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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Go to your local theatre!

30 replies

ChefCheese · 09/11/2022 06:39

I realise not everyone can afford it this Christmas - but for those who can, can I plead that you go to your local theatre this Christmas?
Many are devastated after covid, and recent arts council cuts.
If you want them to survive they need your support!
If you're not into pantos, there are plenty of alternatives.
What have you booked to see in your local area?

OP posts:

PeacewithinLily · 09/11/2022 06:41

I have booked at dance show....early next year ..haven't told dd...but I am so excited !

Original poster

ChefCheese · 09/11/2022 06:48

Sounds great! I've booked our local Christmas production. It's not a panto but has lots of singing and dancing so the kids will like it.
Plus a comedy in the new year for a date night for DH.

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OneRingToRuleThemAll · 09/11/2022 06:57

I booked a show at the local theatre for next year, but it is now £50 for the balcony and £140 for stalls. That's West End prices!

noscoobydoodle · 09/11/2022 07:09

For Christmas ive booked tickets for my 3 kids and 3 nieces (and adults) to go and see Matilda the musical - produced by a local company at a local theatre. Front row seats for £10 a ticket. It's a surprise but I know they will love it (obsessed with Matilda!) And there's no way I could afford this at the 'big' theatre in the city. My mil is taking my oldest 2 to the panto at the big theatre for Xmas and it's £40 a ticket.

Frostine · 09/11/2022 07:09

For the past 10 years we have supported our local theatre by becoming a ' friend ' .
It used to cost is about £40 a year and gave us the benefit of priority booking for a week or two before the bookings were opened up to the general public . It also gave a small discount to bulk buying their major productions ( around 6 a year)
We are talking a small town theatre , no well known actors , mainly local actors , occasional travelling productions .
My dh and I would see them as a good date night and would book the 6 productions which would be around £400 -£450 for the tickets .
During the covid lockdown and no theatres opened we continued to ' friend ' and also supported them again when pleas went out for extra donations.
We have just received an update newsletter to say to stay at the same level as a friend it has gone from £40 a year to £120 . Ticket prices have also shot up and we can no longer afford ' the luxury ' of a night out .

PeacewithinLily · 09/11/2022 07:09

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 09/11/2022 06:57

I booked a show at the local theatre for next year, but it is now £50 for the balcony and £140 for stalls. That's West End prices!

Wow mine were £27 each

OldTinHat · 09/11/2022 07:26

I've got several theatres locally, the smallest one only charges £8 a ticket, £5 for concessions. I go to all of their productions and they're excellent but not the larger theatres as they're about £40 a ticket and usually sold out with headline acts.

Original poster

ChefCheese · 09/11/2022 07:30

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 09/11/2022 06:57

I booked a show at the local theatre for next year, but it is now £50 for the balcony and £140 for stalls. That's West End prices!

That's a lot! It's £18 a ticket at my local. It's more of a community arts centre rather than big city centre theatre though

OP posts:

70billionthnamechange · 09/11/2022 07:32

Can't afford to 😢

MadameSzyszkoBohusz · 09/11/2022 07:36

Yes please! I'm an actor and a trustee of a local theatre and it really worries me that so many people are saying that they won't bother with a panto or Christmas show this year.

I do understand that for many it's not possible, money only goes so far, but if you can, please do. We really want to share some Christmas joy with you.

supertedious · 09/11/2022 07:40

We looked at taking the kids for Christmas, it's was £110 for tickets alone! We just cannot afford that

RewildingAmbridge · 09/11/2022 07:41

I couldn't agree more.
We are lucky to have two local theatres and go regularly. We recently took DS to see the tige who came to tea recently and last month went to see a comedian. We have panto tickets booked, room on the broom for early next year and more stand up tickets. PIL have booked a Christmas show for DS and DM took DNs to a musical last week and older DN to a show over the summer.
It's one of the best benefits of where we live. We go to the theatre 5/6 times a year locally, we used to get to the west end more too but that's trickier now with DS

SmokedHaddockChowder · 09/11/2022 07:46

I tried. I bought three tickets for a Christmas show.
Turns out the theatre had underestimated how long some building work would take to complete, and have had to cancel all shows until next year.
I'm done with ttreating these organisations like charities. A lot of them couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery!

pastypirate · 09/11/2022 07:48

We are going to watch Le Navete Bete in the exeter northcott it's a panto alternative we have gone every year for about 8 years they are hilarious and brilliant it's a solid nye family tradition.

