FFN 2014 evaluation final

Summer 2014: Evaluation Report 21 July – 25 August 2014

Compiled by: Zona Reid

33 Shaftesbury Avenue | London | W1D 7EH 020 7836 4388 | ffn.admin@mousetrap.org.uk | www.mousetrap.org.uk

Table of Contents I.

Introduction

II.

Overall Statistics

III.

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a. 2014 Family First Nights Participants by Borough

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b. Top Referring Organisations 2014

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c. Number of Adults and Children Who Attended Each Show

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d. Total Number of Families and Tickets for Each Show

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Responses to Questionnaire a. Family’s enjoyment of the show?

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b. Booking leaflet – info clear?

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c. Happy with FFN administration?

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d. Confirmation details – clear and useful

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e. Was this your family’s first visit to a West End theatre?

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f. Was this your family’s first visit to any theatre?

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g. Has this experience made you want to take your family

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to the theatre again? h. Do you feel confident in taking up other theatre offers?

IV.

V.

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Comments from Family First Nights Participants - Shows a. Making Theatre Affordable

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b. Making Theatre Accessible

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c. Organisational Information

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d. General Comments

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e. Suggestions from Participants

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Comments from Family First Nights Participants – Workshops a. General Comments from Practitioners and Participants

1

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Introduction Family First Nights (FFN) celebrated its 16th year this summer, running for five weeks from Monday, 21st July - Monday, 25th August. Over the 2014 summer, 595 families took part in this signature Mousetrap Theatre Projects programme. 2,468 individuals took part in FFN, of which 1,357 were young people between the ages of 3 – 17 and 1,111 were accompanying adults (relatives, guardians & carers). The families came from 32 London boroughs.

Families had a choice of 29 top West End and children’s theatre shows with all tickets at £5.

The FFN 2014 leaflet offered 11 musicals, 5 plays, and 13 shows for younger children. The most popular shows were Wicked, Thriller Live and Les Misérables.

114 social service agencies, charities, community organisations and housing associations referred families who they felt would benefit from a theatre visit. Representatives of these organisations attended an information meeting on 10th June at Bloomsbury Baptist Church and then were invited to Thriller Live for £15 a ticket. West London Action for Children sent the most number of families – 35 families representing 132 individuals.

This summer we also continued to offer free family workshops. These 60 – 90 minute workshops were run by skilled theatre practitioners. Families had a choice of four workshops: Stomp (attended by 3 families & 10 young carers), War Horse Proms (attended by 5 families), Wicked (attended by 4 families) and Barmy Britain (attended by 5 families) with a total take-up of 17 families and 72 individuals.

Children taking part in a Family Workshop of Barmy Britain

In early November, all 595 families plus the 4,000+ who are now on our FFN database will receive 28 new Winter/Spring offers for November 2014 – March 2015. In addition to these special offers, we continue to send FFN families email offers for theatre, opera, dance and special events on a regular basis with a very high response rate. Recent offers have included performances at the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Opera House as well as more traditional musicals such as Wicked and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Mousetrap Theatre Projects wishes to thank our funders for their generous support of Family First Nights: The Society of London Theatre, The Colwinston Charitable Trust and The Dorset Foundation. We also wish to thank the theatre producers, who by subsidising the cost of their tickets, enabled disadvantaged families to attend London theatre this summer, many for the first time.

The following detailed analysis of FFN 2014 is based on 158 returned questionnaires from participating families, representing approximately 27% of attending families.

Susan Whiddington, Director

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Overall Statistics

3

Top Referring Organisations 2014

Dalgarno Communtiy champions

11

Carers of Barking and Dagenham

11

Hounslow Young Carers

12

Contact a Family Ealing and Southall

14

Contact a Family Lewisham

14

Haringey Family Learning

14

The Key

15

V H Whizz Kids

16

Northend Children Center

18

SHINE Merton

22

SmileyArk Kids

26

WFAMG (Waltham Forest Asian Mothers Group)

27

Suttons Women's Aid

34

West London Action for Children

35

0

5

10

Number of Families

4

15

20

25

30

35

40

N u m b e r o f A d u l t s a n d C h i l d re n W h o Att e n d e d Ea c h Show Wicked 17 16

