Has anyone been to the theatre and felt it was overrated?

[flowersintheatticus]

I know going to the theatre is a regular thing for mumsnet, but geographically this isn't possible so going is a really big thing and will require a lot of money, not just for the tickets but for travel there and back. My teens haven't been and I feel I want to give them the experience. I checked out our nearest place and there is a short clip of each of the performances. One of them is a childhood favourite book/tv adaption and thought that would be a good one to go for. However the clip was very underwhelming. I'm sure the acting/set/effects are great but it didn't do anything for me. I'm not sure if it's because the characters look nothing like the tv ones or that the animal character was just a head, but I felt no inclination to watch and I think if I'd gone in person I'd be disappointed.

I loved the Lion King and have seen it 3 times, but it does seem to be one of those marmite ones that people either love or hate. Saying that the third time there were a few understudies on, and while I normally have a soft spot for understudies this time they just weren't cutting it.

Us too - several years ago, just after it opened in London. My mum treated us. I love Musicals and theatre, she likes theatre, DC a bit indifferent to most things. None of us were gripped. So the hype for that has rather put me off eg Hamilton. Whereas Dear England - mega amazing.

If you view theatre expecting TV then you will be disappointed, and vice versa. They are different mediums. The characters aren't mean to look like they do on a specific TV adaptation, the animals will never look like they would if they were CGI. And filmed theatre feels so, so different to the live experience. I don't think you can judge anything from a filmed clip.
This might not be the specific show for you and your DC but please don't rule out the entire medium before you've even been.

2:22

Thought it was sooooo over rated and the acting was shocking tbh

Well, my point is that some theatres have good sightlines even in the gods, so, assuming your criteria for full enjoyment are able to see/hear rather than simple proximity to the stage, seats further away can be perfectly good.

If your children have got to their teens without ever going to the theatre, I'm guessing it's just not something that you, as a family, are "into", and that's fine.

We go all the time, sometimes to see professional productions which are a bit pricey, but often we just pay £10 each to go to see the latest offering from the local amateur theatre.

When you go to the theatre you are watching real people who are performing live. For me there’s a buzz that you never get with cinema.

Oh I feel gutted I missed Standing at the Sky's Edge.

OP it took me until my 50's to enjoy going to the Theatre - and now I love it. But I don't love everything. I went to see Mark Rylance last week in Juno and the Paycock and really disliked that play. Other plays have made me sob.

I make a point of taking my DCs occasionally (sadly the cost is prohibitive for it to be a frequent event) so that they are familiar with the experience.

I didn't love the lion king, saw wicked last week which I've seen before and loved but it felt dated this time round. I think the film won't help that either

Love Book of Mormon and randomly My Fair Lady. I went on the off chance as it was cheap and it was brilliant.

I love going to the theatre and don't really like musicals, so I do often pay quite a lot for my tickets, depending on what it is, because for me clear line of sight is one thing, actual expressions etc are another. I saw Vanya at the cinema for this reason.

All this said, I generally go alone so can pay what I like because it is one ticket and I can afford what I buy. The National, is an amazing venue and often has interesting productions and because it isnt a 19th century theatre the view from every seat is great generally speaking. They have a number of seats in rows C and D which are 'narrow seats' and these cost £20 and honestly i couldn't tell you how they are narrower.

I’ve been to the theatre a lot, and yes, some productions are a bit underwhelming - like some films, some restaurant meals, some bands not being on top form live, etc. If I were you, I would include theatre as part of a holiday or weekend away, so you are not travelling just for that and so there is less at stake. You are likely to enjoy it much more if you are not thinking about how much the whole trip cost you - eg it’s a lovely weekend in Manchester (or wherever), you are seeing all the sites, and while you are there anyway you might as well see a show. I would also say that stage versions of beloved books don’t always work for the book fans (like films or TV adaptations, IMHO) as it’s bound to be different to what you were imagining when reading.

I go fairly often to a small local one and large theatres in nearby cities. I've only been disappointed once, that was with Calendar Girls in a big theatre. It wasn't just me, I heard a group of people saying they hoped the second half would be better and the friends I went with didn't enjoy it either.

We went to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe a couple of years back at Christmas time and it was wonderful. One of the best productions I've ever seen and great for our group of mixed ages (9 - 75). No idea if it's the same one as is on near you, but if it comes back to us I will definitely go again.

We frequently go to The Globe and love the atmosphere. Some of the productions are better than others but we've always had a good day out even when the play itself isn't the best. We occasionally go (2-3 times a year) to other productions and feel similarly. I love the theatre!

Thanks for this heads up. I was thinking of seeing Ballet Shoes, will scrap plans.

@socialdilemmawhattodo I was worried about Hamilton too but couldn’t bear to miss out when it came to Edinburgh so I got tickets. Didn’t listen to the songs beforehand or anything and I was blown away and loved it. I cried and I still listen to one of the songs (Wait For It) quite regularly and I cry every time. Although I do cry a lot at the theatre 😳 Started sobbing at the first note of Circle of Life when I saw The Lion King.

Matilda is the only thing I’ve ever not loved. And seen a few of the polarising ones on this thread like Wicked, Mormon, Hamilton (obv), etc.

