With so many of Rachel's fans having bought tickets for her opening night, I thought it might be a good idea for West End 'first-timers' like myself to find out a little more about what to expect on the night.
Fortunately Rosie, one of our regular readers and her friend Eleanor have agreed to give us a few tips on what to do and what not to do!
Rosie and Eleanor are West End regulars (in fact they visit more often than many cast members!) but this will be their first time to see 'We Will Rock You' -- and what better way to see it than on Rachel's opening night!
I'd particularly like to thank the girls for this article as they are both currently on holiday -- in seperate continents, and still managed to compile this for us.
''Well, as soon as news of Rachel's big break reached us, we know that you've all been as excited as us to go and see her achieve her West End dream!
David has asked us to write a short piece about attending West End shows, mainly for those of you who (like him), are new to the whole experience and are possibly finding it a little daunting!
I'm sure that none of you need persuading to go and see Rachel blow everyone away in 'We Will Rock You' - instead this piece aims to make the whole experience a little more relaxed and enjoyable.
It is advisable to get to the theatre early, just so it's not a big rush. If you are picking up tickets, you can't do so more than 2 hours before the performance starts. Bearing in mind the performance starts at 7:30pm, normally within the 30 minutes before there is a mad rush of people arriving, and the last thing you want is to be caught in the queue!
I happen to know of lots of lovely cafes and restaurants around the Tottenham Court Road area for when you have your tickets and are waiting for the show to start!
After the show it is usually possible to wait at the stage door to meet the stars of the show. This is always a fantastic end to the evening. We have no idea whether or not Rachel herself will come to the stage door, but we know just how amazing it would be to meet such a talented and lovely lady!
Even though plenty of stars do come out of the stage door, there are some exceptions, for example Lee Mead. Winning 'Any Dream Will Do' has not only made him a West End star but somewhat of a celebrity. Therefore his photo opportunity happens in front of the theatre, and he signs things and gives out photos! All very exciting.
Obviously, we have no idea if Rachel will even be able to meet any of us, whether from the front door or the back, but our advice is to stay around and wait and see where people are heading - alternatively, ask the staff at the theatre!
David also asked us about dress-code and the rules regarding cameras and camcorders.
It doesn't matter what you decide to turn up in, but, although this might seem blindingly obvious to some people, wear something cool and comfortable (the theatres get so hot!) - of course, dressing up a bit is fun as well and adds to the experience.
Obviously photography is banned during the performance. Just last week I went to see 'Wicked' at the Apollo Theatre in Victoria and someone used flash photography - they were immediately pounced on and taken out of the theatre!
Even though quite a few Central London venues are picky about photography, most theatres are fine with you taking lots of pictures in and around the theatre itself (and obviously at the stage door!).
We hope that some of this has been helpful to you - we are not experts at all, just two girls who LOVE going to West End shows!!
Hope to see as many of you as possible at Rachel's opening night!
Love, Rosie and Eleanor x''
2 comments:
Thanks, Rosie and Eleanor! That's all really useful information :)
That's really good information! I would also like to add that if you go to a restaurant in the West End and you're concerned about getting to the theatre on time, you can often (I've found) tell the restaurant that you're seeing a West End show and they'll have fairly quick service - they're used to serving the pre-performance crowd.
Post a Comment