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Post by couldileaveyou on Nov 13, 2021 1:57:38 GMT
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Post by alece10 on Nov 13, 2021 10:00:55 GMT
I walked past last night on my way to the ENO and saw what looked like a large group of students (MT students maybe) waiting outside to go in.
The outside of the theatre looks great. Nothing to say its the Playhouse Theatre, just a subtle Kit Kat Club sign over the main entrance. The glass on the entrance doors is blacked out and there are no cast posters or, in fact, anything saying Cabaret. It looks like a discrete club which, I am guessing, is what they are aiming at.
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Post by fossil on Nov 13, 2021 17:47:52 GMT
Unlike most venues that will accept proof of double vaccination, entry to Cabaret will only be allowed on presentation of "NHS-Self Report Tool confirmation email and/or text message" following a lateral flow or PCR test.
People attending Cabaret who do not already have a test kit and would normally have no reason to obtain one (e.g. no contact with an infected person or not visiting a care home, etc.) will now doubt be going to their nearest pharmacy to pick up a free NHS kit of 7 tests. The government have already spent over £3.2billion on test kits (https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/774805/response/1852394/attach/html/3/FOI1347531.pdf.html). The FT have in the past estimated the kits as costing between £5 and £30 each.
Tickets at eye watering prices seem to be selling well for this show so a good profit stands to be made for the producers in time. It would be reasonable to conclude that many thousands of extra test kits will be supplied to audience members - all free of charge - by the NHS. I would be interested in peoples opinion on this. Would it be unreasonable in believing it would be an appropriate gesture for the producers to (once they are in profit) make a contribution to the NHS for the significant extra costs they are causing to be incurred?
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8,162 posts
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Post by alece10 on Nov 13, 2021 18:01:18 GMT
There are lots of instances where a negative test is required. For example a friend is attending a meeting at a Cancer charity next week and has to do a lateral flow test before attending. So should that charity also make a donation to the government?
We have all paid for these test kits indirectly out of our income tax so I don't see why a company asking for proof of test should have to contribute further.
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Post by A.Ham on Nov 13, 2021 18:35:42 GMT
I believe the test kits are funded from the £37bn allocated to Test & Trace, so without wanting to be too political about it, at least audience members confirming their negative status and being allowed entry to the Kit Kat Club will mean some benefit has been delivered for that vast sum!
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Post by floorshow on Nov 13, 2021 18:41:51 GMT
I would have thought the gov is more concerned about money moving around and restoring the economy by enabling places to open - the revenue and wider benefits generated by this must significantly outweigh the cost of LFTs for punters.
Dunno how you balance the opportunity to make a charitable donation against making up for a year of going dark or reducing ticket prices though I guess that last one is bottom of the priorities!
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Post by saral on Nov 13, 2021 18:45:28 GMT
The government not allowing there free lft's to be used for travel as it's classed as leisure is the complete opposite of allowing them to be used for theatre trips
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2021 18:49:31 GMT
My FOMO has got the best of me. Just had a look for tickets for this in the early weeks. There seems to be a lot of stalls tickets, tables for two. Are they returns? Or did they never sell?
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19,794 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 13, 2021 19:25:16 GMT
I walked past last night on my way to the ENO and saw what looked like a large group of students (MT students maybe) waiting outside to go in. The outside of the theatre looks great. Nothing to say its the Playhouse Theatre, just a subtle Kit Kat Club sign over the main entrance. The glass on the entrance doors is blacked out and there are no cast posters or, in fact, anything saying Cabaret. It looks like a discrete club which, I am guessing, is what they are aiming at. This and the promos depicting a seedy nightclub are far the most interesting things I’ve heard about this production. The star names? Sorry couldn’t give a toss about either of them, and I think the show itself just isn’t that good. I always come out feeling cheated/disappointed. BUT if they’ve recreated a dirty, low rent, sleazy vibe with a grubby/sexy looking ensemble I might give this thing one more try. Maybe? |
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Post by Jon on Nov 13, 2021 19:32:53 GMT
This and the promos depicting a seedy nightclub are far the most interesting things I’ve heard about this production. The star names? Sorry couldn’t give a toss about either of them, and I think the show itself just isn’t that good. I always come out feeling cheated/disappointed. BUT if they’ve recreated a dirty, low rent, sleazy vibe with a grubby/sexy looking ensemble I might give this thing one more try. Maybe? It's not the first time they've done that for Cabaret as a concept. I'm more curious about Jessie Buckley's Sally because we know she can sing but I wonder if she'll play Sally as an average singer who the audience isn't shocked that she's in this dive or play it like Liza who in the film who clearly chose to be at the Kit Kat Club but easily could have ended somewhere nicer. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 13, 2021 19:44:37 GMT
I’m sure it’s not. The film did it that way and was perfect for it.
