When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other (NT)

Or they could either put the show on in the Lyttleton, or not hire an A-list star for a show in the Dorfman.

Would that have been a bad thing? It would have introduced a lot of young TV-watchers or film fans to theatre, whereas a ballot seems to have left gaps.

As it is a ballot, by definition people will lose out, has an NT Live broadcast been scheduled? which at least will provide an opportunity for the unsuccesful to see the play.

The cynic in me says they will hold off with the expectation of the transfer, if this is the case why did they not put it on in the Lyttleton in the first place which will likely be a similar size to the transfer venue, thereby debunking the intimate line.

If the 10,000, 2 ticket allocations is true which implies you cannot buy a single seat, us singletons on the site will need to pair up which could have repurcussions that the NT has not thought through.

I have no horse in this race in terms of desperation to see it (I will live without) what my particular nerd brain gets annoyed about is the use of spaces at the NT in the 'wrong' way. The Dorf/Shed/Cottesloe has always been the 'experimental' space supported (financially and artistically) by the other two. With the other two also being where you make your money (so whacking out a bog standard Shakespeare, or putting a star on stage). Anyway it's a minor nerd point but it irks me.

I personally don’t think this is a minor nerd point at all. Blanchett’s salary alone must have eaten up a sizeable chunk of the budget - unless she’s on fee waiver.

Emily makes a very sensible point - this production would have made the NT a significant amount of money, had they put it in the Lyttleton, whereas in the Dorfman and with this ballot arrangement it will certainly make people talk about it and give free publicity to the NT, but do rather little for its pockets.  

As far as Blanchett's salary is concerned, of course there may be exceptions and the actual numbers may fall within a relatively large range, but I seem to remember from the 'Angels' days that even an A-list actor like Andrew Garfield was paid a lot less than people could have imagined, since they have some kind of cap anyway.  Emily may know/remember more than I do and I'm sure she will share her knowledge    

Details on day seats at and Cate in discussion

OohI love it when I'm right!

I can't answer for current rules, but certainly the NT used to operate a 'pay scale' for everyone, so yes 'top billing' in a play got you more than 'second spear carrier' but it didn't matter WHO you were that top rate was the same (or at least within a pay bracket of the same, because it obviously also depends on how many performances etc etc). And that such monies were while nothing to be sniffed at for a jobbing actor, certainly not what Hollywood stars get in commercial West End, and way below what Broadway pays.

On which note, obviously for some 'stars' if they're brought in on a promise of West End or Broadway transfer, then it's a good deal- kudos of the NT and the decent pay packet associated with a commercial run (all well under what the likes of Cate makes in movies obviously).

I don't know how much any of this has changed, whether there are deals to be struck for an exception under their various funding agreements (for example if you can prove to the Arts Council an expense such as a salary will bring more revenue sometimes they'll fund it above and beyond the usual etc).

BUT I very much agree that this as an economic and artistic exercise doesn't sit well. Even if the production is super experimental, whacking a star in it and making it super exclusive doesn't sit right. Maybe there's a bigger plan, maybe not though.

I don't know what Cate Blanchett is like on stage, but her screen style is subtle and I'm not sure that would translate to the back seats of a big theatre space. With Mosquitoes, Olivia Colman spoke about her stage fright so that may have been a factor with the decision there, too.

She's not too shabby in the old stage work. I don't think she's afraid of bigger spaces.

Gross Und Klein was by no means a classic (more of a car crash, from memory) but she was hypnotic for the duration - good old fashioned class.