In case anyone hasn't seen this report on the BBC website, there's to be a scheme to give away a limited number of theatre tickets to under 26-year-olds.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7632214.stm
Full Version: Will free seats attract young theatregoers?
I heard this reported on radio 1, and they also 'took it to the streets' and asking the yoof what they thought -responses were generally 'nah, I still wouldn't go', or 'not interested....free? well, yeah, maybe'.
I'm not entirely sure which theatres will be participating in this scheme. Again on the Radio 1 report, they had some rather idiotic sounding director talking about his production of Macbeth: 'forget Kenneth Branagh's boring Shakespeare, this is interesting, it's what kids wanna see, it's got guns and knives...' as a MASSIVE Kenneth Branagh fan, and as a 'yoof' at the age of 20, I turned off in disgust. If they're only offering free tickets to productions like that, I certainly won't go!
And great as this is, don't theatres also need to focus on SELLING tickets to older customers? With the credit crunch in full swing, theatres surely need to be attracting those who can actually pay for tickets as well as trying to educate those who can't afford it?
Ah...the plight of theatre today...don't get me started...
I'm not entirely sure which theatres will be participating in this scheme. Again on the Radio 1 report, they had some rather idiotic sounding director talking about his production of Macbeth: 'forget Kenneth Branagh's boring Shakespeare, this is interesting, it's what kids wanna see, it's got guns and knives...' as a MASSIVE Kenneth Branagh fan, and as a 'yoof' at the age of 20, I turned off in disgust. If they're only offering free tickets to productions like that, I certainly won't go!
And great as this is, don't theatres also need to focus on SELLING tickets to older customers? With the credit crunch in full swing, theatres surely need to be attracting those who can actually pay for tickets as well as trying to educate those who can't afford it?
Ah...the plight of theatre today...don't get me started...
QUOTE (AliceInTheatreland @ Sep 24 2008, 05:57 PM) 
Again on the Radio 1 report, they had some rather idiotic sounding director talking about his production of Macbeth: 'forget Kenneth Branagh's boring Shakespeare, this is interesting, it's what kids wanna see, it's got guns and knives...'
WHaaaaaaaaaaat! Oh for heaven's sake! Don't get me started either.
I have been involved with shows where tickets were given away. Good shows. Critically acclaimed. In my experience, if you give it away for nothing, people don't value it. They have nothing invested in it so they may decide at the last minute, "Nah, I won't turn up. I'll do something else instead." If they have paid for the ticket, even a nominal amount, then they are more likely to come.
Ticket prices are far too high. I rarely go to the professional theatre because so often the price is outside of my budget. the National's Travelex season was great because ?10 a ticket meant I could go. That lack of ability to pay the high prices does not just affect my ability to pay for theatre. If I go to any attraction with friends or family and it is going to take a small mortgage to get in, we forget it and go somewhere else instead. Often this is the case even when it is something we really would like to go and see or do. So yeah, ticket prices need to come down.
Having said that, I can see how it is difficult for bigger shows such as some of the musicals, which are incredibly expensive to stage. Those shows are going to make a loss unless they either charge astronomical prices or guarantee a set number of tickets sold. As a playwright, I try to bear in mind the budget needed for staging my work, and I have that in mind for both professional and am-dram theatre. Keeping the budget minimal means it doesn't take so much to break even and that helps.
But you can put on a brilliant show, you can keep the budget as low as you can, and you can price tickets so that ordinary mortals can afford them without too much pain. If you don't also give the audience what they really want, they ain't gonna come. That's the difficult part. Figuring out what will drag them out of the bars and clubs and their homes and make them sit (usually quietly) for an evening in a darkened room, in often uncomfortable seats with cramped leg room and not enough seat space for the growing number of larger than average punters. Give them what they want, they will come.
Lastly, I would suggest that youth is not really who they should be targetting here. There will always be some young people who want to go to the theatre and welcome the free and cheap seats. But there will be others (and they are probably in the majority) for whom theatre is not high on their list of priorities. They're out enjoying life in interactive pursuits, getting experience of life for themselves, and aren't over interested in watching someone else's experiences. It's as you get past that initial stage of life that you are more likely to become interested in things you previously ignored - such as theatre. When I was 18-26 I would much sooner have gone to a club, disco, bowling alley, etc, than a theatre. Now, I love theatre and have to be dragged to those other places. So it's now that you need the ticket prices to come down. People in the 30-50 range have mortgages, kids, other expenses, and high ticket prices are prohibitive.
