1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Mar 28, 2018 12:31:18 GMT
All this talk of eating before shows has made me wonder if we’ve ever had a thread on best places to eat near each theatre. The website hotdinners did a great post on best family friendly restaurants that aren’t dreadful tourist traps near major tourist spots (https://www.hot-dinners.com/Features/Hot-Dinners-recommends/great-restaurants-to-take-kids-out-to-in-london?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=180327&idU=3) (apologies, I have not worked out how to do nice embedded links in posts on a mobile device) I’ll start the thread if there’s interest. In the spirit of full disclosure, I used to moderate a restaurant Internet forum, so I will do my best to reign in my more opinionated, obsessive tendencies. Probably a good time to resurrect this thread: theatreboard.co.uk/thread/1566/best-show-eateries  And also link to the bad behaviour posts on vomiting in theatres! |
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Post by profquatermass on Mar 28, 2018 12:32:20 GMT
Cinemas in central London have no difficulty selling tickets for 6pm shows so I don't see why theatres couldn't do the same once a week
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4,156 posts
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Post by kathryn on Mar 28, 2018 13:30:36 GMT
Yes, but 6pm films actually don't start till 6.20pm if you skip the adverts and trailers, and even then I'm probably taking food and drink in with me.
I know, I know, it totally breaks the code of conduct. I am a bad wittertainee.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2018 15:02:03 GMT
6:20?! What cinemas are you going to, I'd love to only have to sit through *twenty* minutes of ads!
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494 posts
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Post by ellie1981 on Mar 28, 2018 15:06:34 GMT
6:20?! What cinemas are you going to, I'd love to only have to sit through *twenty* minutes of ads! Exactly. I go all the time (214 films last year which is my new record) and average is 30 minutes. There have been two occasions where the trailers and ads were 40 minutes! Luckily the BFI only have 5 minutes and Prince Charles Cinema 10 minutes, but big chain multiplexes are ridiculous - which is all the more baffling when some people arrive 30+ minutes into the film. |
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Post by Steffi on Mar 28, 2018 17:52:09 GMT
Here in Germany I do love an early midweek show. I’m at Tarzan tonight. The 6:30pm start means I’m done by 9:30pm which is great since I have to work early tomorrow.
In London or on Broadway I prefer a 7:30pm/8pm start but I’m on holidays there so no work the next day to factor in.
Although on Broadway I mostly watch Sleep no more which on Fridays means a 7pm and an 11pm show (Saturdays 5pm and 9pm).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2018 17:57:04 GMT
I think early starts can only work in big cities like London, where they can attract customers who aren't travelling far. If you're a regional theatre, your audiences are going to be travelling from further to get there, and 6 just isn't viable.
Personally, I could do 6 for London on a Saturday, and it would mean that I could see an evening show and probably still make the last train home. It wouldn't be my favourite plan though, as it would mean eating early and then rushing afterwards to catch a train.
For regional theatres, if I'm going on a work night then it needs to be 7.30, and if it's a weekend then I'd rather eat first at a reasonable time, meaning it also needs to be 7.30 ish.
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5,062 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 28, 2018 18:24:04 GMT
How would a 9pm start whet your appetite?
On Broadway shows used to start at 9pm, that is where the expression the 11 o’cloak number comes from, as the second to last number which was the big number, to wake the audience up to go home, generally happened about 11pm.
Recently you have the 7pm start in the week for shows in New York, I understand this was instigated by Disney to be more family friendly, after all you don’t want to be putting your kids to bed at midnight on a school night.
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7,189 posts
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Post by Jon on Mar 28, 2018 18:28:50 GMT
Mamma Mia! had 5pm and 8.30pm on Fridays when it at the Prince of Wales but switched to a normal Thursday matinee when they moved to the Novello. Our Ladies and Here Lies Love at the Dorfman had 5pm and 9pm shows but those were shows that were 90-100 minutes long.
I think 7.30pm is perfect for most standard length shows but I think for a fairly short show, 7.45pm or 8pm isn't a huge issue either. For a mega long shows like Angels in America or The Inheritance, 6.30pm wouldn't have been too bad since you'd still get out at a reasonable time.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2018 18:32:48 GMT
No way would I consider a 9pm start! I'm old, I want to be in bed well before midnight! I'd be asleep in act 2, no matter how good it is.
Most of the things I go to start between 7.15 and 7.45 depending on length, and that suits me fine.