What The Ladybird Heard

12 9

War Horse Prom

4 5

Top Hat Thriller

252

201

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

57

73

46 39

The Phantom of the Opera 4 8

The Pajama Game The Elephantom

25 20

The Commitments

27 24 13 10

The 39 Steps

53 47

Stomp Peppa Pig's Big Splash

62

72

4 4

Once

10 7

Moominsummer Madness

21 19

Monski Mouse's Baby Disco Dance Hall

15 13

Let the Right One In

21 17

Let It Be

79 72

Les Misérables Jersey Boys

22 23

Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather – Live on stage

23

I Believe in Unicorns

5

38

12 51 42

Horrible Histories Barmy Britain Part Two 10 8

Handmade Tales Groove on down the Road, A Journey to Oz

35

53

16 13

Ghost Stories

63 58

CBeebies Prom

59 53

Aliens love Underpants 8 5

A Real Fairy Story Number of Children Number of Adults

277

221

0

50

5

100

150

200

250

300

To t a l N u m b e r o f Fa m i l i e s a n d T i c ke t s fo r Ea c h S h o w No of Families

No of Tix 125

Wicked What The Lady Bird Heard

7

War Horse Prom

5

Top Hat

3 9

504

33 21

100

Thriller 29

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

130

19

The Phantom of the Opera The Pajama Game

4 12

The Elephantom

10

The Commitments

10 7

The 39 Steps

91

45 51

23 25

Stomp

101

36

Peppa Pig's Big Splash Once

3 8

Moominsummer Madness

4

134

17

11

Monski Mouse's Baby Disco Dance Hall

460

Let the Right One In

7

Let It Be

8

40

28 38 35

Les Misérables Jersey Boys

10

Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather – Live on stage

10 3

I Believe in Unicorns

150

45 61

16 23

Horrible Histories Barmy Britain Part Two 4

Handmade Tales

93

18 18

Groove on down the Road, A Journey to Oz 8

Ghost Stories

88

29 37

Cbeebies Prom

121

24

Aliens love Underpants 3

A Real Fairy Story

107

13

0

100

6

200

300

400

500

600

Responses to Questionnaire 1=Not at all

5=Extremely

Family's enjoyment of the show?

160 140

138

120 100 80 60 40 17

20

3

2

0

3

2

1

0 5

4

Was the information on the leaflet clear?

160 140

136

120 100 80 60 40 16

20

2

2

0

3

2

1

0 5

4

7

Happy with administration?

140 126 120

100

80

60

40 27 20 2

0

2

3

2

1

0 5

4

Were the confirmation details useful and clear?

140

131

120

100

80

60

40 20 20 4

0

2

2

1

0 5

4

3

8

Was this your family's first visit to a West End Theatre?

120 102 100

80

60

56

40

20

0 No

Yes

Was this your family's first visit to any theatre?

140

120

117

100

80

60 41 40

20

0 No

Yes

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Has this experience made you want to take your family to the theatre again?

160

152

140

120

100

80

60

40

20 6 0 No

Yes

Would you feel cofident in taking up other offers?

160

152

140

120

100

80

60

40

20 6 0 Yes

No

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Comments from Participants SHOWS Making Theatre Affordable This was an excellent chance to see the theatre at an affordable price. My son really felt confident and privileged to go. The show was fantastic, full of singing and clapping which the whole family enjoyed. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for families like ours to be able to be given the chance. Thanks once again!

(Mother, Jersey Boys) We thoroughly enjoyed the show, it was truly fantastic. We are unable to normally afford West End theatre tickets so this was a wonderful opportunity. Sincere thanks.

(Uncle, Jersey Boys) Great evening with the family, unforgettable experience for an affordable price. Thank you!

(Mother, Wicked) A huge thank you to all involved in this wonderful project. It was great to enjoy a show as a family as usually the price of the tickets allows only two of our family to go and that's very rare! It was great to see our three children enjoying themselves and looking happy! What more could we ask for? Thank you SO much! Ps the show was all we expected and more superb.

(Mother, Les Misérables) It was a fantastic day out for all of us. I sincerely wish theatre tickets could have more special offers/discounts to make it accessible to everyone. We had tremendous fun! Thank you!

