Two exchanges in the box office from yesterday morning:
Box office: "Playhouse box office, good morning?"
Caller: "Can I have six seats for Hot Mikado on Saturday evening please?"
Box office: "I'm afraid we only have three seats left in the very front row"
Caller: "But I want six!"
Box office: "I'm sorry, this show has proved very popular and all we have left are three seats in the very front row"
Caller: "Well, can we have those three and three somewhere else?"
Box office: "No, we literally have only three seats left in total, there are no other seats available for this performance"
Caller: "What, really?"
Box office: "Playhouse box office, good afternoon?"
Caller: "Have you any seats left for Hot Mikado on Saturday evening please?"
Box office: "I'm afraid all we have left are three seats in the front row"
Caller: "But I wanted 13!"
Box office: "I'm sorry, all we have left are three seats, this show has proved very popular"
Caller: "But we've booked the coach!"
So, hear ye, hear ye. The Saturday evening performance of Hot Mikado has now SOLD OUT. Thursday evening is almost sold out. Friday and Wednesday evenings have very limited availability. So, when we say we only have a few seats left, we're not making it up!
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Friday, 20 November 2009
Proposed parking changes
Last month, we received notification that Gloucestershire County Council were proposing to make changes to the on-street parking in the vicinity of the theatre, in particular Bath Road, Oriel Road and Wellington Street. There followed a short period of consultation during which many of our members, together with other volunteer colleagues at the nearby Salvation Army citadel, said how damaging these proposals could be for our community work.
We have now received the official proposals following this consultation period and I am afraid to say that almost no concessions have been made in respect of our representations. The main proposal is that the current free on-street parking on these three roads will be subject to pay and display charges from 8am - 8pm, seven days per week. A maximum stay of two hours will be permitted, with the exception of Sunday mornings when a three hour maximum is permitted. The charges will be £1.60 for one hour, £2.80 for two hours and £3.80 for three hours. Some of Wellington Street will have residents permit parking and much of the current single yellow line in the general area will be removed.
Aside from the huge financial implications to our many volunteers that these changes would bring, of particular concern to the theatre is the removal of the single yellow line along Oriel Road. This is currently used on Sunday mornings for the loading and unloading of furniture, props, sets, lighting and sound equipment as one production leaves and another arrives. If this area becomes, as proposed, no waiting at any time, the general operation of the theatre becomes extremely difficult. The actual parking charges will affect all of our amateur casts, front of house volunteers and parents dropping off and collecting children from the assorted classes held after school and on Saturdays. These charges will also impact on the Salvation Army mothers and toddlers sessions, pensioners' lunch club etc, which are also heavily dependant on volunteers and frequented by the elderly and people on very limited incomes.
The trustees of the registered charity are meeting on Tuesday evening to formulate their official response and I myself met with the chairman this afternoon. We will be asking our supporters to lend us their help in the coming weeks ahead of the official deadline for objections (Monday 7 December), not just for ourselves but for all voluntary organisations in this area that will find their work, none of which is done for profit, severely impeded or potentially forced to stop. Please keep an eye on this blog for updates.
We have now received the official proposals following this consultation period and I am afraid to say that almost no concessions have been made in respect of our representations. The main proposal is that the current free on-street parking on these three roads will be subject to pay and display charges from 8am - 8pm, seven days per week. A maximum stay of two hours will be permitted, with the exception of Sunday mornings when a three hour maximum is permitted. The charges will be £1.60 for one hour, £2.80 for two hours and £3.80 for three hours. Some of Wellington Street will have residents permit parking and much of the current single yellow line in the general area will be removed.
Aside from the huge financial implications to our many volunteers that these changes would bring, of particular concern to the theatre is the removal of the single yellow line along Oriel Road. This is currently used on Sunday mornings for the loading and unloading of furniture, props, sets, lighting and sound equipment as one production leaves and another arrives. If this area becomes, as proposed, no waiting at any time, the general operation of the theatre becomes extremely difficult. The actual parking charges will affect all of our amateur casts, front of house volunteers and parents dropping off and collecting children from the assorted classes held after school and on Saturdays. These charges will also impact on the Salvation Army mothers and toddlers sessions, pensioners' lunch club etc, which are also heavily dependant on volunteers and frequented by the elderly and people on very limited incomes.
The trustees of the registered charity are meeting on Tuesday evening to formulate their official response and I myself met with the chairman this afternoon. We will be asking our supporters to lend us their help in the coming weeks ahead of the official deadline for objections (Monday 7 December), not just for ourselves but for all voluntary organisations in this area that will find their work, none of which is done for profit, severely impeded or potentially forced to stop. Please keep an eye on this blog for updates.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Christmas Treats
This year we have two very different Christmas offerings, although there is no home-grown 'pantomime for childish grown-ups' (fear not - Friends Theatre Company will be back with a vengeance in 2010).
