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Post by vdcni on Aug 22, 2018 11:01:39 GMT
I love this thread, it's extraordinarily easy to see who has and who hasn't been to a fan convention before. Exactly - this has clearly been modelled on the big sci-fi conventions which also don't release a huge amount of information this far out and also charge for autographs and photo shoots on top of the entry price. Some of them charge a few thousand pounds for the top level VIP packages. I don't know whether they have priced this correctly, I guess we'll see if it does actually continue next year. |
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 22, 2018 11:28:19 GMT
Being ancient I don't think I am the target market for this kind of malarkey. It is clearly aimed at the teen fan (girl?) market with the attendance of "she who must not be named" (CHF). It should be called musical con as there is no straight theatre represented.
If the target audience is young though - how are they expected to pay £80 plus?
I would certainly want to know far more about what I was getting for my money before booking.
It seems to be the equivalent of booking a West End show for £80 a ticket and being told - not sure where you will be seated (if at all), not sure how much of the show (or even which show) you will see and cast subject to change.
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Post by kathryn on Aug 22, 2018 11:37:16 GMT
There's 4 within a 10 minute walk - and lots of places nearer than that! Just head down Curtain Road. We quite like The Strongroom Bar, for drinks and snacks. Edit: Oops, that was meant to be a quote about local Prets! |
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 22, 2018 11:38:48 GMT
it's about disposable income, and it is the young and the old who are the most likely to have that. Yes, my old disposable income goes on day seats, rush tickets, lottery tickets, discounts and rocking up to the box office looking like a poverty stricken pensioner asking if they can do me deal! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2018 12:08:59 GMT
I think what the people who say "but it's just like a sci fi con" are missing is that if you're a sci fi fan, then a con like that is pretty much your only opportunity to meet the stars and go to panel talks and so on. If you're a theatre fan, you can do the stage door, and go to West End Live, and go to the talks and workshops and so on that theatres do already provide, like the RSC Unwrapped and post show Q&A sessions.
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Post by kathryn on Aug 22, 2018 12:30:50 GMT
Eh, you don't tend to get those sorts of talks so much with musicals and commercial theatre - that tends to be more the subsidised sector. And West End Live definitely doesn't have time for the sort of general mingling that you get at some sci-fi cons.
Plus most hard-core scifi fans find opportunities to get autographs for free outside of cons - turning up where shows are filming, etc. There are free talks and panels when new films and TV shows are being promoted - not just at cons. It's just convenient to have all of that stuff in one place at one time, and to know that the person you're a fan of is being compensated for their time and not secretly cursing the people keeping them from their friends/family/bed after a show.
And then there's the 'just hanging out with like-minded people in real life' element.
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Post by vdcni on Aug 22, 2018 12:37:16 GMT
I think what the people who say "but it's just like a sci fi con" are missing is that if you're a sci fi fan, then a con like that is pretty much your only opportunity to meet the stars and go to panel talks and so on. If you're a theatre fan, you can do the stage door, and go to West End Live, and go to the talks and workshops and so on that theatres do already provide, like the RSC Unwrapped and post show Q&A sessions. Then maybe it won't work then - we'll see. Though most sci-fi conventions have a huge number of people who attend multiple ones and on an annual basis There are tons of Doctor Who conventions in this country every year mostly covering the old series and have been for years so many people are attending and meeting the same actors again and again. Having them in one place and being able to interact with like minded people is a big draw for these things. And actually many Doctor Who fans also stage door when the opportunity arises. If there are people out there willing to pay £10 for an autograph with an actor who's character didn't even have a name you can see why they think this might work. |
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Post by LaLuPone on Aug 22, 2018 12:42:15 GMT
I won’t be going to this (especially not for £100 or whatever) but I can see that it will be great for theatre fans young and old to be able to meet like-minded people and have discussions about their passions and maybe even make friends. It’s not like you can really do this at the theatre because most of the audience probably aren’t really theatre “fans”, just casual theatregoers. For example let’s say I was at Legally Blonde and turned to the person next door and said “I can’t wait to see Lucie Jones in this, she was so good in Rent”, 9 times out of 10 they’d say “Who? What’s Rent? I’m here cos I’d heard of the movie”. I’m going off on a tangent here but what i mean is that if nothing else this is a great (expensive) way for hardcore theatre fans to meet each other.
