If you are thinking of going somewhere to see a play or show in the UK, then you will have a difficult decision. There are many theatres to choose from (if they haven’t been closed and transformed into bingo halls) all with different productions showing at any time. However, it is worth trying to think more specifically about what you might like to see, so that you can make that choice easier.
Musical vs Play
There are many different theatre productions but they tend to either be classified as a play or musical and you will need to decide which you think you would like to see. You may have seen both before and know which you would like or want to try something you have not tried before. If you find it hard to choose then you need to consider whether you will be happier watching something where the storyline is mainly sung and there are songs and dances throughout or whether you would rather watch something with very little music where everything is spoken.
Modern vs Classic
New productions are being written all of the time, so you need to decide whether you would like to go to something new or would rather see an old classic. It may be that you would rather see something older that you know the storyline of, rather than something new that you may not be sure about. You may prefer tried and tested rather than new or you may like to be one of the first people to see a particular production.
Old vs New
The actual building may have some influence on your decision. You may wonder whether it will be more fun to watch in a modern theatre or an old one. Sometimes the atmosphere can be that much better if you are watching in an old building which has a lot of tradition but you may find that a modern building has more facilities and is more comfortable. If the building does have an interesting history you may wish to go just to experience that.
Near vs Far
It is important to think about how far you are prepared to travel to see the production. You may not want to go too far and so will only have local places to choose form but you may be happy to go a bit further in order to see something that you really want to watch.
Local vs National
Some performances tour the country or are just in big cities and have top quality actors and crew and are aimed at national audiences. These tend to be more professional and more expensive. You may feel that this is the sort of thing that you would really want to see. However, you may prefer to support your local theatre group or another small group and see a less professional but more honest and cheaper performance. Sometimes a performance which does not have expensive props and staging can be even better as the actors have to create all of the atmosphere by themselves.
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