I remember trying to get day tickets for something at the Almeida, with Juliette Binoche. This was back in 1994 I think.
First time we struck out- got there at 7 or 8am, and were WAY too late.
Second time we almost made it- I think we got there at 5am or something (the buses only started running at 4am, and we were poor college students, so no cabs). But we JUST missed the last tickets that day- I think actually only one of us would have gotten a ticket, so we decided to return when we could both see it.
Third time was a charm- we left a tad bit earlier and managed to get tix.
This was NOT the norm at the time- most of my day ticket experiences were not like that.
And I realize it's a totally different theater (and decade). From what I remember of day tickets at the National, I often arrived at a more sane hour. Sometimes even arrived in the middle of the day to see if they had anything, and they did. But I was never trying for a closing performance.
But I wouldn't bank on London being less crazy than NYC, especially for a show like Follies. Musicals always tend to draw more folks than straight plays. And especially the last performance. |