(Mother, Wicked) My family all enjoyed the whole experience when we visited Thriller. We would definitely do this kind of thing more if we could pay the same amount, £5 per ticket each or only slightly more. We would love to do it again. Thank you.

(Mother, Thriller) I am a mother to 3 children and also have full custody of 2 others. Without this programme I would never have been able to afford this experience, it was mind blowing. Our seats were at the front, the girls all loved it. One of my daughters and niece now to become musical actresses. The show has totally opened our eyes to theatre going and I am going to save hard for other shows, we have definitely got the bug! Thank you guys!

(Mother/Aunt, Thriller) Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!!! Thanks to Family First Nights we experienced a wonderful and affordable night at the theatre. Really hope to do this again.

(Mother, Wicked)

Making Theatre Accessible We had a fantastic afternoon. You booked us on an aisle seat for Carly and as she is severely Autistic, this was ideal for her. We were near to an exit which was ideal so that if we needed to get out if she got upset, we could. She loved the clapping and dancing and her two siblings loved it too.

Thank you so much, you do a brilliant job.

(Grandmother, Let It Be) This is a great project that enables all of us as a family to attend theatre together. I followed the suggestion of contacting the New Wimbledon Theatre for a script as I am deaf (I do this with other theatres if no captioned performances are planned without any squabbles). The theatre emailed the production company but said as they had not heard back they couldn’t do anything. I explained

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this to the manager and he said it was not good that they hadn't heard a response. They want to ensure people can access theatre. It was excellent that he did this. Thanks.

(Mother, Peppa Pig’s Big Splash) Our visit was to see WICKED. It was organised extremely well. My daughter is in a wheelchair and the theatre staff were excellent in helping with all our needs. The staff were really polite and helpful which ensured a stress free visit to the theatre. Many thanks!

(Mother, Wicked) The wheelchair access was great, no problems and the staff were great. Thank you.

(Nan, Wicked) A big thank you!! For us it was a miracle that my son could attend the show. He suffers from extreme anxiety and after finding it difficult to enter the theatre, he had a wonderful time! Lots of laughter and participation and he forgot all about his difficulties.

(Mother, Horrible Histories Barmy Britain Part Two) It was great to go as a whole family and it meant a lot to Rebecca, our disabled daughter. We would love the opportunity to go again as a whole family together.

(Mother, Les Misérables) My family had an excellent time at the theatre. My 8 year old has special needs and it is hard to go out as a whole family. So to get the chance to do this was great - he was so thrilled with the experience he still talks about 2 weeks later.

(Mother, Wicked)

Organisational Information

Mousetrap Thank you for such a wonderful workshop and show. Both my son and I really enjoyed the day out together in London. The workshop was very well put together and really got everyone involved. It was fun and we laughed a lot. We are carers and without this experience we would not have been able to take part due to the expense of theatre tickets. Thank you!

(Mother, Stomp) We had an amazing time, thank you so much. Your staff were amazing on our many phone calls due to my mistakes. My sister-in-law and I have always been scared to take our 2 year olds so my 7 year old misses out but thanks to you we would definitely do it again. The cheap price made us give it a go and now we have confidence to do it again. Thank you!!

(Mother, Peppa Pig’s Big Splash) My son says it was spectacular! The show was exciting and the cast were exciting and fun. I was impressed by the speed of receiving the tickets from when we applied. I will definitely take my family again. Many thanks for a fabulous experience!

(Mother, Thriller) The experience was fantastic, the 39 steps was fantastic! The instructions were easy to follow and the follow up telephone call was great in answering any questions I had. The map was easy to follow and clear. At the theatre the experience was also great and we were welcomed and my daughter was fussed over which made her feel very special.

(Mother, The 39 Steps) I didn't get my information in time but the staff were very helpful with the directions and the support.

(Mother, Wicked)

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We really cannot fault the experience we had. From the administration side of filling out the form to actually attending the show. Thank you so much, we even got a phone call from FFN to confirm.

(Mother, Thriller) We had a wonderful evening - great production, very comfortable and the staff from Mousetrap were friendly and welcoming. Our son would like to go back and see the show again!

