*Cheap Day Seats To the Back Of The Theatre-Replace With Lottery* Campaign

With the despicable behavior happening in the front rows of 'Wicked' (and others ) every night and the constant abuse the performers endure each night, I herby begin a campaign.
The campaign is to have West End Show producers and the theatre managers remove the allocation of cheap on the day seats away from the front rows of each theatre. These seats should reflect the price they pay and be situated in the rear of one of the circles or in a top balcony.
By doing this performances would not be disturbed by uncalled for giggling, screaming, shouting, dancing, and worse of all- line shouting!

Be it on a temporary basis at first, as a warning, I think this practice would teach the unruly front rowers a lesson in theatre behavior.

Comments and support (or not!) below:

Updated On: 5/4/09 at 12:26 PM

I've never been able to figure out the logic of keeping back front row seats to sell at a cheap last minute price. To me they are the best seats in the house and I'd gladly pay extra for them! But in the theatres that operate this policy I cannot book front row seats in advance and I'm past being able to stand in line for them on the day of the show.

---

I don't want any of the younger board members on here to get me wrong.
I am all for the Student Stand-By, Equity, Unemployed etc etc discount schemes but this fiesta in the front row for a pittance is something the West End should not stand for.
Having been a box office manager in the West End, long before the front row thing started, I know exactly what I would do with these on the day seats.
They would be firstly allocated at the side of the stalls within the last 10 to 15 rows. As the house sells in advance these would then be moved away and placed in a selling area that has room for them- be it circle, second circle or balcony. Therefor, on the day, the people who want them would just have to accept whatever the box office manager sees fit to release. He would also have to keep in mind how many seats, and it can be a good hundred or more, he could sell on the day full price on the door that evening.
They would never be in the front rows, most theatres have about 20 to 30 seats in that front row and a big seller like 'Wicked' would have no problem selling those by curtain up!

Updated On: 4/28/09 at 01:08 PM

I completely understood what you meant, I feel the front row idea is a good one, but it has been abused by these screaming girls and is no longer appropriate! Another rule, can we make it legal to shoot someone when they scream at an inapropriate moment.... however, 9th May at Apollo Vic would be a blood bath (Just me at the back with a machine gun, 2314 corpses and a personal show for me!)

That'll be done before May 9th!

Hmmm dunno what I think about this.

Yes at wicked the people can be annoying, but at Hairspray last year when my mum and I waited for 3 hours (we were at the front ) the queue seemed to be full of people who GENUINELY wanted to be there for the show, not the performers etc.

I must say though I prefer the Broadway-Way of Lottery/Student Rush (Which some shows do over here but not many).

Not having seen Wicked since its first month after opening, I didn't realize there was such an issue with rowdy fans. What a nightmare. Never mind pins, use a knitting needle!

Why should a minority have to ruin it for the majority of theatre goers who use the day seat system just fine? What a ridiculous "campaign".

Why don't you "campaign" for management to actually do something about the handful of troublemakers instead?

I understand where you're coming from.

However, like someone has said before, it's not fair to take front row day seats away from everyone just because of some idiots at Wicked.

FOH staff should root out anyone who disrupts the show and kick them out. If they're in day seats, stick a photo of them in the box office and never let them have those seats again.

The situation is beyond a joke. I queued for day tickets for Wicked in February (literally can't afford theatre any other way, just getting to London costs so much) and whilst the show itself wasn't too bad in terms of screaming, I had to endure 3 hours of torture waiting in a queue between people who talked constantly about their stalking escapades and their friendships with the cast. After the matinee I witnessed Kerry Ellis being chased down the street by a gaggle of young teenage girls, egged on by their mothers.

I love those front row seats at Wicked (and aren't they sold cheaper because of the neck strain thing?) but I'm not going to be going again whilst people act this way.

"Most front row seats are ****ing crap anyway! -strained neck injuries for certain."

I LOVE front row! Always book there if available. Even with my chronic back problem, I've never had a problem in that regard. I just love being that close to the actors. To me they are the best seats and - though I have no problem at all with cheap day seats for youngsters/or anyone with a tight budget to get to see a show - it pisses me off when I have to pay full for inferior seats to those who get the best seats cheaper.

And regarding the badly behaved people in the front row question - bad behaviour that spoils the show for other audience members should not be tolerated in ANY row in the theatre.

---

Updated On: 4/28/09 at 06:25 PM

But you shouldn't have to go thru that in the first place or even think it may happen to you.

I always say something as I did at 'Sunset' 2 weeks ago. Lady with mble texting as act 2 started -Me 'Put that ****ing thing off now, NOW!'

Sometimes you don't have to much time especially when the show is up and running. Swift action normally stuns them!

She had had the whole interval to text her husband who 20mins into act 2 arrived for the show!
Please!

Admittedly, I don't use that language all the time!

Updated On: 4/28/09 at 07:21 PM

Oh they'll be over here having their say soon enough I'm sure.