Theatres like the National’s Cottesloe, Donmar Warehouse and Almeida — not to mention virtually every fringe theatre I know of — where the production budgets don’t stretch to employing understudies are inevitably stymied if a cast member is taken ill. But should audiences be stymied, too?
On Tuesday afternoon, I happened to be walking past the Donmar at around 2.30pm and saw that a notice had to be pinned to the front door advising that the performance of The Wild Duck that evening was cancelled. I thought nothing more of it, until I spoke to a friend the next morning who told me that he had tickets to that performance – and didn’t find out until he got to the theatre that night at around 7.15pm.
Though the theatre claimed they had tried to call everyone but had found out too late, they obviously didn’t try hard enough: as I saw with my own eyes, they certainly knew by 2.30pm, a full five hours ahead of curtain time, and they also definitely had my friend’s phone number, as he specifically remembered giving it when booking, as is standard practice (and since he sees virtually every show at the Donmar, they have his number on their database many times over).
Not only was this lousy customer service, but also it was lousy for the West End: as my friend said by e-mail, “So we didn’t see anything – the TKTS booth closes at 7 – and I’d be damned if I was going to pay full price for Heroes!!!”
And it’s the sort of thing that can have long-term effects: one fringe theatre that hadn’t bothered to call me when it had to cancel its show owing to a cast illness has not been visited by me since. But though it’s a theatre I have fondly supported over the years, there are (roughly) 105 other theatres in London, and one off the list is no great hardship for me. I’m sure I will return in the future; but the reason has to be doubly compelling now.
I totally agree. Yes, 'customer service, what customer service!' Perhaps the glut of institutions in Britain today passing themselves off as 'DRAMA SCHOOLS' could teach their graduating students the concept of Actors doing eight shows a week. Call me old fashioned but perhaps thats the best piece of customer service that the West End could offer the public, its called having a duty to your audience and at fifty quid a ticket I think that its the least they should be able to expect!
I had a ticket for the performance of The Wild Duck for Thursday 22 December 7:30pm performance, which was also cancelled due to an actor being unwell. Contrary to your friend's experience, the Donmar contacted my mother who had booked the tickets, well in advance of showtime, and were very apologetic. I attend theatre often, and therefore understand that cancellations happen and that the producers cannot supply understudies for such a company. Knowing the high quality of work the Donmar do, I will be queuing for a return in the next few weeks, as I wouldn't let such an issue keep me from seeing great theatre. So as for this having long term effects, i doubt it.