Human nature 💬

I review Mass, plus deals from £10

It’s been a busy one at Bums on Seats HQ. Between a hen do and a work conference (both at beautiful seaside destinations), I feel like I’ve barely been at home. I’ve also been trying some new medication which is always a bit up and down. I got diagnosed with ADHD in February and it’s been quite the journey already. I’ve learnt a lot about my brain and why I find some things hard to do when busy and overwhelmed. The last few weeks has been the perfect example (hence the lack of newsletters, sorry!) It’s been a big change, but I’m looking forward to some normality in the coming weeks, which means more theatre trips and more newsletters!

I did somehow manage to squeeze in a trip to the Donmar Warehouse though, seeing their latest drama, Mass. A lot of things come to mind when you think of that word. And in this case it was one of the worst connotations - it’s about mass shootings, but not in the way you think. Fran Kranz’s play focuses on the aftermath, specifically a restorative justice session between the parents of a victim and the parents of the killer.

It’s a masterful technique. Rather than throwing the horrors of a school shooting in your face in a fully acted scene, you see the after-effects through the eyes of those involved. It has been quite a time since the event - the emotions have ridden the initial rollercoaster, yet remain raw and bold. Anger and blame is placed and misplaced. Acceptance, understanding and connection make fleeting appearances amidst the accusations. Not only does this put empathy at the forefront of the audience’s mind, but it highlights how much of the weight lies beyond the event itself. It’s a clever structure, and all the components feed in to the playwright’s clear aim - not just the obvious that mass shootings are horrific for all involved, but that human emotion is complex, instinctive and needs communication.

The staging is straightforward and largely static. The lights come down as the parents start their discussion and the table they gather around slowly rotates. The simplicity and focus pushes home the pressured environment these parents have chosen to be in for the sake of resolution. It is thoughtfully acted as they take us on the emotional journey of the characters ravaged by their worst nightmare. It’s graphic in its words, and definitely one for a content warning check if you need it. But it’s an astute and confident play, putting raw humanity under the microscope during one of life’s toughest ordeals.

Mass is running at the Donmar Warehouse until 6 June. There are limited tickets remaining, including some £20 35 and under tickets. However the Donmar Daily releases tickets for performances 7 days later at 10am each day, which includes £15 standing tickets.

Happy ticket-buying!

Rochelle 🎭🎫

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Carrying the banner

In the news this week…

• Average West End tickets have fallen below 2019 prices in real terms, new report states

• Government announces VAT reduction for children and family theatre tickets this summer

• London’s Emerald Theatre placed on commercial property market

• There’s Something About Mary stage musical in development with Titanique co-creator involved

I’m kind of a big deal

With temperatures soaring this bank holiday weekend, it very much feels like summer is upon us. Perfect time for a Summer Theatre Sale from TodayTix! I’ve had a look through all of the shows included and picked out some of the best deals for you…

• Get top seats in the main section for just £15 for Driftwood at the Kiln.

• For just £25 you can get some great front stalls seats for An Ideal Husband at the Lyric Hammersmith.

• You can get general admission tickets for just £25 for the immersive Grease on selected dates.

• Upper circle seats are £25 for the return of To Kill a Mockingbird - not the best seats but still a £20 saving.

• There’s some really good £29 seats for Hercules - I’d recommend the ones in the dress circle. The stalls ones at the front look nice and close, but they are restricted.

• There’s decent savings on circle seats for My Neighbour Totoro at £30 - stay central for the best view.

There’s loads more deals available, but remember to check the savings versus going to the theatre directly. You can also check views on Seat Plan.

Hey big spender

Here’s your discounts, offers and cheap seats this week.

• 🏃 New rush alert! You can get £25 tickets for End of the Rainbow, Dark of the Moon and Krapp’s Last Tape/Godot’s To-Do List, and £30 tickets for Grace Pervades and Equus. These are all available through the TodayTix app.

• 🪲 Beetlejuice has just announced Weird Wednesdays - they’ll release £30 seats at noon every Wednesday for performances the following week. Some of the seats will be front row!

• Get £10 tickets for previews of Nell Gwynn in Prescot.

• Two great offers for Bluey’s Big Play - there’s half price tickets from £11.25 in Salford and you can get £14 tickets in Wimbledon.

• There’s £15 tickets for The Last Laugh in Portsmouth tomorrow. The price will change automatically at checkout if you are logged in to an account.

• Get four tickets to The Devil Wears Prada for £99 on this family deal, making tickets just £24.75 each.

• There’s loads of really good £25 seats for Teeth ‘n’ Smiles.

• There’s also some good ones at £25 for Cyrano de Bergerac.

• Get £26 tickets for Midsomer Murders in Manchester.

• There’s £26.40 tickets for Annie in Wimbledon.

• And get £27.50 tickets for The Dark of the Moon.

Don’t throw away your shot

Competitions, on-sales and announcements.

• Tickets for the West end revival of Rent are finally on sale. They’ve also announced that Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo will be playing Mark!

• Jesus Christ Superstar will transfer to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and have a second stint in the West End from October. Tickets for the second run are on sale now.

• Allegra starring Maureen Lipman will transfer to the West End for four weeks after its UK tour. Tickets are on sale now.

• A new musical based on the life of Grayson Perry will be workshopped at the Soho Theatre Walthamstow in July. You can get tickets now.

• Christine Lahti will star in her autobiographical play The Smile of Her at the Marylebone Theatre in July. Tickets are available now.

• Heathers the Musical has confirmed dates for both its new UK and Ireland tour and another stint in London.

• Giant starring John Lithgow will be screened in cinemas worldwide from 19 November. Tickets go on sale soon - sign up for updates.

• If you loved Dear England on stage, the TV series adapted from the play will begin airing at 9pm on 24 May on BBC One.

• Avenue Q has extended through to January 2027, while Hadestown is now booking until June 2027.

• And finally, win a £1,000 Theatre Token!

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That’s all for this week. If you enjoyed the newsletter, please tell your friends. I’m also open to suggestions and requests for certain discounts, so do drop into my DMs. Right, time to relax before attending a very hot wedding tomorrow! 💒