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Post by learfan on Apr 3, 2019 6:26:54 GMT
It struck me the other day that the revamped Leeds Playhouse is scheduled to open in the autumn. Given we are in April already would it not be unreasonable to expect a new season announcement soon? Any Yorkies out there who have heard anything?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2019 8:17:33 GMT
Not a Yorkie, but so far they've announced Frank Skinner's gig, Northern Ballet's Dracula and The Wizard of Oz as their Christmas production.
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Post by learfan on Apr 3, 2019 8:46:42 GMT
Yes ive seen that but there will obviously be some sort of big announcement for what they are opening up with.
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Post by TallPaul on Apr 3, 2019 20:10:48 GMT
Maybe they want to be a little more certain that building work will be complete, before announcing a 'hard' opening?
When I was in Leeds just a few weeks ago, construction of the new entrance had only just begun.
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Post by showgirl on May 16, 2019 10:09:04 GMT
I see they're launching the new season today though some info is already available. (See their website.)
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Post by Someone in a tree on Feb 6, 2020 13:51:36 GMT
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Post by lichtie on Feb 6, 2020 16:22:10 GMT
Unfortunately they've done away with proper beer...
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 6, 2020 17:08:14 GMT
Not keen on that front bit. Looks a bit naff 😐
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Post by TallPaul on Feb 6, 2020 17:47:08 GMT
Along with all my other areas of expertise, I am an architecture expert. 😉 I'm afraid the multi-million pound redevelopment simply doesn't work.
The Playhouse may now be city facing, if a dual carriageway, multi-story carpark and bus station are worth facing, but the new entrance is actually hidden in the far corner, behind a pillar.
To enter you have to wait for first one, and then a second, 12 foot long automatic door to slowly slide open. Then once inside, you have to navigate your way through the new coffee shop. Fine when quiet, but a nightmare in the 45 minutes before a performance.
As everything, apart from the coffee shop, is upstairs anyway, accessed via a very ordinary staircase, it's probably easier and quicker to use the original entrance.
And the box office staff are still as unhelpful as they ever were. Their computer screens are for "internal use only", so I had to use my smartphone to see which seats I could book there and then, in person!
"Is that an aisle?"
"I"ll just find out for you...Tim, is that an aisle?"
"Er, I'm not sure."
"Can you tell me when tickets for The Great Gatsby go on sale?"
"I'll just find out for you...Sandra, when do tickets for The Great Gatsby go on sale?"
"We don't have a date yet. Probably best to contact Northern Ballet."
😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
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Post by Dawnstar on Feb 6, 2020 19:38:57 GMT
Oh great. I'm going to try to pop in on Saturday to see if I can swap my ALNM ticket, as I'm now going to be on holiday on the date I have booked, but I won't have much time so unhelpful box office staff will be the last thing I'll need.
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Post by TallPaul on Feb 6, 2020 19:58:12 GMT
I'm going to try to pop in on Saturday to see if I can swap my ALNM ticket Did you book with Leeds Playhouse, or direct with Opera North? I don't know about Opera North but, credit where it's due, Leeds Playhouse will definitely allow you to swap your ticket, so there should be no "see" providing, of course, tickets are available for your new date. |
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Post by learfan on Feb 6, 2020 20:16:30 GMT
Sounds like another example of an expensive shiny new building with not a lot to put on. Bristol Old Vic springs to mind.
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Post by Dawnstar on Feb 6, 2020 22:41:48 GMT
Did you book with Leeds Playhouse, or direct with Opera North? I don't know about Opera North but, credit where it's due, Leeds Playhouse will definitely allow you to swap your ticket, so there should be no "see" providing, of course, tickets are available for your new date. With Opera North. I've checked their website & it says exchanges are allowed. I assumed I'd need to go to Leeds Playhouse to actually get it done though (given I hate telephoning). |
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Post by TallPaul on Feb 7, 2020 10:19:30 GMT
Leeds Playhouse may be able to exchange a ticket booked with Opera North but, if time is short, wouldn't it be better to go straight to Opera North's own box office, especially as you will literally be passing the door? It's currently in the middle of a building site, but it was definitely open, if a little hidden, last Saturday afternoon. Me too! ETA: I've messed up the quoting on my phone, but I hope I make sense...well as much sense as I ever do. 🙂 |
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Post by david on Feb 7, 2020 18:20:37 GMT
I had a chance to visit the refurbished theatre last year. I had a slight problem locating the theatre (thanks to google maps sending me on a nice sight seeing tour of the Leeds city centre ring road. Considering I lived in West Yorkshire for 10 yrs, I’m really ashamed I couldn’t locate the building on my own as I was a regular attendee during that period). Anyway, the theatre facade whilst very colourful didn’t really appeal to me in the way it was done.
