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Post by Rory on Dec 6, 2017 20:31:30 GMT
Has The Old Vic become one of the most expensive theatres in London?
I was on their website just now scoping out a ticket for a midweek matinee of Mood Music next May. I could scarcely believe it when I saw that the £65 tickets only started from Stalls Row S backwards! Those in front are £85 and £125. Who in the name of God can or does pay these prices? Seriously!
I've ranted recently in the Quiz thread about prices and there is a whole other thread about the con that is premium tickets but it's unbelievable.
Is there no cheaper way to get a decent stalls ticket for £65 or under that doesn't involve sitting at the back?
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Post by Rory on Dec 6, 2017 20:36:08 GMT
And to boot they have the cheek to advertise on the Mood Music home page the top price as being £65.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2017 20:46:28 GMT
Agree their top ticket prices are very off-putting and they also tend to quite aggressively dynamically price. Seems totally counter to their attempts to appear more accessible!
However - you could wait for the PWC £10 preview tickets, hang on for offers (loads of seats left so I suspect there will be some), or go for the "slightly restricted" stalls seats - the ones either end of row Q are good value at £21.
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Post by Jon on Dec 7, 2017 0:22:54 GMT
The Old Vic is a charity so they don't get subsidy like The National. Given how much it likely costs to run and programme a venue of its size, they have to balance the books and they do try and offer inexpensive tickets and a lot of the restricted views seats are actually pretty decent.
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Post by Jan on Dec 7, 2017 7:23:44 GMT
The Old Vic is a charity so they don't get subsidy like The National. Given how much it likely costs to run and programme a venue of its size, they have to balance the books and they do try and offer inexpensive tickets and a lot of the restricted views seats are actually pretty decent. Yes. I distinguish between venues that get no subsidy like Old Vic and those that do like NT. The Old Vic can charge what they want in my view. Although I could afford their high prices I choose not to and as a result I haven't been there for years. The NT however, as a condition of their subsidy, should make lots of their seats affordable. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 8:41:24 GMT
Plenty of Old Vic seats are affordable and perfectly decent. However you do have to be ready to book them early on because they are SO into dynamic pricing. Also some of the seats change price when they change configuration; my usual favourite bargain gets bumped up an extra £40 whenever they do a show in the round (which seems harsh to me 'cos it's still basically directly behind a pillar no matter where the stage is this time). I would really rather have a theatre charging a range of £125 to £12 tickets than a flat rate of, say, £45 for the majority of the auditorium. Let the people with deep pockets subsidise those of us who need to hunt down the bargains, I say!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 17:03:12 GMT
I've noticed that 24 hours or less before a show, stalls prices can really plummet when it's empty. For Woyzeck I'd booked in advance at £21 (usual on Q), and saw that all the seats around me in the stalls had dropped from £125 / £65 to £30 by 4pm the day before. This is a policy that hardly encourages people to book in advance. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 17:15:31 GMT
Who in the name of God can or does pay these prices? Have you seen a lot of the Old Vic audience? |
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Post by Rory on Dec 7, 2017 17:56:09 GMT
To be fair to the Vic, and in the interests of balance, there ARE £65 tickets available nearer the front. I was looking on my phone before and it's harder to spot them than on a desktop. Still a startling number of VIP / Premium tickets though.
And I get it's a charity, and that it caters for a well heeled demographic. Personally, on principle, I wouldn't fork out £125 for a play but good luck to those who feel differently.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 18:06:18 GMT
And I get it's a charity, and that it caters for a well heeled demographic. Personally, on principle, I wouldn't fork out £125 for a play but good luck to those who feel differently. To be honest, if you managed to get near the front for 'The Crucible' while Richard Armitage washed himself down in front of your very eyes, £125 would be money well spent. |
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Post by bellboard27 on Dec 7, 2017 19:16:09 GMT
And I get it's a charity, and that it caters for a well heeled demographic. Personally, on principle, I wouldn't fork out £125 for a play but good luck to those who feel differently. To be honest, if you managed to get near the front for 'The Crucible' while Richard Armitage washed himself down in front of your very eyes, £125 would be money well spent. A case in point for OV dynamic pricing. I remember they let out some nice stalls and dress circle seats for press night of The Crucible for £10. Gratefully received! |
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Post by lynette on Dec 7, 2017 19:20:14 GMT
I read today that The Old Vic employs three PR companies. Not sure I want my dosh going that way.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 23:27:31 GMT
I read today that The Old Vic employs three PR companies. Not sure I want my dosh going that way. Surely the purpose of PR is to generate additional net income (i.e., additional receipts of income, greater than is spent on procuring the PR)? |
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Post by lynette on Dec 7, 2017 23:55:12 GMT
Indeed but three companies is lot, no? You have to pay them.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 7:34:38 GMT
I read today that The Old Vic employs three PR companies. Not sure I want my dosh going that way. Surely the purpose of PR is to generate additional net income (i.e., additional receipts of income, greater than is spent on procuring the PR)? I've used PR companies and that's not how they are paid, partly at least because it's very difficult in most cases to draw that kind of direct line. In my experience they talk a good talk but what they achieve is far fuzzier... |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 8:50:42 GMT
A PR company's job is to make something look great no matter how mediocre it is. So how do you go about finding a good one?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 12:21:32 GMT
They may be responsible for different things based upon the strengths of the agencies, some may be more experts in social media, others in event organisation etc. It's highly unlikely that they're all working on the same thing and they'll be paid accordingly.
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 8, 2017 13:10:52 GMT
Right now, I would have thought that the Old Vic needs a PR company that specializes in post-scandal reputation management.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 13:14:17 GMT
Perhaps one's doing PR for wide-scale promotion of productions, one's doing PR for social media and email and stuff, and one's doing pretty much nothing but dealing with Spacey fall-out...
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 8, 2017 13:55:36 GMT
Isn't that bottle empty yet, @theatremonkey?
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 8, 2017 14:23:10 GMT
No wonder your parents would rather go on a chara trip to Thursford. You've let them down, you've let yourself down, and you've let the Board down!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 17:28:08 GMT
^ You mean they'll never, ever get to hear the brass band that play the diddlely-bump-terrara? Some son you are...!  |
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Post by Dawnstar on Dec 8, 2017 18:33:56 GMT
^Do you have a shortlist of possible zoos drawn up?
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