RSC Membership

[Lorannah]

Hey,

Think I may have said ages ago that I'd do a post on membership to the RSC and why I love mine. And as I've just resubscribed, now seems as good a time as any.

Firstly, it's a great way to show support for the company but also I think you do get great benefits with it. My favourites are:

* The priority booking period - definitely worth it, it does mean you end up booking months and months in advance, before you have any hope of knowing what else will be happening in your life - but it's great for getting the seats you want. And I suspect for some of the one off events it's the only way of ensuring tickets.

* The free ticket exchange - I end up using this all the time (it is somewhat ridiculous) and it's an absolute blessing. They're great as well at just letting you return tickets and have money on your account. They even let me renew my membership with what I had on account. (As a side note - the RSC staff are always so friendly and helpful)

* The newsletter - I love it and read it from cover to cover. Particularly love it for the interviews and behind the scenes snippets. I have a love and hate relationship with the prints they send, but the newsletter is great.

* Discounts - I've not had much chance to use the offers on tickets, but membership gives you two £10 reductions on top price tickets that you can use at any point you want, which is useful. Plus the 10% off in the shop and cafe has probably saved me nearly the cost of the membership already.

I'm also a member of the friends. Which I love even more than all the other benefits put together. The friends events are utterly awesome - been to lots of great talks and I particularly love the atmosphere at them, much more relaxed, more like a conversation. Not made it to any of the tea sessions or the tech rehearsals but they sound great too.

So, what about the rest of you - are you members? What do you like about it? And are any of you hallowed Shakespeare's Circle members? What's it like? Or even the Patron or Artist circle (I'm pretty certain with the last you get your own actor)?

Whilst we're on the topic, are any of you members at other theatres? I'm trying to decide at the moment what to sign up for now I'm in London, any recommendations? I'll probably go for the advance NT membership, but not sure whether to do others yet.

[Rob]

About the RSC Friends - I've been tempted to join, but are most of the Friends events in Stratford? Getting there is a bit of a pain for me so I try to limit the number of trips I make to days when I can see at least one (or sometimes two) plays. The events sound like fun but not much use if I can't go to any of them!

I'm an Associate Member but I'm planning to upgrade to Full Membership when the opportunity next arises. It's not expensive and I think it would be worthwhile.

I'm also an Advance Member at the National Theatre, and that for me isn't really very good value, even though it's only £15. The Priority level above that costs £65 and enough people have that that they tend to grab all the £10 front stalls seats - for a lot of shows there are none of them left by the time even Advance booking opens. I'm also a member of the under-26 Entry Pass system which absolutely is worthwhile - £5 seats (front stalls in the Lyttelton, either front stalls or circle in the Olivier and top level balcony in the Cottesloe) that are guaranteed to be reserved for every performance even if it's otherwise completely sold out. However this isn't compatible with any other membership levels so you have to wait until public booking opens for this, which isn't a problem for me. If you're happy to pay full price at the National and want to see something in the first booking period then I guess Advance Membership might be worth it (there were ridiculously few seats for some performances of the Rory Kinnear Hamlet left by the time that opened to the public), but for me it isn't. They're also very unhelpful in terms of letting you know whether advance booking is available for Platforms and other one-off events (often not).

[Fluellen]

I'm an associate member. Aaaaaaaaand I'm planning on letting my membership lapse next year, see how I fare without it. I believe a popular term for my personal financial circumstances is "living paycheque to paycheque", so it's very rare I'm able to take advantage of any priority booking, and the only real discount I've ever seen was on a muffin at the Courtyard Cafe. XD I try to get to Stratford whenever I can, but I just don't live near enough to benefit as much as I would like. And while I do like the newsletters, it's not the end of the world if I don't get them. The information usually makes it to the internet long before the envelope falls through my door anyway. XD

I know that one does not purchase member- or friendship to get free stuff, one purchases member- or friendship to show support for a chosen theatre company. But at the same time, there are other theatres I adore that are a lot closer to home that would also be very appreciative of my member- or friendship money for a year (no, I can't afford member- or friendship of another theatre *and* the RSC; if I could, I'd be a full RSC member *and* friend and wouldn't be saying any of this! XD). So I'm going to defect. I'll let you know how I feel again when member- or friendship of my new chosen theatre comes up for renewal, whether I want to come back or not. XD

(..... pls don't kick me off the board..... 'm only being honest..... )

[Lorannah]

Sept 30, 2010 14:15:05 GMT Fluellen said:

(..... pls don't kick me off the board..... 'm only being honest..... )

LOL. No worries your membership here at least is safe - and I'm completely there for the benefits. There are a lot of theatres I looked at in London, which I love, but I'm not joining because I don't think I'd benefit enough. The Globe is a good example, I love them but I wouldn't really use any of the benefits they offer. Moneys tight, particularly with a theatre habit to support and you do have to pick and choose. Plus supporting a more local theatre is an awesome thing to do, because they often get a lot less attention.

