Agreed - Isn't the point of theatre to reflect the modern world? It is, but this seemed dated before it even opened. |
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Post by greatauntedna on Dec 1, 2024 23:05:02 GMT
Such a good show this evening, Rhys Wilkinson’s second performance as Oliver.
If only they had cut 10 minutes from it, changed a few lines and hinted at what it is in the posters!!
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Post by midge on Dec 3, 2024 11:31:48 GMT
Finally saw this and I'm a tad annoyed I didn't like it. There's some fun moments, and it's a great vehicle for Jo Foster to show off their talents. Thought Leesa Tulley and Noah Thomas did a great job with what they were given too. It's definitely funny, but it's definitely a fringe show.
Producer Kenny Wax saying 'I think the show is more about friendship between the two central characters than about the woke world in 2024 to 2025' is actually hilarious and deeply embarrassing. I hope he received a stern email from Marlow and Moss afterwards.
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Post by esteveyb on Dec 6, 2024 2:02:46 GMT
I notice that the quotes have ommitted this important disclosure from Kenny Wax:
“The Garrick has about 720 seats and we are frequently playing to 500-600 people a night, so we're very busy.”
So it's not that it's not finding an audience, or that people aren't going to see it. The ticket prices were low to start with, they've stayed affordable - I guess he expected to be able to hike them and not have to discount any, and still sell out.
A couple of times I've seen it, there's been some muted laughter at an emotional point in the show regarding Oliver's gender identity; but it's almost an uncomfortable laughter as the joke has been repeated a few times for comedy effect. It being 'woke' has not put audiences off, by his own admission.
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Post by fiyerorocher on Dec 6, 2024 9:39:51 GMT
Are all their audience members paying customers though? If this is on papering sites (and I don't actually know whether it is or not), then audience members aren't necessarily the audience they want to find, more just people looking for a very cheap or free night out.
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Post by unseaworthy on Dec 7, 2024 0:22:01 GMT
Also "frequently" playing to 500 people (many of whom have not paid full price) in a 720 seat theatre doesn't sound amazing...
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Post by esteveyb on Dec 7, 2024 3:36:26 GMT
Are all their audience members paying customers though? If this is on papering sites (and I don't actually know whether it is or not), then audience members aren't necessarily the audience they want to find, more just people looking for a very cheap or free night out. It isn't. Their 'full price' is incredibly low for the West End - but they set this from the outset. Tonight's show, which was very close to sold out, had restricted view seats for £35, the cheapest being £25. Even their Access prices aren't under £22.50 each. However, the most expensive seats were only £70, under half of the most expensive seats at Mean Girls. It does use £25 TodayTix rush, has 3 price points on TKTS (£30, £36.50 and £46.50) and has been in a few sales on the usual SOLT sites - but nothing new there. A new musical regularly hitting 70%-80% capacity is clearly successful in terms of audience attendance. If they were relying on 100% attendance at their pricing strategy, it was delusional to think it was viable, which is a financial planning error, not the fault of marketing. |
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