Jessie Buckley is not going to portray SB as a crap singer unless she’s looking to commit career suicide. Judi didn’t have a choice but this is a musical.
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Post by cavocado on Nov 13, 2021 20:06:53 GMT
Unlike most venues that will accept proof of double vaccination, entry to Cabaret will only be allowed on presentation of "NHS-Self Report Tool confirmation email and/or text message" following a lateral flow or PCR test. People attending Cabaret who do not already have a test kit and would normally have no reason to obtain one (e.g. no contact with an infected person or not visiting a care home, etc.) will now doubt be going to their nearest pharmacy to pick up a free NHS kit of 7 tests. The government have already spent over £3.2billion on test kits (https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/774805/response/1852394/attach/html/3/FOI1347531.pdf.html). The FT have in the past estimated the kits as costing between £5 and £30 each. Tickets at eye watering prices seem to be selling well for this show so a good profit stands to be made for the producers in time. It would be reasonable to conclude that many thousands of extra test kits will be supplied to audience members - all free of charge - by the NHS. I would be interested in peoples opinion on this. Would it be unreasonable in believing it would be an appropriate gesture for the producers to (once they are in profit) make a contribution to the NHS for the significant extra costs they are causing to be incurred? The reasons you give (contact with infected person, etc) are for getting free PCR tests. The NHS encourages everyone to do LFTs twice a week, that's why they are so freely available. So you could argue that theatres (or sports events etc) who ask for LFT results are encouraging more people to test and so helping reduce spread of the virus. Successful shows would probably also say they're helping to get the economy back up and running, attract tourists back, support nearby bars, restaurants, etc, as well as all the taxes that are paid as a result of all that. |
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Post by lem on Nov 13, 2021 22:00:04 GMT
Has anyone considered what you are supposed to do if (like many older people, including my Mum), you don’t have internet access, email or a mobile phone? There ARE still people who are not connected 24/7 - how do they get proof of a negative test?
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Post by fiyerorocher on Nov 13, 2021 22:24:11 GMT
Has anyone considered what you are supposed to do if (like many older people, including my Mum), you don’t have internet access, email or a mobile phone? There ARE still people who are not connected 24/7 - how do they get proof of a negative test? Well if that don't have any internet access at all, I'd question how they managed to get tickets to the show in the first place (was the box office even open?). And I truly doubt the word 'many' can be accurately applied to the group of people without internet access OR email OR phone who want to go see Cabaret. Those without a smart phone can print out their confirmation email from the NHS before they go. Those very few without email or internet will have to find someone to help them. Presumably the person who bought them the ticket. |
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Post by showoff on Nov 13, 2021 22:57:04 GMT
Has anyone considered what you are supposed to do if (like many older people, including my Mum), you don’t have internet access, email or a mobile phone? There ARE still people who are not connected 24/7 - how do they get proof of a negative test? Wouldn't it be exactly the same as paperless tickets, which a lot of theatres have been doing since COVID? |
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Post by theatrefan77 on Nov 14, 2021 0:00:47 GMT
Well, I couldn't make it to the Dress Rehearsal today but my friend went instead of me. She just called me to say thank you and she won't stop raving about Eddie Redmayne.
According to her it's an absolutely wonderful production and deserves to be seen. She was in the front row and ended dancing on stage at some point. There's apparently quite a lot of interaction with the audience in Stalls and there's no place to hide. Her advice is to go for Dress Circle seats if not confortable with audience participation. To late for me though, already have a Stalls ticket!
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Post by interval99 on Nov 14, 2021 0:12:34 GMT
Well, I couldn't make it to the Dress Rehearsal today but my friend went instead of me. She just called me to say thank you and she won't stop raving about Eddie Redmayne. According to her it's an absolutely wonderful production and deserves to be seen. She was in the front row and ended dancing on stage at some point. There's apparently quite a lot of interaction with the audience in Stalls and there's no place to hide. Her advice is to go for Dress Circle seats if not confortable with audience participation. To late for me though, already have a Stalls ticket! So we go through hoops to pass their covid rules and then they want interaction , couldn't make it up. After paying these prices most will be coming to see a show not be part of it. If a person says no they should be left to watch. |
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Post by Rory on Nov 14, 2021 7:38:01 GMT
Oh no! I hate audience participation!