First up is PETITE ROUGE: A CAJUN RED RIDING HOOD, which is being staged by Canvas Theatre from the University of Gloucestershire. The familiar fairy tale has been reworked into an enchanting musical where Red is a duck and the Wolf is now an alligator named Claude! This show is a perfect Christmas treat for children of all ages but has enough humour and intelligence to be enjoyed by adults too. The music is infectious and provides an ideal change from traditional pantomime. The performances take place at 7.45 on Thursday 10 December and 2.30 on Saturday 12 December, with full price tickets costing £8 and concessions for children, students and OAPs at just £6.
Then we have the UK premiere of a stage version of the classic film IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. The play, like the film, is the ultimate in inspirational/feel-good entertainment in the run-up to Christmas as we see the effect George Bailey has on the world and what a different place it would be if he threw his life away. Performances take place from Thursday 17 - Saturday 19 and Monday 21 - Thursday 24 December at 7.45, with the exception of Christmas Eve when the performance will commence at 7.00. Tickets are £9 with concessions of £7 for students and OAPs and £5 for under-16s.
First up is PETITE ROUGE: A CAJUN RED RIDING HOOD, which is being staged by Canvas Theatre from the University of Gloucestershire. The familiar fairy tale has been reworked into an enchanting musical where Red is a duck and the Wolf is now an alligator named Claude! This show is a perfect Christmas treat for children of all ages but has enough humour and intelligence to be enjoyed by adults too. The music is infectious and provides an ideal change from traditional pantomime. The performances take place at 7.45 on Thursday 10 December and 2.30 on Saturday 12 December, with full price tickets costing £8 and concessions for children, students and OAPs at just £6.
Then we have the UK premiere of a stage version of the classic film IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. The play, like the film, is the ultimate in inspirational/feel-good entertainment in the run-up to Christmas as we see the effect George Bailey has on the world and what a different place it would be if he threw his life away. Performances take place from Thursday 17 - Saturday 19 and Monday 21 - Thursday 24 December at 7.45, with the exception of Christmas Eve when the performance will commence at 7.00. Tickets are £9 with concessions of £7 for students and OAPs and £5 for under-16s.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Hot Mikado tickets
Please note that the Thursday and Saturday evening performances for this show are selling very quickly. We have availability in the front three rows only.
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Deep End play readings
Deep End Theatre Company are holding three playreadings this side of Christmas to which anyone with an interest - not just company members - is very welcome to attend. The three plays are all very different and are under consideration for possible stage productions in the latter half of 2010 and during 2011, so do come along and see what you think.
You can find out a bit more about the three plays and dramatists concerned by clicking on the links below:
TRANSLATIONS by Brian Friel (3 November)
http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk/books/translations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Friel
THE LADY'S NOT FOR BURNING by Christopher Fry (24 November)
http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk/books/the-ladys-not-for-burning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Fry
SPEED-THE-PLOW by David Mamet (8 December)
http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk/books/speed-the-plow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Mamet
All three plays continue Deep End's reputation for tackling challenging plays and represent some of the best work by the dramatists concerned. The readings will all take place in the Joan Cross Lounge and commence at 7.45 pm.
You can find out a bit more about the three plays and dramatists concerned by clicking on the links below:
TRANSLATIONS by Brian Friel (3 November)
http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk/books/translations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Friel
THE LADY'S NOT FOR BURNING by Christopher Fry (24 November)
http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk/books/the-ladys-not-for-burning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Fry
SPEED-THE-PLOW by David Mamet (8 December)
http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk/books/speed-the-plow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Mamet
All three plays continue Deep End's reputation for tackling challenging plays and represent some of the best work by the dramatists concerned. The readings will all take place in the Joan Cross Lounge and commence at 7.45 pm.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Parking near the theatre
On Tuesday we received notification that Gloucestershire County Council are proposing to change the nature of the onstreet parking in the vicinity of the theatre. At present, all the available parking on Bath Road, Wellington Street and Oriel Road is free of charge but with a maximum stay of two hours before 6pm. The proposal is that all these spaces will be switched over to pay and display parking from 8am - 8pm, seven days a week, with a maximum stay of two hours, at a charge of £1.60 for one hour and £2.80 for two hours.
This means that it will be almost impossible to attend the theatre by car - either as a performer, a member of the audience, someone taking part in a Pilates or dance class, or a parent collecting or dropping off a child for a drama class - without paying for your parking or walking some distance. The pay and display car park across the road already charges until 8pm at night (until three years ago it was free after 6pm).
We are told that: "Evidence from areas where on street pay and display parking has been introduced shows that a higher turnover of spaces means more visitors and shoppers can find a place to park to access local shops. You will also find it easier to get deliveries direct to your door. This is because the duration of stay is better managed so more spaces are made available more frequently."