Oh, and the trains could be more co-operative. We went to a production at the Olivier recently and afterwards to the gathering in the Green Room. But just as everything was getting into swing, we had to leave to catch the last train. We couldn't stay to chat, to eat, anything. Not good. They could surely get together and work something out.
Ticket prices are far too high. I rarely go to the professional theatre because so often the price is outside of my budget. the National's Travelex season was great because ?10 a ticket meant I could go. That lack of ability to pay the high prices does not just affect my ability to pay for theatre. If I go to any attraction with friends or family and it is going to take a small mortgage to get in, we forget it and go somewhere else instead. Often this is the case even when it is something we really would like to go and see or do. So yeah, ticket prices need to come down.
Having said that, I can see how it is difficult for bigger shows such as some of the musicals, which are incredibly expensive to stage. Those shows are going to make a loss unless they either charge astronomical prices or guarantee a set number of tickets sold. As a playwright, I try to bear in mind the budget needed for staging my work, and I have that in mind for both professional and am-dram theatre. Keeping the budget minimal means it doesn't take so much to break even and that helps.
But you can put on a brilliant show, you can keep the budget as low as you can, and you can price tickets so that ordinary mortals can afford them without too much pain. If you don't also give the audience what they really want, they ain't gonna come. That's the difficult part. Figuring out what will drag them out of the bars and clubs and their homes and make them sit (usually quietly) for an evening in a darkened room, in often uncomfortable seats with cramped leg room and not enough seat space for the growing number of larger than average punters. Give them what they want, they will come.
Lastly, I would suggest that youth is not really who they should be targetting here. There will always be some young people who want to go to the theatre and welcome the free and cheap seats. But there will be others (and they are probably in the majority) for whom theatre is not high on their list of priorities. They're out enjoying life in interactive pursuits, getting experience of life for themselves, and aren't over interested in watching someone else's experiences. It's as you get past that initial stage of life that you are more likely to become interested in things you previously ignored - such as theatre. When I was 18-26 I would much sooner have gone to a club, disco, bowling alley, etc, than a theatre. Now, I love theatre and have to be dragged to those other places. So it's now that you need the ticket prices to come down. People in the 30-50 range have mortgages, kids, other expenses, and high ticket prices are prohibitive.
Oh, and the trains could be more co-operative. We went to a production at the Olivier recently and afterwards to the gathering in the Green Room. But just as everything was getting into swing, we had to leave to catch the last train. We couldn't stay to chat, to eat, anything. Not good. They could surely get together and work something out.
I have asked our Committee to consider selling all tickets on non-prime nights to Under 18s for a nominal fee or free. Our current demographic shows that this age group is under-represented, so the loss of funds would be minimal. I can see that this might get some younger audience members coming along and some might get interested enough to join in. It also means that for the younger ones, Mum and Dad might come, selling more tickets. It will also move a proportion of the audience away from the more popular Friday and Saturday nights.
At the moment I think that one of the key challenges to AMDRAM is to get the next generation involved. If we fail in this we must face the fact that we are in a dying environment and we will only have ourselves to blame.
Dave
At the moment I think that one of the key challenges to AMDRAM is to get the next generation involved. If we fail in this we must face the fact that we are in a dying environment and we will only have ourselves to blame.
Dave
Are we bucking a trend then? We have a lot of teenagers wanting to be involved with our production but we are finding it difficult to attract as many adults as we would like.
I think the problem age group is the young adults. There seems to be no shortage of teenagers interested in amateur thetare (there are 2 very good youth theatre groups in this area and they both have waiting lists) but there is a dearth of "twentysomethings" who are willing to join. This is one of the reasons that it becomes increasingly difficult to find suitable plays etc as our core membership grows older 
My group ran a 'pay what you can' system on the first night -Wednesday. Many people insisted on paying full price, ?10, but many others, under 24's and number who were unemployed and some pensioners paid between ?1 and ?5 We gained audience and did not lose money - worth thinking about.