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Post by shambles on Nov 14, 2021 7:39:39 GMT
Well, I couldn't make it to the Dress Rehearsal today but my friend went instead of me. She just called me to say thank you and she won't stop raving about Eddie Redmayne. According to her it's an absolutely wonderful production and deserves to be seen. She was in the front row and ended dancing on stage at some point. There's apparently quite a lot of interaction with the audience in Stalls and there's no place to hide. Her advice is to go for Dress Circle seats if not confortable with audience participation. To late for me though, already have a Stalls ticket! Oof. Was this from the "prologue", because I have a hard time figuring out why they would want to interrupt the flow of the piece otherwise? |
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Post by hairspray57 on Nov 14, 2021 9:50:49 GMT
Eddie Redmayne told everyone on Graham Norton there is no audience participation.
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1,089 posts
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Post by andrew on Nov 14, 2021 10:02:05 GMT
Well, I couldn't make it to the Dress Rehearsal today but my friend went instead of me. She just called me to say thank you and she won't stop raving about Eddie Redmayne. According to her it's an absolutely wonderful production and deserves to be seen. She was in the front row and ended dancing on stage at some point. There's apparently quite a lot of interaction with the audience in Stalls and there's no place to hide. Her advice is to go for Dress Circle seats if not confortable with audience participation. To late for me though, already have a Stalls ticket! So we go through hoops to pass their covid rules and then they want interaction , couldn't make it up. After paying these prices most will be coming to see a show not be part of it. If a person says no they should be left to watch. It seems perfectly sensible if you're crafting a production where the actors wander through and participate with the audience to have both actors and audience confirm they don't have a potentially deadly infection. You seem to suggest it's in some way bizarre or insane, to my mind it's the opposite. I appreciate some people really do not like audience participation, I have sympathy when it's completely out of the blue, but if you bought seats that are tables in the 'club' and didn't expect some level of interaction with the cast then I think you could have predicted something might occur. |
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Post by hairspray57 on Nov 14, 2021 10:15:07 GMT
So we go through hoops to pass their covid rules and then they want interaction , couldn't make it up. After paying these prices most will be coming to see a show not be part of it. If a person says no they should be left to watch. It seems perfectly sensible if you're crafting a production where the actors wander through and participate with the audience to have both actors and audience confirm they don't have a potentially deadly infection. You seem to suggest it's in some way bizarre or insane, to my mind it's the opposite. I appreciate some people really do not like audience participation, I have sympathy when it's completely out of the blue, but if you bought seats that are tables in the 'club' and didn't expect some level of interaction with the cast then I think you could have predicted something might occur. It’s probably yet another example of poor communication from this show if they have the leading man lying on national Tv. |
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Post by interval99 on Nov 14, 2021 10:27:17 GMT
So we go through hoops to pass their covid rules and then they want interaction , couldn't make it up. After paying these prices most will be coming to see a show not be part of it. If a person says no they should be left to watch. It seems perfectly sensible if you're crafting a production where the actors wander through and participate with the audience to have both actors and audience confirm they don't have a potentially deadly infection. You seem to suggest it's in some way bizarre or insane, to my mind it's the opposite. I appreciate some people really do not like audience participation, I have sympathy when it's completely out of the blue, but if you bought seats that are tables in the 'club' and didn't expect some level of interaction with the cast then I think you could have predicted something might occur. You cannot confirm you don't have the virus and are not infectious. The email or text you get back from NHS result service states this clearly and as above comments in the thread it's a on trust result and there have been plenty of examples of infection in apparent checked conditions. Wherever you sit in the theatre under current health situation I would not expect any interaction other than aisle walk through by cast members whether they have tested or been in a sterilisation chamber. I am just on the stalls not the tables and I presume the actors will get some guidance on when a person really does mean no , but I would hope when we get further details it will be the prologue cast doing this as during the actual show set in 1930ths and you suddenly see people in current clothing on stage would be jarring to say the least |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 14, 2021 10:31:38 GMT
I wonder if that’s why ATG have introduced all of these extra measures for Cabaret when you can swan around any other of their venues around the country with just a covid pass. Actors not prepared to hob nob up close and personal with the public without the testing?
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Post by hairspray57 on Nov 14, 2021 10:37:40 GMT
I still expect people going to the first few shows to report seeing people being turned away at the front door or empty seats. We all know people don’t read emails and texts ag the level they should and there will be many people who will simply assume their vaccination status exempts them from testing and will not grasp that it doesn’t. I mean tons of people were turned away during the summer from international travel due to not filling in forms or getting the right testing.
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