I did like the interior design and made plenty of use of the ground floor cafe preshow. I’ll be making a return trip across the Pennines in the summer to watch Piaf.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 7, 2020 18:30:48 GMT
I had a chance to visit the refurbished theatre last year. I had a slight problem locating the theatre (thanks to google maps sending me on a nice sight seeing tour of the Leeds city centre ring road. Considering I lived in West Yorkshire for 10 yrs, I’m really ashamed I couldn’t locate the building on my own as I was a regular attendee during that period). Anyway, the theatre facade whilst very colourful didn’t really appeal to me in the way it was done. I did like the interior design and made plenty of use of the ground floor cafe preshow. I’ll be making a return trip across the Pennines in the summer to watch Piaf. I assume the seating, ie the actual bit where we have to park our bums for 3 hours wasn’t included in the refurb? Fur coat, no knickers! I agree it’s hard to find. I got completely lost first time I went, despite google maps. It’s very short distance from the station as the crow flies but you have to walk around stuff. Even worse in a cab, you have to go old a right old diversion on the ring road. People visiting for the first time should allow plenty of time. |
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Post by david on Feb 7, 2020 19:07:16 GMT
I had a chance to visit the refurbished theatre last year. I had a slight problem locating the theatre (thanks to google maps sending me on a nice sight seeing tour of the Leeds city centre ring road. Considering I lived in West Yorkshire for 10 yrs, I’m really ashamed I couldn’t locate the building on my own as I was a regular attendee during that period). Anyway, the theatre facade whilst very colourful didn’t really appeal to me in the way it was done. I did like the interior design and made plenty of use of the ground floor cafe preshow. I’ll be making a return trip across the Pennines in the summer to watch Piaf. I assume the seating, ie the actual bit where we have to park our bums for 3 hours wasn’t included in the refurb? Fur coat, no knickers! I agree it’s hard to find. I got completely lost first time I went, despite google maps. It’s very short distance from the station as the crow flies but you have to walk around stuff. Even worse in a cab, you have to go old a right old diversion on the ring road. People visiting for the first time should allow plenty of time. I think the auditoriums got a few more seats put in but the existing seats didn’t get replaced. Getting back to the train station was far easier. I made the mistake of turning left out of the train station rather than right which gives you the nice short walk to the theatre. At least next time it will be less hassle getting there! |
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Post by Someone in a tree on Feb 7, 2020 19:15:55 GMT
I've always walked it from the town centre and never had a problem
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Post by lichtie on Feb 7, 2020 19:53:59 GMT
The seating in the Quarry had a big revamp at the back - it was really tatty back there the end of the WYP days. They've modified the spaces available for wheelchair users to something rather easier (and installed mid-seating entries/exits rather than all at the back). And of course the new Bramall Rock space is new (as a theatre anyway) but don't know what it's like (off there tomorrow to see Dr Korczak's Example so will comment again after that).
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Post by lichtie on Feb 9, 2020 12:51:55 GMT
So the Bramall feels like a long, thin, cellar in which someone has set up a pop-up theatre.... Having said that it'd a decent size space, and worked well for Dr Korczak (which is worth seeing by the way!) But I can imagine other small productions which would struggle in here.
The other notable issue yesterday was that there was a deaf wheelchair user present, who was seated at the front (only location here), but the signer was standing at the far side of that row, so she could basically either watch the signed narrative or watch the actors, but not both at the same time. Thought that was poorly thought out (they could have basically moved the signer over to the door side if they were thinking about it in a real proactive sense, and should have lighting set up to cope with that possibility). As someone who thankfully has no issues it brought home how often what seems to be "proper access" on behalf of the venue can still be lacking. (This is not knowing LP per se as generally they're good with wheelchair users, and certainly go out of their way to give access to theatre companies aiming to expand the opportunities for actors with similar issues).
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Post by Dawnstar on Feb 9, 2020 17:55:19 GMT
Did you book with Leeds Playhouse, or direct with Opera North? I don't know about Opera North but, credit where it's due, Leeds Playhouse will definitely allow you to swap your ticket, so there should be no "see" providing, of course, tickets are available for your new date. With Opera North. I've checked their website & it says exchanges are allowed. I assumed I'd need to go to Leeds Playhouse to actually get it done though (given I hate telephoning). I was wrong! Having dashed from the station over to Leeds Playhouse, the box office couldn't find my order on their system. After a lot of checking of details I was told that, as I had booked via Opera Nnorth, it didn't seem to be showing on the Leeds Playhouse system so I'd have to go to Opera North's box office instead. As I had to go there anyway to collect my ticket for the performance I was about to attend at the Leeds Grand it wasn't a major problem but it's the first time I've come across a theatre not being able to access all the bookings made for their venue. I wonder what would happen if there was a last-minute ticket problem just before a performance? |
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Post by TallPaul on Feb 9, 2020 18:28:26 GMT
Far from ideal, Dawnstar, but all's well that ends well, as a moderately success playwright once wrote, and that's what matters! At least you can now put that part of the trip to bed, and concentrate just on booking your train tickets when they go on sale... probably about a fortnight before you are due to travel. 😉 And to answer your (rhetorical) Twitter question, no, we're a hardy bunch around here. You should see how little BurlyBeaR 🐻 wears on a night out around MCR. 🙂 |
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Post by Dawnstar on Feb 9, 2020 21:58:42 GMT
Far from ideal, Dawnstar , but all's well that ends well, as a moderately success playwright once wrote, and that's what matters! At least you can now put that part of the trip to bed, and concentrate just on booking your train tickets when they go on sale... probably about a fortnight before you are due to travel. 😉 And to answer your (rhetorical) Twitter question, no, we're a hardy bunch around here. You should see how little BurlyBeaR 🐻 wears on a night out around MCR. 🙂 I jolly well hope it's more than a fortnight before because a fortnight before I'll be abroad so won't be able to keep checking train ticket websites!
I imagine he'd be wearing head to toe fur! What's your Twitter username? Trying to remember if we've "met" on there.
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Post by TallPaul on Oct 30, 2020 10:34:19 GMT
I'd been to the Courtyard Theatre since the Playhouse reopened, but last night was my first post-refurbishment visit to the Quarry Theatre.
When, not if, theatregoing returns to normal, and the full house is once again available to book, those of us who are long of leg should choose our seats very carefully.
Without being able to explore like I normally would, it seems that, until I'm able to research further, the only options are the front row, some of the back row, and just four seats in between! ☹
The aisles are better than nothing, which is where I was sitting, but each row now has not so much a hand rail, more of a grab rail at head height.
On a side note, why don't people who manufacture theatre seats test the fabric first? They're only about a year old, and despite the Playhouse being closed for most of that time, the sackcloth is already showing signs of wear.
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