[Lorannah]

Sept 30, 2010 13:44:58 GMT Rob said:

About the RSC Friends - I've been tempted to join, but are most of the Friends events in Stratford? Getting there is a bit of a pain for me so I try to limit the number of trips I make to days when I can see at least one (or sometimes two) plays. The events sound like fun but not much use if I can't go to any of them!

Yep, the main benefit of friends membership are the events, so if you can't get to them then it's probably not particularly worth joining. They tend to do events whereever they're having a season (though so far they've not announced much for London ). But here's some examples of the current friends events copy and pasted from the website, to help you make your mind up

STRATFORD

Fiona Keston - Book tickets
Saturday 23 October 2010, 11am
The Annexe, Methodist Church Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon
Our October speaker is one of those people whose work skilfully enhances the RSC productions from behind the scenes. Fiona Keston works in the Wigs and Make-up Department and she has agreed to come along and demonstrate some of the tricks of the trade. Guinea-pigs may be required and you may even get to try something yourself!
£5 Friends/£6 Guests
Booking opens on 21 September at 9am and closes on 21 October at 11am.

Suzanne Harris - Book tickets
Saturday 27 November 2010, 11am, The Annexe, Methodist Church Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon
Unusually for a theatre company, the RSC owns quite a lot of property in Stratford and the person in charge of this side of things, including finding and maintaining accommodation for the acting company, is Suzanne Harris. We are very pleased that Suzanne has agreed to speak to us about her most interesting job and she will also be able to give some more information on the newly acquired house which the Friends are helping to furnish. See overleaf for details.
£5 Friends/£6 Guests
Booking opens on 21 September at 9am and closes on 25 November at 11am.

Lunch at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre - SOLD OUT, please call the Box Office to be added to the waiting list for this event.
Tuesday 7 December 2010, 12.30pm - 2.30pm, The Rooftop Restaurant, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
I can't tell you how excited I am to be announcing our first event in the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre! We are thrilled that we are able to offer a pre-Christmas lunch in the new restaurant. Not only that, but our Company Friend Gregory Doran will be joining us for this very special occasion. The lunch will take the form of a two course hot buffet with drinks. We know this is likely to be a very popular event so we have to insist that only one guest is allowed with each Friend who books. If you have any specific dietary requirements please let Box Office know when booking your tickets.
£35 Friends/£36 Guests
Booking opens on 21 September at 9am and closes on 23 November at 12.30pm

NEWCASTLE

Sam Troughton and Mariah Gale
Friday 1 October, 4.45pm
The Upper Circle Bar, Newcastle Theatre Royal
Both Mariah and Sam performed with the RSC Ensemble in the 2009 Newcastle Season and we are pleased to have the opportunity to welcome these two talented young actors as our guests while they are appearing as Romeo and Juliet during this coming Newcastle Season.
£5 Friends, £6 Guests. Booking opens on 14 June at 9am and closes on 29 September at 4pm

Movement Workshop with Struan Leslie
Saturday 2 October, 6pm
The Studio, Newcastle Theatre Royal
Struan Leslie is the Head of the RSC Movement Department and invites Friends to join him for a one hour practical session on his area of expertise. This promises to be a very interesting and informative event giving an opportunity to experience first-hand the role of movement in theatre and in particular as it is applied to RSC productions. Workshops are very popular and numbers need to be restricted to 20 because such events are activity based. Please note this is a practical workshop so please wear suitable clothing and footwear.
£5 Friends, £6 Guests. Booking opens on 14 June at 9am and closes on 30 September at 6pm

Kathryn Hunter - Book tickets
Friday 8 October, 3.45pm
The Upper Circle Bar, Newcastle Theatre Royal
Currently playing the Fool in King Lear and Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, Kathryn is both an accomplished performer and director. In 2009 she appeared in Newcastle in A Tender Thing and directed Othello, both for the RSC at Northern Stage. She is an Associate Artist with the RSC and has worked extensively in all styles of theatre. I am delighted Kathryn has agreed to join us while she is in Newcastle; it is a rare opportunity and privilege to have her as our guest.
£5 Friends, £6 Guests. Booking opens on 14 June at 9am and closes on 6 October at 4pm

Young People's Shakespeare Hamlet Tea - Book tickets
Saturday 9 October, 11.30am
The Olivier Suite, Newcastle Theatre Royal
This is the second production funded by the Friends under the banner of Young People's Shakespeare; last year it was the very successful The Comedy of Errors. As well as touring local schools, Hamlet will play at the Theatre Royal for two performances only. Friends will have the opportunity to see the performance and/or join the company afterwards for light refreshments and an informal get together.
£5 Friends, £6 Guests plus cost of performance ticket. Booking opens on 14 June at 9am and closes on 7 October at 11.30am
Please note: if you are planning to book for the tea but haven't yet purchased a ticket for the performance, there are 30 tickets reserved at the Newcastle Theatre Royal Box Office for RSC Friends.