(Mother, The 39 Steps) We loved our experience. The contact with FFN was brilliant and efficient. My son had the most amazing time and this was priceless. Thank you so much! Thriller was great and we had seating second from the front. Thank you FFN! (Mother, Thriller) A fantastic evening, great organisation and communication. I just wish this was more available for families as we wouldn't have been able to go and experience such a wonderful family time together. Thank you!

(Mother, Phantom of the Opera) Everything from start to finish I felt was dealt with in a very efficient and organised manner. I can't really fault anything. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

(Mother, Les MisĂŠrables) Having a workshop as part of the experience was a brilliant way of getting theatre goers to participate in production. We really enjoyed the day especially as we understood the work that goes into making a successful production.

(Mother, War Horse Prom) The organisation by Mousetrap Theatre Projects was great, they even chased me when checking if we were still going (our phone was out of order and Contact a family Lewisham sent me a text).

New London theatre was a bit shambolic. They couldn't find any trace of us at first and then had to reprint the tickets, but it all worked out in the end. Play was great - it had no speech - perfect!

(Mother, The Elephantom)

Theatres Wonderful, uplifting family experience - great show. It was quite warm and humid however there was air con which was fab. Thank you so much.

(Mother, Wicked) It was increasingly hot in the theatre - very uncomfortable for all of us.

(Mother, Peppa Pig’s Big Splash) It was a fantastic night, we got the best seats in the theatre which made the performance even more enjoyable. I just hope there are more opportunities like this for me and my children in the future.

(Mother, Thriller) Really enjoyed the show. My son was engrossed all the way through. Good seats, only four rows back.

(Father, Ghost Stories) It was very well organised and the theatre itself was very efficient. Tickets were available to pick up before the show easily. Only problem was that I confirmed receipt of booking via email and I still got a phone call asking if I was coming.

(Father, Wicked) Very good seats.

(Mother, Thriller)

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The size of the theatre was good for the children's first time. The seats were great as the children did not have anyone in front of them. The staff were friendly and helpful.

(Parent, The Tiger Who Came to Tea) The show was excellent. We had great seats - front row of the dress circle. Only problem was the safety rail obstructs the view for children and there were no booster seats available at all for some reason. My children had to kneel forward on their seats.

(Mother/Aunt, Horrible Histories Barmy Britain Part Two) We all enjoyed the show immensely. Staff at the theatre were helpful, easy to find seats. A very positive experience.

(Mother, Horrible Histories Barmy Britain Part Two) It was a very lovely day and we all thoroughly enjoyed our time at the theatre; the children really did enjoy the drama and music plus the ice cream. Staff were excellent. Son has celiac disease and one of the staff had to run up 2 levels to get him and ice cream before curtain up as the others had gluten.

(Mother, Les MisĂŠrables) Just had a great time. The staff at the theatre were great, so helpful.

(Father, Wicked) Children really enjoyed the show. Royal Albert Hall was not particularly child friendly - ramp access and was for emergency use only and so buggies had to be lifted up the stairs. Our tickets were upgraded to the arena from the circle as Annabel needed access to the BSL interpreter which was wonderful. Perhaps the disability would be on the form to pick these things up sooner. Saves us carrying two buggies up to the circle to be redirected down to the arena. But otherwise it was fantastic. Thank you for organising!

(Mother, CBeebies Prom) Show was brilliant but seats had restricted view. They were in the stalls but in the back row and therefore we could not see some of the show.

(Mother, The Commitments)

General Comments from the Family’s Theatre Visit We had a fantastic evening - everything went smoothly so thank you!

(Mother, Wicked) Excellent, we had a great time. Thanks.

(Mother, Wicked) We requested quite a specific date for our daughter to watch the show and we were truly grateful to be given that date. It was an amazing show. The only problem with the show was that the music drowned out the singing, so it was very hard to understand it all as it became unclear and distorted. Other than that it was amazing. Thank you for the opportunity.

(Mother, Wicked) We enjoyed it! It was a good night and Thriller was great.

(Mother, Thriller) Fantastic seats right in the middle of the circle with an empty row in the front. The children enjoyed the whole experience dressing smartly, catching the train, drinks in the interval. The obviously loved the show but also the late night return. Thank you (Mother, Wicked) We had a really lovely time. Thank you very much!

