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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask you all the boycot Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the musical

66 replies

vestandknickers · 13/09/2013 19:29

Until the prices come down enough for me to take my family?

I'd love to take my children. They'd adore it, but even the tickets up on the roof behind a pillar are £25 a pop and if we actually wanted to be able to see anything on the stage we'd have to pay about £50 each. As a family of five, that's the sort of money we normally budget for a few nights away and I just can't justify it.

So, if you could all please not buy tickets so that the ticket office would panic and reduce their prices I'd be much obliged.

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
YeahWhat · 13/09/2013 21:15

Cut and pasted from the theatre website

Please note that 'Matilda The Musical' is recommended for children ages 6 and up. Everyone attending the performance must have a ticket, regardless of age

It could be a bit scary/loud/long for younger kids although I can't think of anything 'inappropriate'. I bet they are just trying to avoid having younger potentially more disruptive kids in the audience as it is definitely for adults too and not just a kids show.

dontblameme · 13/09/2013 21:17

Agree with others that Matilda is brilliant. There is a website called Get Into London Theatre that does reduced tickets for heaps of shows in Jan/Feb. We got £15 tickets last year, would def recommend it. (Their 2014 tickets aren't onsale yet but keep an eye.)

Toxicshmoxic · 13/09/2013 21:31

ooh sounds wonderful....a Christmas treat perhaps!

Picturesinthefirelight · 13/09/2013 21:41

Matilda is a little bit dark & intense in places (acrobat & escapologist especially). When she is delivering her monologues to Mrs Phelps it could be a bit too much for sensitive younger children or they might get bored.

But it is fabulous

joanofarchitrave · 13/09/2013 21:45

Go and see Emil and the Detectives at the National Theatre. Tickets start at £12.

llamallama · 13/09/2013 21:47

I felt that Charlie didn't really add much that wasn't in the films. It was essentially a performance of the film on stage, there wasn't much new, or great use of theatrics which I think is a shame and the reason you go to the theatre.

Matilda on the other hand is just so clever and the stage set up and performances are just magical. So clever and engaging. A couple of odd songs but mostly huge wow factor.

Charlie was disappointing.

Souredstones · 13/09/2013 21:49

Matilda is shit. I am aware mine is a minority view though

Viviennemary · 13/09/2013 21:49

They do seem very expensive. . Just don't go if you begrudge paying the price. But you can't expect others to do the same. I sometimes don't go to things if I think the price is too high.

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 13/09/2013 22:49

YABU because my lovely lovely mother has forked out £120 so that my no3 son can go on the school overnight trip to London to see it in November and he is past excited already.
He's never been on a "Big Trip" before and has been planning what to take teddy bear and jamas wise with the two friends he will be sharing a room with, for weeks, and has even asked the whole family if he can please have money for his birthday instead of a present because he can spend it on his trip.
DD went to see Matilda when she was in Year 5 and loved it, on the equivalent trip.
If my mam didn't pay they couldn't go, but she reckons £120 for a trip to London, a musical, a meal at the Rainforest Cafe, bed and brekkie in a hotel and the Harry Potter studio tour thing next day is good value. I have no idea whether it is or not, other than we paid the same for DD last year and she didn't get the HP tour, they just got a coach ride round the major sites in London.

veryconfusedatthemoment · 13/09/2013 22:58

I think Matilda was shit too. I was SO disappointed. Emperors new clothes. It was totally overrated. (I have gone to and loved musicals for over 30 years so know what I am talking about :) )

So when the reviews of Charlie were not good, I decided to wait until prices fall before taking DS.

Canthisonebeused · 13/09/2013 23:06

Is Matilda still running????

DumSpiroSpero · 13/09/2013 23:16

Pom that is great value for money!

We saw Matilda last year and Charlie this year. It is daft money but having just one child & a DH that isn't a theatre fan I don't mind doing it as a once a year treat.

We loved them both - was very doubtful that Charlie would live up to Matilda but was pleasantly surprised. I would possibly lean towards Matilda if I was forced to choose - the music is better and the way the story has been developed gave it something extra.

There were some spectacular moments in Charlie though - Douglas Hodge was great and made Wonka a slightly more sympathetic character than he is in the films imo.

YeahWhat · 13/09/2013 23:34

Where is fancy bread. In the heart or in the head

Best quote ever. Did it make it into the stage version?

(Not the Shakespeare play Grin )

dillite · 14/09/2013 00:09

What age would you say Matilda is suitable for? I've got 3,5 year old who adores musicals and have been thinking for a while now of taking her to one. Would they let someone that young in?

YeahWhat · 14/09/2013 00:12

dillite
See my earlier post on the recommended age for kids watching Matilda. The recommended age is 6 and older but you can still take younger kids in - as long as you buy them a ticket.

YeahWhat · 14/09/2013 00:15

Also, you can find lots of advice from other MN'ers if you search 'Matilda the musical' on MN. There are loads of posts. Smile

IamSlave · 14/09/2013 00:25

Emile is on at a local theatre to us, is it any good?

NoComet · 14/09/2013 01:08

If you have older DCs, DD(15) says the curious incident of the dog in the night time was fab and it's a lot cheaper.

Desperately want to see Matilda, but London is a hell of a day trip and theatre plus a hotel is damn nearly as much as having a holiday abroad.

raisah · 14/09/2013 03:07

Or cancel Christmas presents and use that money to buy top quality seats. If anybody asks what your dc would like for Xmas, mention theatre tokens and that you want to take them to see a show. Atleast their money is not wasted on expensive plastic tat which gets shoved to the back of the cupboard after a week or so.

I am doing this, if people ask me what to buy for my dc then I ask for a national theatre voucher and then I will make up the shortfall.

raisah · 14/09/2013 03:28

If you need accommodation in central London that doesn't break the bank then consider university halls. Universities let them out during the holidays to generate extra income. The central London ones have been refurbished to a very high standard to justify the eye watering tution fees of £9k plus. They are cost effective & family friendly with self catering flats & rooms.

www.lsevacations.co.uk/Accommodation/All-Locations.aspx

I stayed in one during the Edinburgh fringe & it cost me £25 per night so good value.

MrsDavidBowie · 14/09/2013 08:59

Good idea raisah...dd loves going, so for her 17th she got a lot of theatre tokens and cash so she can go and see stuff. Plus National theatre do cheap tickets for that age group.

NoComet · 14/09/2013 12:29

University halls is a brilliant suggestion, given I have a 15y who is starting to think about such things.

cory · 14/09/2013 12:57

Dd has just started drama A-level and met her new drama teacher who does not approve of the West End. I hope he is a man of magnetic influence who will convert dd to the concept of fringe theatres at £8 a shot. Grin

morefalafel · 14/09/2013 13:07

YABU. Its rubbish. I saw it a while ago and it was dire.

ChippingInNeedsSleepAndCoffee · 14/09/2013 13:20

I'd like to take the troops too - but it is expensive. Hoping it will come down in price when the novelty wears off!