Theatres

[VinoBianca]

I have three theatre shows booked this month. How are these still being allowed to go ahead? They're all fully booked venues, no distancing. I think I'm too anxious to go but it was a real investment for the kids and the loss of the money is really hard to take. Im torn about this because if they're going ahead surely the powers that be consider this to be a risk that's potentially fine to take? Basically I'm confused by the messaging and rubbish at making a decision

Thanks for the thread, this has helped me decide to apply to exchange my tickets to Ocean at the End of the Lane, which I was meant to be seeing with my sister Christmas Eve. Totally gutted and really the exchange is approved as it cost me nearly £200 but I don’t want to risk bringing Covid into my partner’s or my family over Christmas and New Year. Plus I’m in my third trimester so there’s that to think about too (triple jabbed but still).

@Isthatthebestyoucando

You 'carry on regardless' people are so fucking self obsessed and insensitive.

You may have had a point six months in, but carry on people now are probably those who realise that this is going nowhere, we live with it because the alternative is to not have anything to look forward to.

I think this stood as a way of thinking a couple of weeks ago (it's certainly how I felt) and it will probably be that way again come the end of January or whenever we're through the big round of infections that are coming. But the situation isn't the same right now as it was two weeks ago. Rates are doubling every two days thanks to Omicron and we're riddled with it where I live. Plus if we have elderly people coming at Christmas it seems really selfish to take the risk :-(

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We're off to the panto on Christmas eve, really looking forward to it and praying it's not cancelled.

I’m off to Cinderella tonight - three more shows/panto booked before Christmas - wearing a medical grade mask which was always my intention anyway - ‘triple ‘ vaxed for what it’s worth - we’ll take our chances

@bengalcat

I’m off to Cinderella tonight - three more shows/panto booked before Christmas - wearing a medical grade mask which was always my intention anyway - ‘triple ‘ vaxed for what it’s worth - we’ll take our chances

Would love to hear what you think I of the show and covid measures.

@marmiteloversunite yep will feedback

We had tickets for a show this week and the theatre offered the chance to move to another date if isolating so we’ve had to do that. Means we don’t lose a fair amount of £ on the ticket prices and we just go in a month or so.

I feel for those employed in the industry but I can’t see how sitting in one of London’s cramped theatres for a couple of hours right now would be a good idea or particularly enjoyable. And when you’re paying +£200 for four just for the tickets (so pushing £300 or more when you factor in drinks, food, travel etc) you want to feel able to enjoy it.

@Lacedwithgrace

Who's going to the theatre around Christmas in a pandemic? Unless you booked it 3 years ago it's quite a silly move

Most people who enjoy theatre have had multiple sets of tickets postponed and cancelled. Since theatres reopened they have been full and there have been no reports of Covid outbreaks from them. I bought tickets in July for a show in January because at that point we were happily going to the theatre again and things seemed to be improving. Now I'm not sure it will go ahead. I also have tickets for Saturday which I bought in 2019 for my husband's birthday in 2020, postponed twice, and now don't know what to do.

People are totally entitled to want to enjoy life and make plans after so much has been cancelled.

I’m due to go on Saturday with my kids. I’ll be so sad if it’s cancelled. They’ve missed out on so much already. I want them to experience a pantomime. They way it’s going you will catch it sooner or later.

We’ve got tickets for a London show with a shortish run for the 22nd - it’s too close to my parents coming down on the 24th to risk unfortunately so I’m going to try and move the date to the week after Christmas.

@KiwiDramaQueen that production is amazing, hope you get to see it eventually!

I was supposed to take Dd to the theatre tonight (Hex at the National) but it’s been cancelled. I’ve rebooked for January as it’s a short run, but I’m not convinced we will get to go. If it hadn’t been cancelled I’d have happily gone.
We’ve also got Harry Potter and The Cursed Child tickets for February which I’m hoping we will still get to see.

We’re meant to be going to a Carol singalong in Manchester on Xmas Eve - I’m happy to go, but worried one of us will get Covid before then and we won’t be able to get a refund/transfer.

I’m sort of hoping it is cancelled so the risk of us losing money goes away!

Honestly, I would just go, wear masks, sanitise hands and enjoy the show, so long as you are not coming home to vulnerable people like elderly relatives. Yes, you might get Omicron, or you might catch a cold or flu. But the chances of something lethal happening, if you take sensible precautions and you are all vaccinated, is very small indeed.