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Post by kathryn on Aug 22, 2018 12:44:07 GMT
There's always been a lot of networking at sci-fi cons - aspiring writers meeting professionals and seeking advice especially.
A lot of the people now working professionally as writers and showrunners started out as fans and met each other at conventions.
It very much depends who ends up going - that workshop stream is worth keeping an eye on - but with the right crowd it could turn into an event for aspiring professionals looking for advice and encouragement, just as much for fans seeking autographs.
But it depends. We'll just have to wait and see.
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Post by 49thand8th on Aug 22, 2018 14:30:01 GMT
I love this thread, it's extraordinarily easy to see who has and who hasn't been to a fan convention before. No. Kidding. |
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Post by 49thand8th on Aug 22, 2018 14:33:01 GMT
I won’t be going to this (especially not for £100 or whatever) but I can see that it will be great for theatre fans young and old to be able to meet like-minded people and have discussions about their passions and maybe even make friends. It’s not like you can really do this at the theatre because most of the audience probably aren’t really theatre “fans”, just casual theatregoers. For example let’s say I was at Legally Blonde and turned to the person next door and said “I can’t wait to see Lucie Jones in this, she was so good in Rent”, 9 times out of 10 they’d say “Who? What’s Rent? I’m here cos I’d heard of the movie”. I’m going off on a tangent here but what i mean is that if nothing else this is a great (expensive) way for hardcore theatre fans to meet each other. This is exactly what was legitimately so heartwarming about BroadwayCon. Some aspects were definitely not for me (I'm old enough to be the young mother of most of the Gen Z attendees), but when you're surrounded by people in your everyday life who say soundtrack instead of cast recording or maybe saw one musical before and it was Evita in the '80s and they fell asleep, being surrounded by your peers, bonded by a form of entertainment that's ephemeral, is intangible and in a way invaluable. |
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Post by kathryn on Aug 22, 2018 15:43:38 GMT
The joy of hanging out and chatting with people who know what you're on about is why we're all on this board, right?! I mean, we even occasionally have people meet up for a drink and do it in person...
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Post by 49thand8th on Aug 22, 2018 15:56:59 GMT
Why go to a sporting event if you can go to a bar?
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Stage Con
Sept 26, 2018 22:48:56 GMT
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Post by westendwahwah on Sept 26, 2018 22:48:56 GMT
Has anyone heard any more about this? Seems to have gone quiet since launch
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2018 6:00:56 GMT
Looking at their twitter feed they haven't tweeted since August 15th (2 days after the launch announcement) which is a bit weird - would have expected them to be promoting it with regular updates.
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Post by theatrefan77 on Sept 27, 2018 6:39:03 GMT
I have the feeling that it won't happen
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Stage Con
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Post by No. on Sept 27, 2018 14:49:56 GMT
Surely they have to address this soon? Twitter is very much starting to pick up on the lack of information
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Post by kathryn on Sept 27, 2018 15:19:42 GMT
Oh? I thought they must have started booking people behind the scenes, as that Carl Woodward bloke who is all matey with Shenton recently tweeted that he'd changed his mind about it, from which I inferred that they'd booked him.
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Post by 49thand8th on Sept 27, 2018 15:30:28 GMT
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 27, 2018 16:11:15 GMT
Hopefully no-ones bogged off with the lolly, and people will get their £80 back.
I told you it would be a disaster!
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Post by HereForTheatre on Sept 27, 2018 16:14:55 GMT
Well this won't look good for a certain big theatre website who this is in association with and has their name plastered over the website. Not just them either, some big names are involved in this in one way or another, sponsorship and such like, and if it ends up not going ahead, or being a disaster if it does, it's going to be a nightmare for them.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 27, 2018 16:19:44 GMT
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Stage Con
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Post by No. on Sept 27, 2018 18:56:01 GMT
No word on Michael Xavier pulling out from the official account either, at this point I just hope that if this has fallen through people get their money back
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2018 19:52:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2018 6:51:24 GMT
As pointed out on twitter:
Not sure if it was ever on the event listings on the Shoreditch Town Hall site?
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