Two comments
1. In some respects, I think the problem demographic is 18-30. Under 18s are generally at school and though it would be wrong to make sweeping generalisations, their primary committments are to their exams and family, but otherwise have a reasonable amout of free time. But between 18 and 22 a very great number of kids, certainly many more than a generation ago, go to university, so the group loses a lot of young adults and, unless you are in a university town, there's no one coming in to compensate. After uni, the younger adults are concerned with finding somewhere to live, getting a job, paying off those student loans ... and in they general way of things may well be forming long-term relationships.
2. The problem is that we don't expose kids to theatre at an early age. Instead they get fed a daily does of howdowesolveatechnicaolorproblemlikeanymariawilldofactorsgottalent, where the goal so often is to become "famous". The "celebrity" culture is pernicious.
Hmm, rant over.
1. In some respects, I think the problem demographic is 18-30. Under 18s are generally at school and though it would be wrong to make sweeping generalisations, their primary committments are to their exams and family, but otherwise have a reasonable amout of free time. But between 18 and 22 a very great number of kids, certainly many more than a generation ago, go to university, so the group loses a lot of young adults and, unless you are in a university town, there's no one coming in to compensate. After uni, the younger adults are concerned with finding somewhere to live, getting a job, paying off those student loans ... and in they general way of things may well be forming long-term relationships.
2. The problem is that we don't expose kids to theatre at an early age. Instead they get fed a daily does of howdowesolveatechnicaolorproblemlikeanymariawilldofactorsgottalent, where the goal so often is to become "famous". The "celebrity" culture is pernicious.
Hmm, rant over.
Ah, very interesting. I like the 'pay what you can' idea (although, do they pay before or after they've seen the show? 
It's an interesting dilemma - is it better to try and give away tickets for free so the theatre is full, or does this impinge on possible ticket SALES to people who could pay.
The National is an interesting case in point - they seem to do very well from their Travelex season, and as student, I know plenty of people who take full advantage of it. But the National is HUGE; they can afford to run these schemes without losing out to much.
So, is this going to extend to amateur theatre? Although the tickets aren't wildly expensive, is it worth trying to build audience numbers?
It's an interesting dilemma - is it better to try and give away tickets for free so the theatre is full, or does this impinge on possible ticket SALES to people who could pay.
The National is an interesting case in point - they seem to do very well from their Travelex season, and as student, I know plenty of people who take full advantage of it. But the National is HUGE; they can afford to run these schemes without losing out to much.
So, is this going to extend to amateur theatre? Although the tickets aren't wildly expensive, is it worth trying to build audience numbers?
I think sometimes to do have to think a bit creatively - as many of you know, my theatre group works with young people at school and uni, but it does it by working intensively through holiday periods in terms of putting on productions. We do also try to take them on at least one theatre trip too, but that is expensive.
If I were 18 now, I wouldn't want to go and see something so PC that the world and its mother were represented. Neither would I want to see a song cycle or TV promoted oldie, specially rehashed to fatten ALW's coffers. When I was young my peers were raving about new theatre and avant-guarde productions, even the odd reworking of a classic. The answer lies in the words, new and exciting! Both Amdram and the West End are guilty of lacking backbone, playing it safe and holding on tight to the purse strings. So when this noble art finally gallops off into the sunset with its backside on fire, you'll maybe look at those empty seats that should be filled with youngsters, and remember your last production!
Trouble is, audiences don't come to am dram for new and exciting productions. They come for the tried and tested. We've tried to put on brand new shows. We have a core audience who always come. But the numbers are noticeably less for something completely new than they are for something older and recognisable.
For example: Lion Witch and Wardrobe adaptation - 1200 seat sold and a waiting list.
Pilgrim's progress - 1200 seats sold.
Snow Queen - 1100 seats sold.
Ashdown Lee (Go on, admit it, you're saying what is that?) 300 seats sold. Those who came said they enjoyed it, but 900 didn't bother.
Another local group has the same thing:
Calamity Jane - a sell out.
Wizard of Oz, a sell out.
