Monday, July 25, 2011

Theater in London: Looking for David Tennant


Theater is just as much a part of English culture as a cup of tea and some Wellington boots.  Where we are staying in London is just blocks away from a fantastic theater district.  Pygmalian (starring Rupert Everett), Wicked, Chicago, 39 Steps, Jersey Boys, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert are just a few of the shows that are playing right now.  If the shows aren’t sold out, you can usually go to the theater you are interested in on the day of the show and get some tickets half off.  Every theater has a different system for selling tickets so it’s important to check with the theater.

Before I left for London, I was so excited to come see the production of Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant and Catherine Tate.  Little did I know that when I got here the show would be sold out through September!  I pursued the topic and discovered that the ticket office saves 20 “best tickets” per show and sells them for just  £10.  The only problem is that the chance to buy a ticket is given by lottery.  It is done that way so that no one will stay overnight outside the theater for a chance to buy a ticket.  The winning lottery numbers are called out at 10:30am and you have an equal chance of winning or losing no matter how early you get there.  If you lose out, you still have the chance to purchase a "standing ticket" for £16.  Actually, when I purchased my standing ticket, they gave me the option to get a seat for £61 but that's a bit pricy for me.  The Pygmalian show is very popular and I think that theater deals with that by keeping the prices very high.  At the show Chicago, they only sell half-price tickets if they are not going to have a crowd and interested patrons should check with the theater an hour before the show.
 After completely dedicating myself to the endeavor, I got in to see Much Ado About Nothing and I actually saw David Tennant and Catherine Tate behind the theater and they signed my program.  The show is incredible and I laughed through the whole first act.  Apparently, they threw in a few references to Tate’s show and I didn’t catch those at all since I have never seen The Catherine Tate Show.  The other thing you might not know by looking at the promotional materials is that there are other actors in the show beside Tennant and Tate.  They were wonderful as well.  Here are some pictures of Margaret's mother and then Claudio taking cigarette breaks at the stage door:





But I know what you are really looking for is my video.  Here it is.  Let me know what you think.  





Title Music: I'm On My Way by The Proclaimers (David Tennant's favorite band)
Dr. Who Theme: from The Complete Halloween Party Album - Various Artists

4 comments:

  1. so jealous! awesome video

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  2. I'm @solovaye on Twitter. Pls send me a message 2 talk DT briefly. It regards MuchAdoAboutNothing. TY

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  3. Just watched the video with Mom on the iMac (first time she heard the audio). Great fun and loved our Bethie's giggle (how could David Tennant resist?).

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