(Mother, Wicked)

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Thank you for facilitating a truly wonderful experience for my family. Everybody enjoyed this interactive and entertaining musical.

(Mother, Thriller) Wow!! What a wonderfully thrilling experience this was for me and my family. Many thanks to this fantastic project and our equally fantastic and fabulous teacher Pokuaa who is strict and demanding of all her students only because she cares and wants the best for us to build confidence to go places like the West End shows. We really loved Wicked.

(Mother, Wicked) The Lewisham young carers group from Family Action absolutely loved the show and the workshop.

Thank you for giving these young carers an experience of a lifetime.

(Family Support, Stomp) Had a lovely day in London.

(Mother, Wicked) Very supportive, good choice of productions. Amazing evening. Thank you!

(Dad, The Commitments) The show WICKED was a great show. We really enjoyed it and would love to visit the theatre again very soon.

(Brother, Wicked) We had a wonderful evening. Everything was so straight forward and worked like clockwork. Thank you so much!

(Mother, The 39 Steps) We had tickets to see Ghost Stories. The small group of teenagers that we took really, really enjoyed the show. Very different, but kept their attention well. Great day out!

(Social Worker, Ghost Stories) It was great, epic! I didn't realise the audience was going to be older and so much alcohol being drunk. My kids haven't experienced adults drinking in the afternoon like that. We were not allowed to take food into the even though it was only to eat in the interval.

(Mother, Let It Be) It was a brilliant show and we have great seats. Thank you!

(Aunt, Stomp) Very supportive, good choice of productions. Amazing evening. Thank you!

(Dad, The Commitments) We couldn't hope or expect any better! It was wonderful. Thank you so much! I told one child with me but based on this experience I could take more Rainbows.

(Rainbow Leader, Wicked) Thank you very much! We loved it!

(Mother, Peppa Pig’s Big Splash) It was a lovely afternoon out. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Thank you!

(Foster Carer, Thriller) Excellent show, kids had a great time.

(Mother, The Tiger Who Came to Tea)

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We loved this show, the whole experience was a day to remember. It made my Amber so happy she has become a Michael Jackson fan. Thanks!

(Mother, Thriller) Had a great time, the cast got the audience involved with dancing and singing. Wish it went on for longer. Great show and great cost. Great that my 6 year old really liked a couple of the songs he had never heard before. We love going to the west end for shopping, going out and of course theatre.

(Mother, Thriller) My 9 year old son really enjoyed the show. The only problem was that we had a tall adult in front of us and even with two booster seats he had restricted viewing. My son overall loved it.

(Mother, Wicked) The whole day was brilliant.

(Mother, Wicked) We would like to thank everyone that contributed to our time at the West End's Apollo Theatre. It was a wonderful experience and sharing it with my daughter was fabulous. Thank you all very much!

(Father, Wicked) The whole experience was great. The venue was slightly difficult to find even with a map and the app, but this did not spoil the morning. The kids enjoyed the show immensely. Thank you!

(Foster Carer, What The Ladybird Heard) Our two grandchildren aged 4 and a half and 8 really enjoyed the whole experience. The performance was excellent and the children were engaged throughout, as were we!!

The venue was amazing and gave us a chance to explore Southbank with the children as they had never been there before. We all had a really lovely day and think this is a worthwhile experience to extend to as many families as possible.

(Grandparent, Handmade Tales) A wonderful experience was had by the whole family. I could not find fault at all!

(Mother, Jersey Boys) It was a really lovely show, the kids really enjoyed it.

(Mother, Aliens Love Underpants) My children thoroughly enjoyed the experience of seeing a West End show, including travelling to London. Thank you for the opportunity.

(Mother, The Pajama Game) This was a great offer. We were so surprised to get the tickets we had applied for. Thank you, we had a great time!

(Mother, Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather – Live on stage) The show was excellent, my daughter and I fully enjoyed it. Of particular use was the national portrait gallery talk, which was assisting the children to absorb a bit of history before the show in detail as the woman was an expert and we were not just looking at the pictures.