The most pleasantly surprised I’ve ever been was The Bodyguard with Alexandra Burke. She was FANTASTIC.

No, but not all shows are for me and working in this industry I’ve seen a hell of a lot.

Going to the theatre is incredible, but not all shows will suit you.

I used to go to the theatre frequently from plays to musicals. The musical I didn’t enjoy which I know many do was the Lion King, visually it was great but just wasn’t for
me, my child actually fell alseep watching it! It also didn’t help that I had a guy sitting behind me who munched loudly on popcorn the whole way through! Why can’t people sit through a show without eating? Unfortunately, I hardly go to the theatre anymore as the prices are insane and I’m not prepared to pay those prices.

It really depends I find, I've been to the theatre/opera a few times and it is really hit & miss.
Also depends on the cast, it can differ greatly in quality, especially with singing I find, even between shows on the same run.
My family went to see Wicked recently and really felt that the singing didn't live up to the standard you'd expect for a musical with some big numbers. But other people in the crowd seemed to be absolutely loving it.
Enjoyed a recent Agatha Christie adaption though, thought it was quite well done considering the adjustments needed to the story to make it work on stage.
My mum went to see Les Mis with a colleague when I had just had a baby so couldn't make it and I'm gutted because they said it was an incredible cast, moved them to tears and now won't go and see it again with me because she believes she'll be disappointed!
Have only ever heard good things about The Lion King though, having seen it and knowing 5 other people who also enjoyed it.
Watched the harry potter play twice, first was significantly better than the second due to cast differences & the friend I took the first time I saw it had seen it before and said it was a even better cast when she first saw it, so she was slightly disappointed.
Also went to see a modern adaptation of a classic opera which was absolutely bizarre, the singing was quite good, but the staging and costumes really detracted from the emotion of the story.
But honestly I think its all very personal, so I think you need to be prepared to just enjoy the experience of it.

That’s like saying ‘does anyone think books are overrated?’ because you once shelled out for a newly published hardback Colm Toibin and didn’t like the ending, or who decided not to go to see Bruce Springsteen because a clip they saw of Taylor Swift’s tour was underwhelming.

Some plays I’ve been lucky enough to see have been right up there with the greatest experiences of my life. Some have been perfectly all right, or I’ve really liked one performance, some piece of stage trickery, or a clever set. Some have been ‘Let’s leave at the interval, or we could stay even if it’s only out of fascination with how bad the second half might get?’ And there has been no correlation at all with how much I’ve paid for tickets.

Was that the Bridge one? That was superb.

It’s not line of sight that’s important for me, it’s feeling part of the production. Seeing the detailed facial expressions, feeling the energy of the performances, that’s what separates theatre from any other form of acting. It’s so special. If you’re near to the action it is difficult not to become engaged even if the play/show isn’t your cup of tea.

A few years ago I saw Ruth Wilson in The Human Voice. I was sat in the centre of the second row in the stalls. I didn’t like the play particularly but it was one of the most moving performances I have ever seen. I felt uncomfortable being so close to such raw emotion. When she was sobbing and clawing at her clothes. It was the most remarkable display of acting I have ever seen. Had I been sat at the back of the stalls (and the back of the stalls in the Harold Pinter is awful) I would have just left thinking I didn’t like the play, nothing more. As I wasn’t, I left thinking I didn’t like the play but how very lucky I was to witness such an outstanding actress at the top of her game.

We don't live on the mainland, so it's not the case we aren't "into" it, we haven't had the chance. But even if we did I don't think I could justify tickets of £70+ per person to do it on a regular basis.

I don't think it's remotely comparable to books. Books are very easily accessible to all, and in many cases free. The theatre is largely a MC pastime and not within the reach of many. The vast majority of people would not consider spending £700 on tickets for a show that going to last a few hours.

But most theatre doesn’t cost anything like £700, or anything approaching it. I didn’t see the post by the pp you’re referring to so I don’t know what show they’re talking about, but I imagine it’s something like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child or Hamilton, or one of the big ticket West End musicals, which, bluntly, are expensive because West End theatre rents are expensive and they can flog expensive seats to tourists (because mostly you don’t need English to understand musicals, and they’re based off a familiar brand) and out of towners, But that’s not theatre, or certainly not all of or most of theatre.

25% of tickets for all performances at the NT are £25 or under, and on Fridays they release £10 tickets for all their shows, including their West End transfers. Also v good discounts for over 60s and 16-25s. I don’t think I’ve paid more than £35 ever, and often far less.

You can get standing tickets at the Globe for £5 — that’s where I’ve seen some of the best theatre of my life.

Roger Allan and Jamie Parker in Henry IV pt 1. It was right at the end of the Globe season, freezing and pouring rain, and DH and I were standing in the yard, and the actors were all soaked too, and it was so mesermising it didn’t even occur to me to leave.

Some local theatre offer very cheap tickets for dress rehearsals. I saw some brilliant stuff in Oxford and Leicester.

Its not £700 West End musicals or nothing.

Go to the theatre! Pick something you like the sound of, read some reviews, and go. As PP have said, it doesn't have to be a Cameron Macintosh West End show. Start small maybe. Producing theatres can often run at a loss, and your custom will help. Have fun!