Icedlatteplease · 09/11/2022 07:53

I've rediscovered the theatre recently. Weve had a proper shit year and due to health issues we can't go on holiday. Money i would have ploughed into holidays are now going into days out Trouble is our local theatres really haven't got much on. It's all pop musicals and not a lot of actual theatre. I'd give anything for a local Christmas Carol or something. I wouldn’t mind a panto in theory, I like the whole its behind you etc, but I've yet to find one where the rampant sexism doesn't put me off....

Also most are £30-40, with tickets the same price throughout the theatre no matter the view.

Even though its a longish journey, It costs me about a ten to £15 to get train into London, and I'm mopping up seats at top productions from £14.50-£30. I can check out the view beforehand on seat plan etc, so I know what I'm getting. I'd far rather stay local but the cost/benefit just doesn't compare

girlmom21 · 09/11/2022 07:58

I can't justify over £100 when I have two young children who I can't guarantee will sit through it. Even our local am dram performances aren't far off that price point.

AriettyHomily · 09/11/2022 08:04

We are going to panto but it was £160 for four tickets, we did it because it's probably the last time the kids will want to and I have no interest in panto without the kids being into it.

£160 is a lot though, I don't think theatre at that price will survive

MaryToft · 09/11/2022 08:04

I can thoroughly recommend the Morgan and West Great Big Christmas Magic Show. We saw it last year and it was hilarious. Definitely one of those shows on two levels with something for children and adults. Ticket prices vary from theatre to theatre but I think they were around £12 a ticket.
They're touring the show again this year.

Original poster

ChefCheese · 09/11/2022 08:59

Yeah, some of the big pantos are really expensive but believe me - no one is making mega bucks in the arts. That's just how much they cost to stay viable.
I'm sure if you Google local theatres - you'll be surprised at what's on in smaller venues. It's not all am-dram (although I quite like a bit of am dram too!)

OP posts:

HeyHeyHeyyyyy · 09/11/2022 09:01

I've booked little shop of horrors at ours for this month & a Christmas play for Xmas eve.

IShouldProbablyHooverMore · 09/11/2022 09:30

Little theatres (as in members of little theatre guild) are usually pretty good value. Our local one charges £13 for a ticket, a fiver discount if you're a member (approx £15 pa). Good mix of pro and amateur shows, plus the odd gig. Worth checking out.
Lots of amateur companies use village halls, which keeps costs down. And the standard of some productions is very high.
Bigger theatres invariably charge more, understandably so, but some offer discounts for midweek shows etc. Annual membership is usually worth it if you go two or three times a year. Or try and get a group together, ask about discounts. My husband's work used to have a social club and they got good discounts on tickets.

MrsSkylerWhite · 09/11/2022 09:34

Would love to but our local wants £40-60 per head. Can’t afford that.
I appreciate that they’re trying to make up losses but think those prices will leave the auditorium pretty empty for much of the run. £30 per head would see far more bums on seats.

MichelleScarn · 09/11/2022 09:36

Also over £120 for our family to go and see local panto! They're mainly sold out for it so looks like doing well!

ErrolTheDragon · 09/11/2022 09:39

Now our dd has grown up we don't find there's much on near Xmas we want to see. But last week we went to NTL live (The Seagull - good, Emilia Clark's eyebrows deserved a curtain call of their own close up) and this week we're going to a talk.

SergeiL · 09/11/2022 20:48

We have booked local panto (to be fair my daughter is in the ensemble but we would typically go anyway, local ballet and touring production of SIX at a bigger theatre. We don’t go out much otherwise so save our pennies for theatre!

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