Going to Radio 4 recording next week - anyone been before? Advice needed

[rosebud5678]

I have got tickets for a Radio 4 show next week (John Finnemore - very excited!) and am now wondering how early we need to join the queue for 'ticket verification'? We don't live in London so it would be pretty disastrous to not get in! Also, there is then a 90 min gap before the doors open - again, should we just wait it out or is it safe to go away and come back? The seats are not numbered...any/all advice from someone who has done this before gratefully received!

Does your ticket guarantee you a seat? It'll say on the ticket what the terms are. Or is it first come first served (this is more likely)?

If the latter, then go very early, expect there to be a long long queue and maybe not get in. I suspect JF is very popular.

(I've been to a few things - Mastermind, BBC Philharmonic, a couple of R4 comedy programmes.)

Do you have priority tickets? If it's normal tickets, there will be a huge queue and it's very unlikely you'll not get in if you turn up at the doors opening time.

I've been to different venues and they have a different schedule. At the BBC near regents street you can get a numbered ticket and then go away and come back.

For Unbelievable Truth, which is recorded near Kings Cross, can't remember the name of the theatre right now, you get taken through to a holding area with a bar and toilets and you wait to be let in to the recording, which is like a big lecture theatre.

It can be a tiring night but if the comedy is good, it's very fun! We've had a hit and a miss with unbelievable truth.

Sorry, very likely you'll not get in if you turn up when doors open, that should say

The queues move very slowly (and they have started to ask for ID now) and there is some waiting around but you will definitely have fun.

The seats aren't numbered - they stagger it so there isn't a massive rush and so it's fair.

I wouldn't go away - it's a bit hard to predict when they will seat you but once they do it's very quick. The waiting area has loads of seating and a bar and coffee shop so it's quite a comfortable wait once you are in

For John Finnemore, I would say get there at least 30 minutes before doors open, ideally an hour. He is extremely popular and I've been turned away from his recordings before because of being over capacity. If you do get in though, you will have a terrific night!

From the one I attempted to attend (and was refused entry), I'd estimate being there two hours before the earliest time on the ticket and you might get some of the last seats.

I had a priority ticket due to disability. People had been there from before 3pm, apparently. Never bothered again.

It might be worth emailing them and politely asking whether they have any priority tickets available. It worked for me once when I explained we were travelling 200 miles to watch a recording and didn’t want to risk travelling and not getting in. (DC’s absolute favourite show )

You still need to be there relatively early with priority tickets, as once they know how many people have turned up with those, they start letting in general admission tickets. If you rock up at the doors opening time with a priority ticket, they may have already started to count on general admission.

I've been going to recordings for ten years and have only been turned away once (at the Drill Hall because they were being shambolic). You should be fine - just be prepared to queue for a while.

Oh good, this means more JF on R4.
Hope you get in rosebud

Thanks everyone - to clarify, we have to be there by 5.15 to get our tickets stamped, then my understanding is that we are guaranteed to get in once that has happened, so can in theory go away and come back again. Not sure we'll risk it though! It's at the radio theatre near Portland Place...are there any facilities inside does anyone know? Doors open at 6.45 for a 7pm show but I'm wondering if we can wait around inside somewhere? Thanks so much for this - really appreciated!

The radio theatre is in the main bbc building and they put you to wait in the public cafe. Not sure what time they stop doing food but don't bank on it still being open. You can watch the newsroom at work from there.

We went to see a recording of The Now Show last year, we arrived quite early and then waited inside, there’s an area where you can buy food & drink. It ended quite late, we went out for dinner afterwards off Carnaby Street & didn’t sit down until 9:45. We had great fun. I went to see a double taping of The Unbelievable Truth in February and that was good too.

I have no advice but wanted to say that I’m soooooo jealous! Love John Finnemore. Saw him in your last year, he was great. Hope that you get in, he’s fab!

Thanks Knackerelli, so do I! Out of interest, how long before ticket verification did you arrive?

Hi. I went to JF recording November 2017. There is queuing to be done. We got there about an hour before just to queue...But when we got stamped we were able to nip off and get something to eat. ( we had time to find a tapas place, enjoy some tapas at the bar and have a glass of wine before returning). We checked when we left what time we needed to be back.There is more waiting when you get inside to go through security. Waiting inside isn’t great, ther is a bar, not enough seats and it’s all very soulless and functional.
We were at the second recording, though, had travelled down from Edinburgh so we were really hungry!
But you’ll have a great time. Really good atmosphere. Don’t forget your ID. I’m saying that as there was a bit of an issue with someone else in the queue who didn’t have any (all fine in the end, they got in)

I was at the recording of "My Obsession" last Wednesday which was at Rada by Goodge Street tube station. We arrived an hour before the doors opened and there was already a queue. There was no possibility of taking a number and going away, instead we queued until they were ready to let us in and were given numbered wristbands as we entered the building. We then stayed in their bar until they were ready for us in the theatre.

Thanks all - very helpful info!

V envious! Love John Finnemore. Cabin Pressure was genius. 😀