People, Places and Things - NT / Tour / Trafalgar Revival

It's just a case of the producers being ultra mean

They were hoping a best actress and best new play win would mean they would not have to offer any discounts

Given the show opened just prior to the awards

However as we have discussed before a win doesn't equate to ticket sales

So we shall see..

Agreed - I have been trying to see The Painkiller but have not won the lottery + at the theatre was quoted £90 - though in this case, apparently the play IS selling well.

You only have to look on the Delfont Mackintosh website to see that there is a lot of availability for both shows today and all of next week. But only in the expensive seats. The balcony seems to be full at every show. Can't think why. DMT are the absolute worst for dynamic pricing shows in their venues, regardless of which producer's show it is. And no producer will say no to higher ticket prices, as they'll just see more ££, and won't stop to think about what happens if nobody buys them. And this time it really shows a fundamental failure to understand the main demographic this show is aimed at.

And that is a proper shame, because it's a bloody good play and Denise Gough is giving a performance that really truly should not be missed.

The First Reality of Commercial Theatre is that:

Every Discount (or Cheap In-the-Know Trick So Loved on this Forum) Necessitates an Equal and Opposite Premium Price Rise

I imagine a lot of the sales were from people like me who had missed the NT run and booked as soon as the WE run was announced (via the NT) so they weren't paying £60+. I bet The Master Builder's £100+ sold terribly. It was still a hot ticket.

I don't doubt for a second £90 seats aren't selling well but they are probably going as day seats or to friends of people in the know and the the theatre is not remotely empty.

As I said there is a huge difference to giving away the odd seat to a connection and throwing seats at people on the usual comp websites.

Obviously Theatremonkey you did not say 'link' but it was only by using the quote button that I could get the richer text format which allowed me to post a link, sorry not very technology savvy it seems.

But has anyone noticed yet how the NT's new dynamic pricing is working in practice, please? I usually book on the first day if I do want to see something, and would be reluctant to check back for fear of finding that prices had subsequently fallen!

I was sitting on stage yesterday afternoon and it was pretty full.

Saw this at the Dorfman and saw this again, I said from the outset the Dnise Cough would win the Olivier, incredible performances tend to do that and Denise yesterday dlievered again and some more, this play got robbed by Hangman, which also was very good, but did not live up to this standard.

THIS was the highlight of my London visit, having watched this on Saturday evening, being the last of the shows that I saw. As I have said previously in this thread, it is somewhat out of the ordinary for me to see something like this, as I do not really go and see plays (preferring musicals). However, with all the hype that this has received, and the accolades given for Denise Gough's central performance, I thought I would give this a go. Not to mention, I got £15 stage seats, which are the BARGAIN OF THE CENTURY! I was that close, I felt as though the actor's were giving me a private performance in my living room. It was amazing to feel the energy from the cast at such close range. If you get chance to sit here, do. There were absolutely no obstructions, and they are quite possibly the best seats in the house.

Now onto Denise Gough's performance. I know a lot has been said on here already, and so I am only repeating what has been said previously, but this was quite simply one of the best performances I have ever seen on the stage. It is up there with Imelda Staunton in GYPSY, and probably surpasses it. What Denise does is so brave and honest; the energy and physical intensity she gives to the role is remarkable. I couldn't take my eyes off of her for the entire performance! She was fully immersed into the role, so much so that I could't see the actress behind the character - she WAS Emma! She made a potentially extremely unlikeable character likeable, not only through the dry wit she brought to the role, but also the humanity, making you care deeply for her. Denise Gough certainly is an actress I am going to follow the career of from now on, and I am already planning on seeing her in ANGELS IN AMERICA next year at the National (providing I can get a ticket!) That said, the rest of the ensemble cast all give fine, quality performances.

The play itself is an absolute stunner! So well-written, with surprises at every turn. McMillan's ability to turn things on their head is remarkable. The play can absolutely break your heart and shock you one moment (as it does in the last scene between Emma and her parents), but can be hilariously funny the next. Some have said that they found the group therapy scenes overlong. I did not feel that at all, and feel they were pitched just right. I was engrossed from start to finish.

The staging too is brilliant - fresh and vibrant, proving my assertion that simple is almost always better.

It will come as no surprise that I would award this 5 stars. If I could get to London again before it closes, I would definitely be seeing this again. Don't hesitate - JUST GO!

Forgot about the ending with her parents. It had me sitting bolt upright again!!!

We've all been there. "Oh you must see X show - it's amazing! You would love it" and so you book and go along with expectations for this 'best thing since sliced bread' production. The hype, inevitably never quite lived up to.

This however, is truly deserving of the high praise and accolade that it is receiving. Denise Gough is a truly inspiring performer, giving her characterisation of Emma everything she has got. It's got National Theatre running through it like Brighton in a stick of rock.

The fragility of Emma's state of mind comes across painfully clear, as she comes to terms with the consequences of a destructive life. Throughout the piece, I couldn't help but feel huge swathes of sympathy for her, however it was during her scene with her parents that I began to reevaluate just how much pain and suffering her actions have caused to those around her. A truly thought provoking piece. Believe in the hype.

And just as a side note, for anyone with seats in the balcony:

I've always taken advice that - vertigo sufferers should avoid these seats - with a pinch of salt when I read them. These seats, on the other hand, are rather higher than I'm used to. I was ok with it, but others did upgrade themselves once they saw the sheer height of the balcony from the stage. The view was great all the same, but it was a shock to the system.