Backstage at Iconic Theatre 'The Old Vic'
The Old Vic has been staging outstanding performances in the heart of London for nearly two hundred years. Each night there are over 1000 seats to sell and the recent production of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, with Daniel Radcliffe played to sold out houses. Having just finished the German play, Woyzeck, The Old Vic is in a ‘Dark Week’ as they are setting up for the next show: Girl from the North Country, which is running until October this year. The auditorium in which the masterpieces are set is grand and the front of house impressive; but what goes on behind the scenes?
The Old Vic tour, which included both front of house and backstage, revealed the goings on of the theatre in-between shows. Backstage is dynamic and industrious: offices intermingled with cast dressing rooms. Although pushed for space in the centre of Waterloo, there is a lot packed in. The three floors backstage reveal everything from casting to communications, each office integral to the performances. Backstage tours like this run throughout the year, led by Stage Door Manager, Ned, who gives insight into the history and gossip back stage at The Old Vic. Dates and tickets can be found on The Old Vic website: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2017/neds-tours.
Alongside the box office, the more familiar front of house hosts Mark’s Bar and Penny, a daytime café, both of which are open to the public as well as audiences. At each performance, they become the post-show hubs where the audience can buy drinks and snacks. The tour also included a sneak preview into the auditorium, which was in the process of being assembled for the new production. The stage and seating area is conveniently adjustable as the stage can be extended into the audience and the front rows removed depending on the show. In 2008, the auditorium was transformed into in-the-round for The Norman Conquests trilogy. Throughout the tour it was amazing to see how flexible a two hundred year-old theatre could be to accommodate a variety of set designs and offices backstage.
There is also the offsite element to The Old Vic. The box office call centre is predominantly handled by Ticket Zone to make ticket sales and requests more manageable. The Old Vic started working with Ticket Zone in 2012, delegating some of the ticket sales to them, as the box office in London is often busy with memberships and ticket sales in person. Ticket Zone is also used as a backup box office if the theatre experiences any technical problems, ensuring that every customer can be tended to.
Ticket Zone prides itself on brilliant customer service and so both organisations work together to ensure customer needs are met to a high standard. The Old Vic supplies exceptionally detailed seating and ticket information so the call centre is as well informed as the box office in London. The Old Vic, therefore, fondly sees Ticket Zone as an extension of the London box office rather than an out-source for ticket sales, as they keep Ticket Zone so well informed.
With over one thousand seats available per performance, The Old Vic are delighted to be able to work with Ticket Zone to ensure all customer calls are answered quickly and efficiently.
To find out more about how Ticket Zone helps its clients follow this link: https://www.ticketzoneforbusiness.com/service
