Rose Theatre - what a disappointing experience

15 years ago...

Took my son to the Rose Theatre for the first time this week. What a disappointing experience.

Not the production that is. Othello which was really enjoyable, but the actual ambience of the theatre.

Going into the cafe area which was advertised as being a community space with homemade cakes and locally sourced produce, all we found were a few chairs and stools to sit on line against a wall with no tables at which to sit. When the space filled up with theatre goers before the performance, it was so loud any conversation was impossible.

When we asked what was available to eat there were a choice of sandwiches and nuts only. A glass of wine, soft drink and two sandwiches served just in a plastic wrapping came to just under £17. Two incredibly small icecreams in the interval plus two small bottles of water set us back another £8. Together with the cheapest tickets I could book three months before the performance (with no child discount) the whole experience cost me around £80. With other fantasic local theatres offering a much better and cheaper experience, together with the fact that I can get theatre and meal promotions at central London theatres for less than the price of my theatre and sandwich experience at the Rose, I certainly won't be going back there again in a hurry.

Comments

I went to the Rose last week to see Bedroom Farce, I really enjoyed the performance and my ice cream (exactly the same size as every other theatre sells) at the interval. The staff I interacted with seemed pleasant and informative. If you are concerned about prices, why on earth are you eating and drinking in a theatre bar anyway?? There are much cheaper alternatives elsewhere. It really annoys me when people complain about the price of something after they have paid for it... no one is making you eat or drink there. It seems obvious why you found there are no tables as you go on to say the area became filled with theatre goers. And a bar being noisy?? I didn't notice any loud music when I was they, so I assume the noise you were referring to was other people talking... like any other busy location.

I enjoyed Bedroom Farce too, and the Ice Cream was lovely!

1. If I could have eaten somewhere else I would, unfortunately I only had twenty minutes as was coming straight from work. No prices were displayed. And if a theatre promotes itself as having community facilities to eat before a performance, why shouldnt I expect to be able to eat there without being ripped off?

2. The theatre had removed tables and chairs in the 'cafe' area and not put them back, it is not normally laid out with about 10 chairs against one of the walls.

3. It never good to assume. There was music.

@mojogit: You wish for Kingston to be saved "culturally". I'd argue that the Rose offers Kingston a slice of culture. Or is this not the kind of culture you're talking about?

The concept of the Rose is excellent and I am sure delivers a really good production and seems to have a varied and stimulating menu.

My only objection is that it is mainly(almost exclusively) tax payer funded.

If folks want a theatre they must find private money to build it and fund it,perhaps the EU could take over its funding from the Council but i guess we live in a "rich" priveliged borough and thus not eligible.

Its a Theatre,what more do you want,nail bars,tanning salons,botox4U,jacuzzis?
Cut all the frills and stop spending my taxes supporting this white elephant.

Just a decent bar/restaurant and it is not a White Elephant it is a v good theatre with excellent productions and cheaper than the West End. What would you prefer? a Spitton maybe? Or a [filtered word] fighting pit?

Replace it with a decent commercial building with sensible overheads that will attract an employer who will provide a few hundred jobs from junior clerical to senior management.
If you must a retail/food element could be incorporated on the ground floor.
Mind you with Kingston planners strangling the road access and a very poor rail service it would have to be a cracking deal to attract anyone,but who knows a change of Government and council might be able to save Kingston both commercially and culturally.
No more tax payers money must ever be spent again on the Rose

You're right about our appalling transport links compared to the rest of London.
But rather than rectify the Inner/East London bias of Ken's transport policies we now have a Conservative Mayor who so far has

1. binned any hope of getting an Outer London radial railway or tram.
2. hit Outer London disproportionately by hiking up bus fares by 20%.

I can't see any Conservative Govt doing any better for Kingston to be honest. My memories of the eigthies are that Conservatives are viciously anti public transport - I remember Maggie famously saying that anyone over 25 who used a bus was a failure.

And before you go harping on about council tax.....Remember that the Tories formulated the council tax system so that Central Government gives twice as much per head to their cronies in Kensington and Chelsea as it does to hard pressed Kingston residents.

Tony Arbour confirms Tory attitude to public transport in comments here:

http://www.adambienkov.com/2012/02/tory-am-most-londoners-dont-use-publi...

I find the theatre staff a bit obnoxious as I waited ages to be served at bar while older customers flashing notes around got served immediately. I didn’t expect such a pretentious atmosphere from such a small theatre. Found friendlier less rah customers in the big west end theatres.

I am going there tonight to see and Alan Ayckbourn play but I don't think I will be buying anything from the bar it really isn't anything special, there is loads of room for improvement in what's on offer.

Rose theatre ? more taxes thrown away. Lost for ever. Appalling.

I love the actual theatre and saw a very good production of the Wilmslow Boy there a few months back. I would agree about the cafe though it is very overpriced and limited in the choice of snacks on offer.

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