While I have no evidence to dispute this, one has to argue that if the reason for introducing charges is to improve the parking for shoppers to access local shops, the charging could surely stop at 6pm once the shops are closed. Similarly, there would be no need for all-day charging on Sundays. This, of course, is if one accepts that in a time of recession/depression, introducing such high parking charges is a sensible proposal.
There is a period of consultation until October 23rd and you can read about the exact nature of the plans at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/cheltenhampayanddisplay along with some questions and answers. You can also find a questionnaire on that site - either online or printable for posting - to air your views on these proposals. There is also a public consultation at the borough council offices on Friday 16th October during various times of the day.
We urge all supporters and users of the theatre and the local shops to air complete the questionnaire or write to the borough council to argue against the introduction of these charges.
This means that it will be almost impossible to attend the theatre by car - either as a performer, a member of the audience, someone taking part in a Pilates or dance class, or a parent collecting or dropping off a child for a drama class - without paying for your parking or walking some distance. The pay and display car park across the road already charges until 8pm at night (until three years ago it was free after 6pm).
We are told that: "Evidence from areas where on street pay and display parking has been introduced shows that a higher turnover of spaces means more visitors and shoppers can find a place to park to access local shops. You will also find it easier to get deliveries direct to your door. This is because the duration of stay is better managed so more spaces are made available more frequently."
While I have no evidence to dispute this, one has to argue that if the reason for introducing charges is to improve the parking for shoppers to access local shops, the charging could surely stop at 6pm once the shops are closed. Similarly, there would be no need for all-day charging on Sundays. This, of course, is if one accepts that in a time of recession/depression, introducing such high parking charges is a sensible proposal.
There is a period of consultation until October 23rd and you can read about the exact nature of the plans at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/cheltenhampayanddisplay along with some questions and answers. You can also find a questionnaire on that site - either online or printable for posting - to air your views on these proposals. There is also a public consultation at the borough council offices on Friday 16th October during various times of the day.
We urge all supporters and users of the theatre and the local shops to air complete the questionnaire or write to the borough council to argue against the introduction of these charges.
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Autumn season and new brochure
On Monday we took delivery of 27 boxes containing 8,000 brochures for our autumn season and so the box office is a hive of activity of the 'stuffing envelopes' and 'printing labels' variety as we get them sent out to everyone on the mailing list. They are, of course, also available from the theatre foyer and, over the next week or so, will start to find their way into the usual display racks around the county. The brochure has also been redesigned to an A5 stapled booklet and, so far, the reaction has been very positive. For the first time, the brochure is also downloadable as a pdf file direct from the home page of the theatre website, so do feel free to have a peruse online!
Yours truly was interviewed yesterday by roving reporter Joanna Durrant for BBC Radio Gloucestershire and the first in a two-part segment was broadcast this morning at 9.45 on John Rockley's mid-morning show. The first part focused primarily on the changes to the theatre since the refurbishment - as a general bit of profile-raising for the venue - while tomorrow's part (which should be broadcast sometime between 9.30 and 10.00) focuses on the cult, classic and foreign films we are showing in September. Full details can be found in the brochure, but for quick reference:
Monday 7 September: Blazing Saddles (12A) at 7.45 pm
Tuesday 8 September: The 11th Hour (PG) at 7.45 pm
Wednesday 9 September: Moj Nikifor (12A) at 7.45 pm
Thursday 10 September: Casablanca (U) at 2.00 pm
Friday 11 September: The Shining (18) at 7.45 pm
Saturday 12 September: Shrek (U) at 2.00 pm
Saturday 12 September: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (15) at 7.45 pm
We have already received bookings for several of these films, including a block booking for Rocky Horror, so if you are interested in attending any of the films, it may well be worth your while booking now. Remember, we don't have a huge number of seats to sell and each film is only being shown the once.
Yours truly was interviewed yesterday by roving reporter Joanna Durrant for BBC Radio Gloucestershire and the first in a two-part segment was broadcast this morning at 9.45 on John Rockley's mid-morning show. The first part focused primarily on the changes to the theatre since the refurbishment - as a general bit of profile-raising for the venue - while tomorrow's part (which should be broadcast sometime between 9.30 and 10.00) focuses on the cult, classic and foreign films we are showing in September. Full details can be found in the brochure, but for quick reference:
Monday 7 September: Blazing Saddles (12A) at 7.45 pm
Tuesday 8 September: The 11th Hour (PG) at 7.45 pm
Wednesday 9 September: Moj Nikifor (12A) at 7.45 pm
Thursday 10 September: Casablanca (U) at 2.00 pm
Friday 11 September: The Shining (18) at 7.45 pm
Saturday 12 September: Shrek (U) at 2.00 pm
Saturday 12 September: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (15) at 7.45 pm
We have already received bookings for several of these films, including a block booking for Rocky Horror, so if you are interested in attending any of the films, it may well be worth your while booking now. Remember, we don't have a huge number of seats to sell and each film is only being shown the once.
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