When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other (NT)

It would be interesting to look at who buys what tickets and when.

I’ve always taken it as read that those who can afford a membership are able and willing to buy tickets at a higher price, to subsidise those less able to pay (even £80 a year would be seen as unwarranted expenditure by many). Why would they not continue to pay for that membership if those tickets were priced normally until public booking opens? They would still be at levels cheaper than the full price, so the membership is still getting the early access which most seem to feel is the real benefit, plus they get a double or more chance to get tickets for popular shows. The other result would be first timers, those for whom going to the theatre is not a regular thing, would find affordable tickets more available to them.

Bear in mind this is some VERY basic maths/economics to illustrate a point, but the purpose of Memberships is 'money in the bank' as in if you've got 100 memberships at £10 each well that's £1000 before you start that you aren't going to lose either way. While in theory you could make more by selling out your 100 seats at £10 than only selling 1/3 of them at £50 or whatever, you need that capital to keep the 'lights on' as it were in the first place. 

And anyway all to say, no memberships aren't some big mysterious thing. And honestly anyone I know who has one generally sees it as 'yes i get the perks but also I want to support the arts more broadly and I'm in a position to do so' as well. 

I don't disagree that much like the Amex system they should hold back some of the cheaper seats for general sale, but also that's the theatre's prerogative etc (and maybe just nobody has pointed this out to them) 

I understand the economics of it but theatre has an image problem as being something for an elite and the 'early access for the wealthy' thing plays into that. If it felt more welcoming and accessible, more part of the community in general, maybe it would attract more people over the threshold and wouldn't need a few with very deep pockets to keep it ticking over.

It's unusual, as an art form, in that where you sit has a direct bearing on the quality of your experience and can completely transform it. I really like studio productions because all seats are the same price and if you are enthusiastic enough to be prepared to wait you'll get a great seat and if you'd rather be in the bar till 7.30 you won't, so the quality of your experience isn't predetermined by wealth.

I appreciate that's obviously not practical for large old fashioned theatres - the issue with membership is quite often you don't even have the chance to buy a decent stalls seat even if you do have the money because they've gone by the time public booking opens.

But for those of us from out-of-town you have to factor in that we're probably aiming for a Saturday matinee and I'll generally spend more on travelling than the ticket itself. What I do is get a crap seat, buy advance train tickets and then keep checking for a better seat through returns if it's a theatre that's enlightened enough to do them and let me swap. Some West End ones don't, even though the ticket you are trying to return is a £10 upper circle massively restricted view and the one you want is a much pricier stalls!

Look I think we're all talking completely at odds and getting nowhere, so I for one am calling it a day (also because possibly people do want to discuss Cate and her nylon underwear in this thread and who am I to stop them).

Quite right. So that dildo huh? Had a bit of an odd curve to it, did it not? No wonder Stephen Dillane kept his scanties on in the curtain call. I hope someone scans his dressing room post-show...

They had a fully functioning garage door initially for no reason? What a luxury, it looked to work much better than my garage door.

They were milk snakes, Monkey.

Meanwhile back to the play...

I saw it last night and Blanchett and Dillane  were fantastic.

As to the play itself, the only positive thing I can say is I expected it to be excruciating and it was merely very painful.

One member of the audience giving out flowers again (to the whole cast) with a a special present to Cate in a gift bag so I couldn't see what it was (gold-plated dildo?)

Similarly wondered that, was presumably same actor last Monday but no mention of who he was in programme, free cast list or website.