(Mother, Horrible Histories Barmy Britain Part Two) There is nothing, I believe, that FFN can do better. You've done a marvellous job. As for the experience, the production was terrific, however it is a shame that some members of the audience do not cohere the request that mobile phones are switched off. There was more than one person checking emails/ texts while the show was on. In addition, I believe that very young children should not attend theatre. On three occasions, young children had to be taken to the bathroom during the

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show as well and asking questions through the show. These of course, are negative aspects to an otherwise lovely, relaxing night out which my children and I very much enjoyed. Thank you FFN (Father, Wicked) Myself and my daughter had a wonderful afternoon together. Wicked was 'wicked'.

(Mother, Wicked) We thoroughly enjoyed our theatre experience and will definitely try to attend a show again, finances permitting. Thank you for giving us this opportunity.

(Auntie, Wicked) It was a wonderful experience, myself and my family enjoyed it very much.

(Mother, Wicked) My nine year old twins thoroughly enjoyed their theatre experience and want to go again. Thank you for making this possible.

(Mother, Les Misérables) The show was wonderful and we had fantastic seats. My daughter loved it. Thank you very much.

(Mother, Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather – Live on stage) I was worried about picking up the tickets at the door before the performance as I know timings would be tight between my husband getting home and up to London for 7pm. But all this went very smoothly and straight forward. Thank you.

(Mother, Les Misérables) I was notified a day before the show. I had no emails or letters to act as a reminder that my first choice had been granted. I only received a call late the day before. The theatres two male staff were really happy to help me with my child’s pram. Coming and going "great people".

(Mother, Aliens Love Underpants) Could not have wished for a better night out with my family. We all had enjoyed the show very much. Excellent service all round. Thank you.

(Foster Carer, Wicked) Communication was excellent. We were thrilled to have received tickets through Mousetrap. The experience was brilliant, my daughter sat through the whole production without wanting to leave brilliant! Great show. Great day. Very grateful. Thank you all so much!

(Mother, Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather – Live on stage) I can't think of anything that could have made it better as it was perfect! Many thanks for a wonderful theatre trip. My girls aged 9 and 7 thoroughly enjoyed the show! Thank you.

(Mother, I Believe In Unicorns) My daughter and I enjoyed the whole experience and will be attending the theatre again at some point in the future. It was a wonderful show and it was well worth the price as going to the theatre can be expensive.

(Parent, Wicked) Great show, the family really enjoyed it. Great seats which made it a great experience for the children's first time at the theatre. Thank you.

(Mother, Thriller) Not been to the theatre before - this was a great thing to do. Show was really funny and my son laughed out loud. Very good play, seats were really good. Thank you.

(Father, The 39 Steps) I loved the experience and opportunity to go to the theatre. I enjoyed it very much and wish to go again.

(Mother, Ghost Stories)

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It was really good and I had lots of fun. The seats were really good and I had a great view. I got a bit of a fright but it was funny after.

(Mother, Let The Right One In) We had a wonderful time, what a great experience. The children are still talking about it. Thank you so much for making this possible.

(Mother/Daughter/Sister, The Phantom of the Opera) We had good seats - very good in fact. We all loved the play. It was so much better than I'd expected or even imagined. What a good evening out, thank you!

(Mother, Wicked) We enjoyed the theatre, the only problem we had was our seats were double booked so we had to sit at the back on some empty seats which the children were not happy with.

(Mother, The 39 Steps) The whole experience was absolutely perfect and extremely enjoyable. Thank you very much for this opportunity.

(Mother, Les MisĂŠrables) My family and I found the production to be quite boring and related little to the Wizard of Oz. Given that it was a musical we thought there would be familiar songs and audience participation.

However I also feel that given the production length of time and the packed theatre it would appear that perhaps we had chosen the wrong production and will choose more carefully on our next visit.

(Aunt, Wicked) Live singing and dancing. The costumes were beautiful. Great atmosphere. Really enjoyed the event. Thank you!

(Mother, Top Hat) The experience was great, all four children enjoyed themselves so much and are still talking about it. Thank you!

(Mother, Wicked) We all really enjoyed the experience, what a great show! Just wish we could go more often. Thank you so much for the opportunity - it all ran very smoothly.

(Mother, The Commitments)

Suggestions from Participants More offers please.