Suddenly Last Summer - more than half the seats unsold for an excellent production.
As with anything, you have to give the audience what they want or you go bust. And the only way to do new and exciting is to first do a few money spinners so you can afford to take a hit and not sink. And make sure your actors don't mind playing to half empty houses for those plays.
For example: Lion Witch and Wardrobe adaptation - 1200 seat sold and a waiting list.
Pilgrim's progress - 1200 seats sold.
Snow Queen - 1100 seats sold.
Ashdown Lee (Go on, admit it, you're saying what is that?) 300 seats sold. Those who came said they enjoyed it, but 900 didn't bother.
Another local group has the same thing:
Calamity Jane - a sell out.
Wizard of Oz, a sell out.
Suddenly Last Summer - more than half the seats unsold for an excellent production.
As with anything, you have to give the audience what they want or you go bust. And the only way to do new and exciting is to first do a few money spinners so you can afford to take a hit and not sink. And make sure your actors don't mind playing to half empty houses for those plays.
It's true to say too that most young people have little or no concept as to how much things cost to put on and the adults involved in their groups have to manage the purse strings whilst trying to allow them some freedom of expression too. Of course they are always at liberty to take on the avant garde stuff without the secure backing of the establishment, but generally that's less appealing. Like it or not, we have to break even, and that isn't easy, even with some funding and the adults working for nothing. Out of interest, we had 35 young people in the cast for Jekyll and Hyde plus about 10 crew, and sold it out every night except one, which was almost full. The members got a lot out of it as far as we could tell. We may not be perfect but we're doing our best and we do put our money where our mouth is (literally as well as figuratively) rather than moan. A lot of our members go on to Drama at uni or stage school.
Obviously the risk gets higher the larger the venue you go to. For a one week run we have just over 3000 seats available for sale and the theatre costs us over ?4k. This means that we have to break even at least one show in three.
Dave
Dave
You have to look at things as a whole... you can not compartmentalise issues and try to solve it on an individual basis... yes, our audiences are dwindling.... why? well, it could be choice of show.... it could be ticket price... it could be lack of marketing.... it could be that we put on our shows in the very week the entire town goes on holiday...the thing is, we have no idea why. It is imperative that you communicate with your audiences to find out A. what it is you are doing right, B. what it is you could be doing better and C. what it is they really want to see you produce.
It is all very well for a committee to sit in a darkened room shut away from the real world for several ideas contemplating how wonderful White Horse In was when we last did it back in 1754... but unless they realise that it would not sell in today's market we are continually going to be faced with problems.
Marketing a society (see I did not say show / play) is imperative. You need to build your brand, make people enjoy the experience of your brand - whether it is a classic (Carousel) or a newbie (Full Monty) but you have to ensure that your brand is not damaged in any way by creating high quality shows that people want to see. Coke produce Coke.... they spend millions advertising it, but everyone knows what it tastes like, they know how much it costs, they know where to find it on the shelves in the supermarket...so why spend those millions advertising it...? Why? because somewhere down the line someone will encourage your market to try something different and they may like it.... Coke can not afford to chance their luck and bring out a Dandilion and Burdock flavour Coke.... neither can we afford to do White Horse In in this econimic and artistic climate.... people are crying out for the likes of Full Mointy, Jekyl and Hyde, Wicked, Mary Poppins, Rent, Sweeney Todd....
So... to get back to the question of free tickets, there have been loads of interesting points...all of which are valid - which is where the problem lies... one audience group in one town is completely different to one in another town... you have to communicate to find out what your own audience likes and dislikes.... then give them what they want OR (if you want to do something a little less mainstream) create the illusion that it WILL be something they will enjoy.... but if they are already sold into your brand they will be a little more receptive.... after all, if an audience member thought your show stank would you not engage into dialogue into why they thought that... indicate the merits of the piece in terms of cast enjoyment, artistic merit, musical difficulty... or do you just let them walk out the door thinking everything you do in the future will stink?
OK so I am rambling now... best shut up and try to sell more tickets for our show which opens in three weeks.... it was chosen mainly because there are no royalties to pay so therefore we will make money on it... hmmmm but can you not see from previous operettas we have done over the last 15 years that we may save ?10k on not paying royalties BUT we bring in ?20k less in ticket sales on average... you do the maths!
