To wonder whether this theatre company is a bit of a scam?

[LemonChiffon]

I'm genuinely in two minds here. This is the situation. My dd, who is 13, saw an advert for auditions for a show that children could be in. She auditioned, and got a part in the ensemble. She was very happy about this as she loves performing. At the audition I discovered that it cost £200 for her to take part. As she really wanted to, I paid it and she's currently rehearsing for the show. I've since discovered that they essentially have four separate ensemble groups - they have four shows total, dd is in two of them, and only doing half the songs as the other ensemble does the other half (if that makes sense!). I've also had to buy tickets for us to see the show, at £25 a ticket.

So on one hand, I appreciate that dd is learning and gaining skills and experience from being in this show. Shows cost money to put on, and ultimately the production company is a business that needs to make a profit.

But on the other hand, I suspect that most of the audience of these shows will be parents of the children taking part. I also suspect that everyone who auditioned got a part! And they have four ensembles to maximise the money they get from all the children taking part!

So AIBU? A cynic? Or do I have a point? Genuinely happy to be told either way. I've paid now so can't change my mind!

Agree it sounds more like a kids’ drama/performing arts club rather than a show. But sounds like it was not clearly presented as that.

Would you have paid £200 for her to join a drama club?

the tickets- it’s pretty normal IME to pay for tickets to kids’ drama club shows. And obviously you’d pay for a public show. So that bit’s not a surprise either way.

Is she having weekly drama lessons with the £200? I pay £150 a term for my son's drama lessons but there are other drama schools round here charging over £300 a term

Is this Rare Productions? Sounds completely normal to me. Including being charged to watch your DC perform....

Yes, it is Rare Productions. To give them credit, what I've seen of the rehearsals it looks like they do a good job, they really get the children engaged.

I guess it is the equivalent of a drama club, for about a term. So not a bad price I suppose.

I think it's just the four ensembles thing that's made me think it's for the money! But they are a business, and they do a good job, so 🤷‍♀️

I was going to ask if it was Rare. My daughter has just performed in one of their shows and it was brilliant, and she's grown so much confidence from it! It does sound like a lot of money but when you work out how much rehearsal time they get in that plus the extra things included in it, it's actually a very decent price I think!

I think you're basically paying for a drama club that has a show at the end. If you're happy to do that, then it's value for money. My DD has done a Rare show, I think she was 13, and she did really enjoy it.

If you look at the Productions page on their website, at the number and varying locations of the shows they are putting on, this isn't a theatre production company, it is a drama club for kids with performances. There are very few photos on the website, and I can't see any featuring scenery or props, and there doesn't seem to be much in the way of costume either.
I think if you approach it as an opportunity for your child to rehearse some songs and dances, and be involved in an evening presentation, then that's good. If you're expecting a full production, you will probably be disappointed.

I wondered if it was Rare! My daughter ‘passed the audition’ over 15 years ago aged 9 and was so excited! The rehearsals were fun and she grew in confidence and went on to join the local drama group, star in many local productions, did ‘A’ level Drama, got a first at uni in a drama-related subject and now works in the theatre. She still performs and writes and produces as well. Thank you Rare Productions! Look on it as a taster for the Arts. She will be getting instruction with the certainty of a performance at the end.

I let my kids do Rare once, but wouldn't have done twice. They were already in a theatre group and the local theatre does a more valuable version of what Rare provides.

I did think it was quite scammy at the time.

Perfect for 9yr old girls who want to perform high school musical!

The reviews are interesting. It sounds like only a few get good parts and the rest are just standing around on stage with limited direction.

It's the kids' performance equivalent of those books where they 'publish' your child's poem and then charge parents an extortionate amount for a copy of the book, which is cheap vanity publishing.. There's no quality control or any real selection process - they just want to get as many kids on stage as possible to get the parents' money.

You see this was my thinking.

Interesting about the reviews, I've just taken a look. There are a number of very happy parents but also some who felt it was all about the money and poor quality productions.

However from what I've seen of the rehearsals my dd is in, they do seem to be well directed, and the songs well choreographed. I haven't seen the show yet though!

There are loads of photos of the productions on their Instagram - there are definitely decent costumes and set. In the one my DD did the female leads were pretty good, the male leads were less good, I think because there is far less competition for male roles (I think they had to persuade a male teenager to come back from having done a previous production for one of the roles).

Personally I think it was value for money for what DD got out of it, especially since her school hardly ever puts on musicals and so it was a good opportunity for her, since she loves musicals. As long as you think of it as an extra curricular club and not a production being put on for the general public.