Antony and Cleopatra Technical Rehearsal - Book tickets
Monday 11 October, 6.30pm
The Auditorium, Newcastle Theatre Royal
Following on from last year's very popular visit to a Technical Rehearsal, we are pleased to say that Michael Boyd has given the go-ahead for a similar event during the 2010 Newcastle Season. This year the Friends are given the opportunity to watch the technical rehearsal of Antony and Cleopatra, once again giving a rare insight into an aspect of the production not normally seen by an audience.
£5 Friends, £6 Guests. Booking opens on 14 June at 9am and closes on 9 October at 6.30pm


LONDON

The RSC returns to the Roundhouse this winter with a packed 10 week season with six productions and both the YPS shows. This is as great for us as the audience, but does mean that it is difficult to fit in events. We are pleased to have an event for London Friends for the New Year and hope for more news in our December newsletter.

Kelly Hunter and Katy Stephens - Book tickets
Saturday 29 January, 10.30am-11.30am, the Roundhouse
Between them Kelly and Katy are playing in four of the London productions, together as formidable sisters in King Lear. We are delighted that they will be able to join the Friends to share their experiences of working on the shows and the various projects they have been involved with during their time with the Company.
£5 Friends/£6 Guests
Booking opens 21 September at 9am and closes on 27 January at 10.30am.

For me, it was definitely worth being a friend whilst I lived in Stratford, but now I'm in London I'm not so sure - I'm hoping there will be enough events with the two London seasons to make it worthwhile. But I might let the friends membership lapse next year.

I'm also an Advance Member at the National Theatre, and that for me isn't really very good value, even though it's only £15. The Priority level above that costs £65 and enough people have that that they tend to grab all the £10 front stalls seats - for a lot of shows there are none of them left by the time even Advance booking opens. I'm also a member of the under-26 Entry Pass system which absolutely is worthwhile - £5 seats (front stalls in the Lyttelton, either front stalls or circle in the Olivier and top level balcony in the Cottesloe) that are guaranteed to be reserved for every performance even if it's otherwise completely sold out. However this isn't compatible with any other membership levels so you have to wait until public booking opens for this, which isn't a problem for me. If you're happy to pay full price at the National and want to see something in the first booking period then I guess Advance Membership might be worth it (there were ridiculously few seats for some performances of the Rory Kinnear Hamlet left by the time that opened to the public), but for me it isn't. They're also very unhelpful in terms of letting you know whether advance booking is available for Platforms and other one-off events (often not).

Thanks for the info, definitely something to think about. It was with the hope of snagging the travelex tickets I was thinking of getting it for - especially as I'm going to be livign ten minutes walk from the National soon. Might still give it a go as it's pretty cheap and I'm very eager to get Twelth Night tickets at any cost.

[Fluellen]

Ooh, I'd love to have a friendship event with Sam Troughton in a bar. ;D

*ahem* OH SURELY I DIDN'T SAY THAT OUT LOUD? :3

[Rosalind]

I became a member of the RSC in 2007 before it was announced a certain actor would be returning!! I decided to be prepared

I do love the priority booking period so I can get the seats I want. Like Lorannah I also use the free returns and the 10% off food in the cafe.

I recently upgraded to Shakespeare's Circle as I wanted to support the RSC in other ways and now get two extra days of priority booking plus access to other events.

[Titania]

Sept 29, 2010 19:35:32 GMT Lorannah said:

.... but membership gives you two £10 reductions on top price tickets that you can use at any point you want, which is useful. ...

Where's this £10 discount of which you speak? How do I redeem it? I'm a full member & friend (and have been for 2 yrs) and I've never heard of this.

Thx

[Lorannah]

Oct 8, 2010 18:09:35 GMT Titania said:

Where's this £10 discount of which you speak? How do I redeem it? I'm a full member & friend (and have been for 2 yrs) and I've never heard of this.

Thx

Yep, they certainly don't advertise it very much. Remembered it being mentioned some time when I was reading the blurbs about membership and then a friend explained it to me. Basically you can either ring up or go in person and when you're buying the ticket ask to use one of your £10 vouchers, though I think it might only be off top price tickets. Not sure if there's a time limit on them - so you could have a few waiting.

Really I wish they gave you a physical voucher for that or that you could see it on your account online.

ETA: Found the mention on the website:

Specialticket offers (e.g. save £20 on two top price tickets in Stratford)*

Although it's listed just as an example, it's actually always part of membership I think. I've certainly used it once or twice.

[Titania]

Thanks. I often buy top price tickets anyway, esp if I'm only going to see something once. I'll ring them up and ask them when the next booking period opens for the new stuff as I've bought everything I want to see at the moment.

[Queen Mab]

I never used that offer because I thought it was as in you had to buy 2 for an event or something. Damn I could have got that front row R&J for much cheaper! Mind you, you cant use them online so that would have been no good. Hmmm. They really do need to sort that out so you can use stuff like that online.