It is all very well for a committee to sit in a darkened room shut away from the real world for several ideas contemplating how wonderful White Horse In was when we last did it back in 1754... but unless they realise that it would not sell in today's market we are continually going to be faced with problems.
Marketing a society (see I did not say show / play) is imperative. You need to build your brand, make people enjoy the experience of your brand - whether it is a classic (Carousel) or a newbie (Full Monty) but you have to ensure that your brand is not damaged in any way by creating high quality shows that people want to see. Coke produce Coke.... they spend millions advertising it, but everyone knows what it tastes like, they know how much it costs, they know where to find it on the shelves in the supermarket...so why spend those millions advertising it...? Why? because somewhere down the line someone will encourage your market to try something different and they may like it.... Coke can not afford to chance their luck and bring out a Dandilion and Burdock flavour Coke.... neither can we afford to do White Horse In in this econimic and artistic climate.... people are crying out for the likes of Full Mointy, Jekyl and Hyde, Wicked, Mary Poppins, Rent, Sweeney Todd....
So... to get back to the question of free tickets, there have been loads of interesting points...all of which are valid - which is where the problem lies... one audience group in one town is completely different to one in another town... you have to communicate to find out what your own audience likes and dislikes.... then give them what they want OR (if you want to do something a little less mainstream) create the illusion that it WILL be something they will enjoy.... but if they are already sold into your brand they will be a little more receptive.... after all, if an audience member thought your show stank would you not engage into dialogue into why they thought that... indicate the merits of the piece in terms of cast enjoyment, artistic merit, musical difficulty... or do you just let them walk out the door thinking everything you do in the future will stink?
OK so I am rambling now... best shut up and try to sell more tickets for our show which opens in three weeks.... it was chosen mainly because there are no royalties to pay so therefore we will make money on it... hmmmm but can you not see from previous operettas we have done over the last 15 years that we may save ?10k on not paying royalties BUT we bring in ?20k less in ticket sales on average... you do the maths!
I agree with a lot of what has been said regarding amateur drama (though the original question was about freebies at professional productions.) We've had exactly the same response as Hilary's group to well-known versus new and exciting. I think it's interesting when you look at the examples given, which suggests that people feel safer with something they've heard of, not necessarily a famous play. Hilary's "popular" examples are all adaptations of well-known books or stories rather than plays by established playwrights (if Hilary doesn't mind me putting it that way!) In fact, you'd think by the time they'd seen her adaptations of these, they ought to have known that Ashdown Lee was going to be equally good! But they do seem to play "safe", which seems to mean that they've heard of it - I wonder how many had actually read Pilgrim's Progress? We've had the opposite problem with Shakespeare - yes, they've heard of it, but they associate it with school and "reading round the class!"
The only exception I know of is when I've been involved in very large-scale community plays, when the advantages seem to be:
They are rooted in the community and so involve lots of people in gathering stories and reminiscences, and fund-raising events, which means there is a lot of word of mouth publicity from an early stage.
There is usually an interesting angle which makes it easier to get local press coverage.
There are so many people involved that, again, word of mouth among friends and family brings in the audiences.
My group is only really interested in presenting new work (although this does, admittedly, include home-grown pantos) so I'd love to know what the answer is.
The only exception I know of is when I've been involved in very large-scale community plays, when the advantages seem to be:
They are rooted in the community and so involve lots of people in gathering stories and reminiscences, and fund-raising events, which means there is a lot of word of mouth publicity from an early stage.
There is usually an interesting angle which makes it easier to get local press coverage.
There are so many people involved that, again, word of mouth among friends and family brings in the audiences.
My group is only really interested in presenting new work (although this does, admittedly, include home-grown pantos) so I'd love to know what the answer is.
QUOTE (greenroom @ Oct 1 2008, 08:59 AM)
people are crying out for the likes of Full Mointy, Jekyl and Hyde, Wicked, Mary Poppins, Rent, Sweeney Todd....