When I go to London for something I like to do there and back in a day. We tend to get a train down in the morning, go to the matinee, then have dinner afterwards without having to rush and be constantly looking at watches, and then get a train home around 8, meaning I'm home for 10.30 and in bed at a reasonable time.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2018 18:39:04 GMT
Oh and don't get me started on music gigs where the doors open at 6 something but the band doesn't come on til 9! It does my head in. I wish bands would do nice afternoon concerts where they start on time. That would be lovely. I go on my own most of the time and you need to get there fairly near the doors opening time if you want a decent spot, and then you stand there for ages guarding your spot and can't go to the loo or have a drink because you're on your own. AND then you don't get home til stupid o'clock. BOO.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2018 18:49:37 GMT
Oh and don't get me started on music gigs where the doors open at 6 something but the band doesn't come on til 9! It does my head in. I wish bands would do nice afternoon concerts where they start on time. That would be lovely. I go on my own most of the time and you need to get there fairly near the doors opening time if you want a decent spot, and then you stand there for ages guarding your spot and can't go to the loo or have a drink because you're on your own. AND then you don't get home til stupid o'clock. BOO. Oh yes very much so! at the very least in the days of social media finding out what time they're actually on is easier. But as you say if you want a good spot you're screwed.... |
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Post by robertb213 on Mar 28, 2018 19:53:14 GMT
I do a lot of 2-show days when I'm in London watching stuff, and my dream would be for a 3.00 matinee and then a 7.00 evening show, giving me enough time between shows to relocate, eat and get seated again. When it's 2.30 and 7.30 (or later), there can sometimes be nearly 2.5-3 hours between shows which is a lot of time to kill when you're a single saddo flying solo! Plus a later finish means a later train home. I do appreciate I'm in the minority though and most people would prefer more time to eat and have a breather between shows! 😁
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5,062 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 28, 2018 20:09:54 GMT
Mamma Mia! had 5pm and 8.30pm on Fridays when it at the Prince of Wales but switched to a normal Thursday matinee when they moved to the Novello. Our Ladies and Here Lies Love at the Dorfman had 5pm and 9pm shows but those were shows that were 90-100 minutes long. I think 7.30pm is perfect for most standard length shows but I think for a fairly short show, 7.45pm or 8pm isn't a huge issue either. For a mega long shows like Angels in America or The Inheritance, 6.30pm wouldn't have been too bad since you'd still get out at a reasonable time. Incidentally Dirty Dancing and Chicago dome an early/late evening show on a Friday. Understand also that Priscilla considered it at the Palace, but scheduling was too tight. Really surprised that Book of Mormon and Jamie hasn’t done the 2 shows on a Friday. I do a lot of 2-show days when I'm in London watching stuff, and my dream would be for a 3.00 matinee and then a 7.00 evening show, giving me enough time between shows to relocate, eat and get seated again. When it's 2.30 and 7.30 (or later), there can sometimes be nearly 2.5-3 hours between shows which is a lot of time to kill when you're a single saddo flying solo! Plus a later finish means a later train home. I do appreciate I'm in the minority though and most people would prefer more time to eat and have a breather between shows! 😁 Caffè Nero and chill. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2018 12:37:46 GMT
How would a 9pm start whet your appetite? On Broadway shows used to start at 9pm, that is where the expression the 11 o’cloak number comes from, as the second to last number which was the big number, to wake the audience up to go home, generally happened about 11pm. Recently you have the 7pm start in the week for shows in New York, I understand this was instigated by Disney to be more family friendly, after all you don’t want to be putting your kids to bed at midnight on a school night. I'd love a 9pm start on a Friday, then I wouldn't be stressed rushing from work, I would have time to eat dinner and relax and enjoy the show, then the Night Tube to get me home. Even 8pm would be better than 7.30pm. |
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Post by l0islane on Mar 29, 2018 19:53:01 GMT
I would love shows to have one night a week when they start at 6.30pm. I finish work at 4.30pm and 3 hours hanging around before the show is annoying even accounting for getting food. Most of my friends finish at 5pm and we often talk about how we wish shows would start earlier. I often book tickets for press night specifically because it's normally a 7pm start.
On this subject I'm on a theatre research panel and was recently asked to complete a questionnaire about show start times and whether an earlier start time would influence my purchasing decision so it's obviously not just us who are thinking about it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2018 1:19:41 GMT
The late great Sir Ken Dodd started some shows a bit earlier in later years but even with a 7pm start you were still lucky to get out by midnight!
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4,806 posts
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Post by Mark on Mar 30, 2018 8:19:59 GMT
I do a lot of 2-show days when I'm in London watching stuff, and my dream would be for a 3.00 matinee and then a 7.00 evening show, giving me enough time between shows to relocate, eat and get seated again. When it's 2.30 and 7.30 (or later), there can sometimes be nearly 2.5-3 hours between shows which is a lot of time to kill when you're a single saddo flying solo! Plus a later finish means a later train home. I do appreciate I'm in the minority though and most people would prefer more time to eat and have a breather between shows! 😁 That’s honestly my ideal too. The smaller the gap between the shows the better. I think when I had it once when I saw The Life at Southwark Playhouse followed by Angels in America part 1 and had an hour to have a nice stroll from Southwark, grab a sandwich and then hardly any waiting around. |
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