(Father, Wicked) Maybe postcodes of where the parking is so it’s that bit easier on a sat nav to find the parking.

(Mother, Thriller) Just to say a massive thank you, we had a fantastic evening. Just wish we could apply for more than one show at a time. Many thanks.

(Mother, Ghost Stories) Thank you for a wonderful evening. Family really enjoyed themselves. My one comment would be that some of the dancing is quite sensual for younger children so maybe a warning about that. Also drinks in the venue are very expensive so be careful. Thank you once again, we had a brilliant time.

(Father, Thriller) Map should have been enclosed.

(Mother, Aliens Love Underpants)

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The show and experience was great. The confirmation details were too close to the performance day. We thought we did not have any tickets. Apart from that, thank you for this lovely opportunity to see a show at an affordable price. Thank you.

(Mother, Once) I would have liked to have got my first choice but I understand this is difficult. The whole experience was amazing. My girls really enjoyed an "adult trip" out at night. It's just a shame FFN can't do this deal more often.

(Mother, Jersey Boys) My family and I had a great time for such a discounted price. The audiences were great and the best part of the show was the different ways to get the kids involved. A workshop in which kids could participate in would be good especially over the summer break. It would be good for those who have an interest in drama/dance.

(Mother, Groove on down the Road, A Journey to Oz) Having more notice that we were successful in obtaining tickets would have helped me making my travel arrangements to London.

(Mother, CBeebies Prom) Great initiative to encourage families to enjoy theatre shows. Please include my email address in your database. I would love to know about offers that could give my family the opportunity to go to a theatre performance again. Thanks.

(Mother, Wicked) Perhaps you could have a dedicated performance for organisations that work with young people in order for them to bring larger groups. All the young people had a really good time, it is not often that they get to do an activity in London during the evening. Would certainly do this again!

(Support Worker, Wicked) I would recommend to participate FFN offers up to/or 3 times, rather than 1 time.

(Father, The Phantom of the Opera) If you have children of different ages, it can be difficult to find one show that everyone is happy with. It may be worth allowing to have two shows (2 tickets to one, 2 tickets to another) (Father, Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather – Live on stage) We had a fantastic night and really enjoyed the whole experience. Two things that might help young/small children: Matinee performances and where possible, seating at the front of the 'circle' as my 7 year old did find it hard to see with 2 big men in front - but we managed and really loved the night and the show.

(Mother, Wicked)

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Comments from Family First Nights Participants Workshops General Comments from Practitioners and Participants I loved that the adults told me how much they had enjoyed it despite being very reluctant at first.

The young people all seemed very happy and excited – keen to tell me they had had fun. This is a FABULOUS space and I really enjoy working in this way with families – for me it is the most inspirational of all the Mousetrap work I do as the intra-familial results seem obvious very quickly.

Thank you for asking me to take part again.

(Practitioner, Wicked workshop) The feedback from the young people and parents was positive. Energy was high and a couple of parents stayed back to thank me afterwards. There were two sisters who LOVED it. They joined in with everything, made great suggestions and loved that their mum joined in. They smiled from start to finish.

(Practitioner, Barmy Britain 2 workshop) Very interactive, not intimidating.

(Participant, Wicked workshop) Relaxed and fun!

(Participant, Wicked workshop) It was fun, interesting and made us more confident. It was fantastic.

(Participant, Wicked workshop) We thoroughly enjoyed everything, it was very informative.

(Participant, Barmy Britain 2 workshop) They tried to include everyone which I really enjoyed.

(Participant, Barmy Britain 2 workshop) Everything was great. The kids really enjoyed the show and the workshop!

(Participant, Barmy Britain 2 workshop) The fact that the workshop was free was a lovely addition to the show.

(Participant, Barmy Britain 2 workshop) The show was excellent, my daughter and I fully enjoyed it. Of particular use was the national portrait gallery talk, which was assisting the children to absorb a bit of history before the show in detail as the woman was an expert and we were not just looking at the pictures.

(Mother, Barmy Britain 2 workshop)

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For additional information, please contact: Family First Nights Mousetrap Theatre Projects, 33 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7EH 020 7836 4388 ffn@mousetrap.org.uk www.mousetrap.org.uk

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