I'm going to stick my neck out here and take this out of context, to some extent, but ... People are not crying out for live theatre. They think that professional theatre is boring and/or overpriced because they associate it with Shakespeare or West End musicals. They think that amateur theatre is boring, overpriced and/or badly done. You can drag them into an amdram production and they might even like it, but they are not crying out for it. They are crying out many things but theatre isn't one of them.
Drag them into a production and you might get them to change their minds, but they aren't crying out for it.
Therefore offering live theatre tickets for free or at low prices is just not going to make a significant difference.
I will also stick my neck out and reiterate what I said before...all audiences are different.... up here there is a HUGE theatre-going audience, the pro theatre in town has been filling houses with the national tours of South Pacific, Blood Brothers, Hello Dolly, Aspects of Love.... the new David Essex musical All The Fun Of The Fair.... and one would expect these audiences would be receptive to the kind of shows we produce at the same theatre.... but we do not 'sell' ourselves well enough... indeed you would be hard pressed to know our shows were actually happening until 2 weeks before we open - no way can we sell the 900 seats A NIGHT for TEN nights in that time frame.
Its nice to see there are some self efacing comments coming through. It angered me somewhat that just two members of my local amdram society sold over 80% of the tickets for their last show. I doubt if Hilary would let anyone sit on their backsides when it came to promoting one of their own plays. Its a simple analegy...unenthusiastic teacher, bored pupils!
If we dont sell out all tickets for our original musical next year, you can all come round and pelt me with rotten tomatoes...and yes, we've already started promoting the show 9 months early
If we dont sell out all tickets for our original musical next year, you can all come round and pelt me with rotten tomatoes...and yes, we've already started promoting the show 9 months early
All this is quite personal for me at the moment. I'm having enough trouble selling 3 performances in a 200 seat theatre, and we simply are not generating enough interest.
The cause? Well, I'm not sure, but it's complicated. Our cast of about 15 is simply not able to sell enough tickets personally. Publicity is expensive: how can you reach out to a borough of 180,000, and how effective is publicity anyway? The local daily paper has a circulation of about 18,000. The cheap stuff - pictures in the paper - isn't under your control and is printed very close to the show run (sometimes on the last night). Furthermore, the local rag hasn't done timely reviews - by which I mean reviews that go to print before the show's run is over - for over ten years.
We've tried making the shows fund-raisers for a local charity, but the charity didn't support the production by actually publicising it. In fact, they wanted free tickets for their members.
Sometimes I feel like giving up, I really do. I don't mean giving up on performing, but taking responsibility for productions and their financial liability is just too draining. I have enough trouble getting my friends to watch some of the stuff I'm in, and I have to be honest and ask myself if the quality is good enough? I look around and see other mediochre (expletive omitted) getting full houses, or even half full houses, and I want to cry.
The cause? Well, I'm not sure, but it's complicated. Our cast of about 15 is simply not able to sell enough tickets personally. Publicity is expensive: how can you reach out to a borough of 180,000, and how effective is publicity anyway? The local daily paper has a circulation of about 18,000. The cheap stuff - pictures in the paper - isn't under your control and is printed very close to the show run (sometimes on the last night). Furthermore, the local rag hasn't done timely reviews - by which I mean reviews that go to print before the show's run is over - for over ten years.
We've tried making the shows fund-raisers for a local charity, but the charity didn't support the production by actually publicising it. In fact, they wanted free tickets for their members.
Sometimes I feel like giving up, I really do. I don't mean giving up on performing, but taking responsibility for productions and their financial liability is just too draining. I have enough trouble getting my friends to watch some of the stuff I'm in, and I have to be honest and ask myself if the quality is good enough? I look around and see other mediochre (expletive omitted) getting full houses, or even half full houses, and I want to cry.
In my experience, actors want to be seen. If they are in a show and they think it looks good and they look good, they will tell friends, family, work colleagues etc. They'll go out of their way to sell tickets. Now, maybe only one in ten of those they tell will come, but that means every ten mentions sells one more seat, and that's better than nothing. But if the actor thinks the show could be better, or that they don't look too good in it, then they are less keen to encourage people to come and see them. It's a good reason for making sure everyone gives their all and makes it the best they can.
I know what you mean about charity fund raisers.
