2014 round-up - the relevant part

Congratulations if you made it through the previous post, and EVEN BIGGER congratulations to anyone who is still friends with me even after having to put up with me during that period! Your reward is my top ten theatre for the year, a handful of apologies, and a few honourable mentions (and my continued friendship for apparently FOREVER).

2014 round-up - the introspection part

I was absolutely determined to do a proper top ten theatre list for 2014. I wasn't going to let my procrastination or my indecision or my ANYTHING stand between me and a "top ten theatre of 2014" list. And although a lot of indecision took place, I have ultimately managed to put together a top ten list and a handful of honourable mentions, and it's still 2014! However it was NOT easy, and as this is MY blog, I'm going to take a little time to explain why.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #067

5th to 22nd December.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #066

30th October to 1st December.

Trials of solo theatre-going: a beginning

Every year, around this time, I start turning my thoughts towards potential new year resolutions and wondering if it's worth making any based around my crippling theatre addiction, with half an eye to curbing some of the excessive ticket-booking. Perhaps I could resolve only to see shows at weekends, or only book something if I would be happy for it to be the last show I see before I die, or maybe eschew all-male casts because frankly there are few enough roles for women as it is. However, by the time I start thinking like this, it's already too late (so far next year, I have booked - among other things - something on a Tuesday evening, an unfavourite Shakespeare, and yet another Waiting for Godot, so all three of those ideas are already out).

So perhaps I could make my new year's resolution blog-based! But every time I consider something like reviewing every show or doing a monthly round-up, I break out in a cold sweat and wonder more than ever when I would find the time to sleep. I do have several ideas in mind that would increase my blogging output without having to work to any deadlines (the one thing that guarantees I will never write again) or follow any strict patterns, and I have already started putting some of these together, but I have now hit upon a new idea.

As a frequent solo theatre-goer, I often find myself confronted with a website that will do everything in its power to stop me buying one single seat. I find this irritating, off-putting, discriminatory, and endlessly frustrating. I often wish I kept records so that I could complain efficiently to the various theatres (and I do complain bitterly every time I'm sent a "thanks for coming to the show, please give feedback" survey email) with a complete portfolio of frustration, and I often think how handy it would be if everyone's frustration with this system could be corralled into a single place so that people could get a decent idea of how widespread the problem is (or how focused it is; this is a voyage of discovery, I'm open to all possible conclusions).

So here is my new year's resolution! For the duration of 2015, whenever I run into issues booking a single theatre ticket, I will record my experience, right here on the ol' blog. I will note the show, the venue, seat availability, error messages encountered, possible work-arounds, and whether or not I am ultimately able to get my ticket. I would also like it if other people provide their experiences so we can get this all together and, if nothing else, at least have a whole catalogue of woes to point to when people ask "but is it really such a problem REALLY?".

Thoughts? Suggestions? Feedback? Venting? Get on Twitter, let's talk. @Weez

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #065

30th October to 14th November.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #064

12th to 29th October.

Last 10 things seen at theatre: #063

27th September to 11th October.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #062

14th to 27th September.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #061

25th August to 13th September.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #060

26th July to 24th August.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #059

5th to 25th July.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #058

27th June to 5th July.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #057

7th to 26th June.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #056

22nd May to 6th June.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #055

6th to 20th May.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #054

25th April to 3rd May.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #053

6th to 23rd April.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #052

21st March to 6th April.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #051

7th to 21st March.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #050

16th February to 6th March.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #049

31st January to 15th February.

Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #048

4th to 25th January.

2013 round-up: 25 - 6

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then there's a beautifully smooth dual carriageway leading directly from my house to the pit of eternal despair. I've been meaning to write up my 2013 in theatre, but there are two problems. On the left, my 30th birthday present to myself. On the right, my Christmas present from my sister.

On the one hand, I'm getting pretty good at 'Greensleeves'. On the other hand, with this deadly combination forever within arm's reach, I'm never going to take the time to rank everything in categories and scribble a witty paragraph about each. What I have managed to do is pick my 25 favourite productions for the year and rank the top 5. Behind the break: my 6th to 25th favourite productions of 2013, in no particular order, and lumped into arbitrary groups.