We do have to live now. Two years in, we can't put life on hold forever. Covid, like flu, is going nowhere. It will always be with us. We will never eradicate it. It will weaken and we will build immunity to it, but not by hiding away.

I think for most people at this point the risk is not about dying or even being seriously ill, but about having to isolate, particularly over Christmas.

I have booked to go to a couple of plays in late Dec/early Jan and will certainly go if they aren't cancelled, but am avoiding stuff now because I can't risk having to isolate alone with Covid for 10 days over Christmas.

I went to the theatre (West End) twice last weekend and it was wonderful. They won’t do distancing, they’ll simply shut. A distanced performance is not remotely financially viable.

I hope the industry survives what is coming.

Your money and situation, your choice! Doubt all shows will close / offer refunds this side of xmas.

What are you anxious about: you and/or other attendees getting covid yourselves, or passing it on to elderly relatives?

If the latter, you could take lat flow tests, also assume the people you’re seeing know about your overall situation with respect to work, shopping, DC in school and clubs etc, so can take decisions for themselves.

Visited a restaurant and the theatre last night, it was far from full and people wore masks. We have DC in school and us at work etc so additional risk is limited.

Can you sell your tickets on? There's loads every day changing hands on our local facebook page, some people are now isolating and can't go but I suspect others don't want to take the risk. Although we have to wear masks in the theatre here and show proof of vaccination status or a negative LTF (not that they necessarily mean you don't have Covid but hey!)

The problem for us is that with the show on the 22nd then elderly relatives coming on the 24th LFTs are pretty pointless as if we do pick it up at the show they’ll be staying with us by the time it shows up on an LFT.

Do you think like this about all your activities, or do you work from home, rarely visit shops or other indoor / busy places, have no DC in school or socialising, see friends and family indoors etc?

We had tickets for this weekend for a LOndon show. It was booked direct via Disney tickets.

When I phoned up to cancel, I expected to be offered a credit note or further tickets (the website said that was policy for non-stadium events) but I was offered the above 2 options or a refund.

I chose the refund. We will hope to rebook in the New Year, but having the flex to choose exactly what we spend on tickets and not be left with an annoying few pounds of credit that you can’t actually spend in anything useful is good. I was impressed.

The woman on the phone sounded weary. I expressed sympathy that they were probably getting hundreds of cancellations. It’s crap for the industry and for hospitality seeing all the cancellations.

It’s not a fear of getting Covid so much at this point, as not being able to spend Christmas with family.

Aren’t even those not interested in restrictions bothered about that? We’re within 10 days of Christmas now, and if we caught Covid in next couple fo days, our Christmas would be ruined. So we’re prioritising staying clear of people from now, because we really want to be with family.

Or are some people taking the line that if they get Covid, they’ll just attend their family Christmas anyway?

We have panto tickets booked for this Sunday but have decided not to go. I am due to see a show with one of my friends in between Xmas and new year and she still seems keen to go so i will go & wear a mask as at least I wont be risking Xmas. I’m hoping it gets cancelled though to be honest.

@Tealightsandd

If (efficient) masks had been kept throughout, ventilation filters updated, people’s Covid status checked, and companies had developed solid hygiene plans… then it might have not been as bad.

This.

People like VampiresWife don't seem to understand mitigation. As in reducing the risks.

It really is such a shame it wasn't done in the UK. Christmas theatre/panto/shows are so lovely to go to.

Of course I understand mitigation, possibly even better than you do. Don't be so condescending.

But the suggestion here was that if we'd kept all these things, we wouldn't be in the situation we are now. Of course we would have. Omicron would still be here. No amount of hand washing, masks or ventilation in August would have prevented it.

We're going to the theatre 3 times between now and Christmas- the first one is tonight and hasn't been cancelled yet. We went on Monday too. The theatre was only about 2/3 full. I'm also going in the first week of January to see a show that has now been postponed 3 times! We were due to first see it in May 2020.

I think that if you don't want to go then fair enough, stay home, but you shouldn't expect a refund. The show still has to be paid for- the cast, the theatre staff etc. How do people expect the shows to still be there for them to go and see if everyone wants their money back?