We were asked, about 18 months ago, to do the entertainment for a forties night to raise money for a local church. The church leader's wife booked the (free) hall and chose the date, then sat back and expected us to organise everything. We did the show but also ended up organising the catering, the drinks licence, the advertising... The final straw came when the audience numbered just 25 - albeit 25 enthusiastic people who thoroughly enjoyed themselves - and only 3 of them were from the church we were raising the cash for. And they did not include the church leader and his wife, who had asked us to do the show! We raised ?65. Think how much we could have raised if they had been supportive of our efforts on their behalf.
Burb, local BBC radio shows are a great way of advertising. If you can think of an angle that interests the producer, you'll get a mention and sometimes even a ten minute phone call interview on air. Sometimes, you can get your feet under the table with non am-dram related stuff, and then use the contacts. For example, my son has Prader Willi syndrome. I wrote a play about the syndrome and it won an award. The head of news wanted to talk about it so i was interviewed. Then she needed to talk to someone who knew about the syndrome following a news item involving it, and I did that. From there, she phoned me when the Government wanted to talk about changes to laws covering disability. From there she asked me to review the papers, and then to talk about other issues. And now she always plugs our drama group's shows and will, if she can swing it, get someone to talk to us on air about them. Through her, I've made sympathetic contacts within local TV as well. It took time, but we have a good relationship. she knows I will help her out when i can, and she does the same for me.
I know what you mean about charity fund raisers.
We were asked, about 18 months ago, to do the entertainment for a forties night to raise money for a local church. The church leader's wife booked the (free) hall and chose the date, then sat back and expected us to organise everything. We did the show but also ended up organising the catering, the drinks licence, the advertising... The final straw came when the audience numbered just 25 - albeit 25 enthusiastic people who thoroughly enjoyed themselves - and only 3 of them were from the church we were raising the cash for. And they did not include the church leader and his wife, who had asked us to do the show! We raised ?65. Think how much we could have raised if they had been supportive of our efforts on their behalf.Burb, local BBC radio shows are a great way of advertising. If you can think of an angle that interests the producer, you'll get a mention and sometimes even a ten minute phone call interview on air. Sometimes, you can get your feet under the table with non am-dram related stuff, and then use the contacts. For example, my son has Prader Willi syndrome. I wrote a play about the syndrome and it won an award. The head of news wanted to talk about it so i was interviewed. Then she needed to talk to someone who knew about the syndrome following a news item involving it, and I did that. From there, she phoned me when the Government wanted to talk about changes to laws covering disability. From there she asked me to review the papers, and then to talk about other issues. And now she always plugs our drama group's shows and will, if she can swing it, get someone to talk to us on air about them. Through her, I've made sympathetic contacts within local TV as well. It took time, but we have a good relationship. she knows I will help her out when i can, and she does the same for me.
I do think you make a very valid point when you mention the size of cast - it does make a huge difference to ticket sales. A locul Mus Com society has just recruited a lot of new members, in part for a junior branch and also for their main shows. The recruitment went well, but their secretary did remark to me that the young members aren't as good at selling tickets as the older ones. I think part of the problem is venues available too - it may not be feasible to fill a huge venue but good quality small ones aren't always available. Venue hire is so expensive.
QUOTE (Hilary Mack @ Oct 1 2008, 02:30 PM)
In my experience, actors want to be seen. If they are in a show and they think it looks good and they look good, they will tell friends, family, work colleagues etc. They'll go out of their way to sell tickets.
Ay, there's the rub. I have more than a few who unashamedly sold TWO tickets for the last production. One didn't know any better, as it was his first time with us. The others, well ...
And since I'm responsible for a large part of the production effort, I get very introspective, and perpetually ask myself what I'm doing wrong? Objectively, I can't really tell. I don't say I'm doing it all right, but I'm not sure what is missing...Kids, bless em, need to be told that people won't just turn up
QUOTE (Hilary Mack @ Oct 1 2008, 02:30 PM)
Burb, local BBC radio shows are a great way of advertising. If you can think of an angle that interests the producer, you'll get a mention and sometimes even a ten minute phone call interview on air.
Used to be true round our way - one of the daytime presenters was very sympathetic to am-dram, would regularly give us 10/15 minute interview slot. Now, nada.
QUOTE (Hilary Mack @ Oct 1 2008, 02:30 PM)
Sometimes, you can get your feet under the table with non am-dram related stuff.
This is true, relationships are important. But it's my observation that our local rag carries less and less space for "culture". The "what's on" section shrinks in size and importance each year.
In a good environment, the production team leads from the front, to set an example, and the cast follow through with enthusiasm from behind. I just feel I'm standing behind them with a cattle prod. It's almost like kids who think it isn't cool to be keen - everyone wants to be at the back of the pictures! Me, I have a performer's ego so big it wouldn't fit into a TARDIS. I love appearing on stage, no matter how small the role. Try keeping me off! You have to have nerves of steel to produce...
Actually, one thing that has worked well for us in terms of recruitment and ticket sales is Facebook. We have a group and we all so set up our productions as events. I'm going to a show next week that I doubt I'd be going to if I'd not seen it on one of my friend's lists.
Ah, interesting about actors wanting to be seen, and selling tickets. A couple of my friends did a production of Sweet Charity, and actively asked people NOT to come, as they were so embarrassed by it! The key to selling a production is to breed pride into your actors, but that's obviously easier said than done.
Of course, you could resort to doing what one group I know does - they make the actors sell 10 tickets, at a minimum price of ?10 each. What the actor doesn't sell, they have to make up for themselves! So you could potentially end up paying ?100....
Of course, you could resort to doing what one group I know does - they make the actors sell 10 tickets, at a minimum price of ?10 each. What the actor doesn't sell, they have to make up for themselves! So you could potentially end up paying ?100....
I do find when you have a lot of teenage members, as we often do, they roughly divide into two types:
The ones who are really committed, will tackle any part large or small (and thereby gain experience so probably end up in major parts), will help with mundane tasks and even be on the committee, and bring a large tribe of family and friends to see them over several nights.
The ones who are very keen to be on stage, rehearse quite happily, sometimes are pretty good actors (and sometimes not), but shudder at the thought that anyone they know might come and see them, even telling their parents to stay away! Not because they don't have faith in the production itself, but because "it's embarrassing." Um...why do it then?
The ones who are really committed, will tackle any part large or small (and thereby gain experience so probably end up in major parts), will help with mundane tasks and even be on the committee, and bring a large tribe of family and friends to see them over several nights.
The ones who are very keen to be on stage, rehearse quite happily, sometimes are pretty good actors (and sometimes not), but shudder at the thought that anyone they know might come and see them, even telling their parents to stay away! Not because they don't have faith in the production itself, but because "it's embarrassing." Um...why do it then?
I used to think that Burb and myself had little in common, now it seems we fell out of the same mould. What a refreshing change to hear someone talk from the heart, soul even. Pity you dont live nearer, as I could promise you your deserved emotional rewards if you were involved in any of my ventures.
Ah well, the local press photographer came around the other night and took some photos. I put on my best "Mad Scientist" stare for Prospero. Let's hope I don't scare any punters away...
Break a leg, Burb.
Hear, hear!
Thought I'd lighten the tone a bit....
http://3401.e-printphoto.co.uk/nqwiltshire...010&action=view
(That's me 2nd from left in black, with the sonic screwdriver)
http://3401.e-printphoto.co.uk/nqwiltshire...010&action=view
(ahhh)
http://3401.e-printphoto.co.uk/nqwiltshire...010&action=view
(the black arm on the left is me holding up an unpainted tentacle).
Thanks for your kind thouhts, and enjoy your weekend.
http://3401.e-printphoto.co.uk/nqwiltshire...010&action=view
(That's me 2nd from left in black, with the sonic screwdriver)
http://3401.e-printphoto.co.uk/nqwiltshire...010&action=view
(ahhh)
http://3401.e-printphoto.co.uk/nqwiltshire...010&action=view
(the black arm on the left is me holding up an unpainted tentacle).
Thanks for your kind thouhts, and enjoy your weekend.
QUOTE (Hilary Mack @ Oct 2 2008, 02:29 PM)
Break a leg, Burb.
Should that be Break a tentacle?
Only at the last night party.
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