FFN Summer 2013 Evaluation by Mousetrap Theatre Projects

Summer 2013: Evaluation Report 22 July â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 26 August 2013

Compiled by: Flossie Waite

Table of Contents I.

Introduction

II.

Overall Statistics

III.

p.2

a. 2013 Family First Nights Participants by Borough

p.3

b. Top Referring Organisations 2013

p.4

c. Total Number of Families and Tickets for Each Show

p.5

d. Number of Adults and Children Who Attended Each Show

p.6

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

p.7

b. Booking leaflet – easy to understand

p.7

c. FFN administration and support – helpful

p.8

d. Confirmation details – clear and useful

p.8

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

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.10

to the theatre again? h. Do you feel this experience has made you more confident in taking up other theatre offers?

IV.

p.10

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

p.11

b. Making Theatre Accessible

p.12

c. Organisational Information

p.15

d. General Comments

p.17

e. Suggestions from Participants

p.20

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

p.25

b. Suggestions from Participants

p.25

Introduction Family First Nights (FFN) celebrated its 15th anniversary this summer, running for five weeks, from Monday, 22nd July – Monday, 26th August. Over the 2013 summer, 700 families took part representing 2,970 individuals of which 1,667 were young people between the ages of 3 - 17. Participating families came from 32 London boroughs. This summer we also increased the number of attending families by 13% over FFN 2012. To identify families, Mousetrap Theatre Projects worked with 155 community organisations, housing associations, social service agencies and charities which support disadvantaged families. To familiarise their representatives with FFN, these reps were invited to our annual information meeting on 12th June with more than 150 representatives attending. This year we also introduced FFN to Supplementary Schools. These are community-based schools where parents initiate ‘out of school’ lessons for their children on a range of subjects, often taught in the children’s first language. Six Supplementary Schools participated in FFN this summer, bringing 45 families involving 200 individuals. We hope to develop Supplementary Schools’ involvement in FFN in the coming years. Families contacted by a referral organisation were sent an FFN leaflet offering them 31 West End and London productions: 15 musicals, 9 plays and 7 shows for younger children with all tickets at £5. After applying for tickets stating their top 3 shows, we send a confirmation letter with detailed information about the production, travel directions and what to expect on their theatre visit, e.g. cost of ice creams and programmes. We also called each family to answer any questions they might have before their theatre visit. Continuing last year’s initiative to offer family workshops to enhance the family’s theatre experience, we offered four workshops. Experienced theatre practitioners using the themes from Stomp, Wicked, The Lion King and Barmy Britain ran 60-90 minute workshops attended by 19 families, representing 74 individuals. We also offered 3 access performances so family members who were deaf/hard of hearing or blind/partially sighted could attend as a family.

In early November, all 700 families will receive new family theatre offers for November 2013 – March 2014 by post. Past participating FFN families with current email addresses will receive this list by email (approximately 3,800 families). As FFN families have gained the confidence to attend theatre independently, producers are keen to provide special ticket offers, enabling these families to continue their theatregoing at new shows and venues. Over the past year, FFN families were offered 70 additional theatre, opera and dance productions at special prices and the take-up was exceptional. Mousetrap Theatre Projects wishes to thank our funders for their support of Family First Nights: the Society of London Theatre, The Colwinston Charitable Trust, John Lyon’s Charity 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 2013 is based on 251 returned questionnaires from participating families, representing approximately 28% of attending families. Susan Whiddington, Director

Overall Statistics

Responses to Questionnaire

Comments from Participants SHOWS Making Theatre Affordable ‘Thank you for a fantastic experience or should I say "wicked" experience! The price of the tickets meant if my son didn't like it we could leave but he loved it. Was more interested in the lights and stage but wants to go again so any cheap offer please send our way! Hopefully The Lion King!’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘It was a lovely experience for the children. My son who has Asperger’s thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for letting us receive cheap tickets.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘We had a great night thanks to Family First Nights. Everyone was up and dancing. Fantastic. Can't wait till the next show. You made it possible because we couldn't of afforded the normal price of a ticket so once again a big thank you!’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘Our family really enjoyed the show, and so thankful that we were able to watch it for affordable price.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Really enjoyed experience. Would be lovely to attend theatre shows more often but very expensive.’ (Grandmother, Thriller Live) ‘Loved! the experience, we could all only afford to go because of Family First Nights offer, we could not go at the normal prices as I am a pensioner and my daughter is a single mother.’ (Grandmother, Dreamboats and Petticoats) ‘The whole family had a great evening. The theatre is just too expensive for us, so it’s a very rare treat. I can’t think of anything that could of improved our experience. It’s 10/10 for your service from the whole family.’ (Mother, Dirty Dancing The Classic Story On Stage) ‘My husband saw the production of Stomp 20 years ago. Always wanted to take our children, but tickets have always been too expensive for us. We all had such a great time, thank you for enabling us to have our first family theatre experience!’ (Mother, STOMP) ‘Excellent value, fantastic show, great day out, thank you!’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘1001 thanks for providing me with this wonderful and cost effective opportunity to experience this wonderful show with my daughters and my grandchildren. Without my fantastic literacy tutor who introduced then "hounded" me in a loving way to complete the FFN me and my family - 3 generations would not have had this great experience. So thank you Mousetrap for this experience from a 72 year Grandma who was dancing away with her grandchildren to Michael Jackson tunes.’ (Grandmother, Thriller Live) ‘Myself and 4 children enjoyed the performance. It was great for them to experience something different, I would not of been able to afford to take them to a West End show being on a low income.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘If it wasn't for your special offer we would not have been able to afford it. Many, many thanks, we really appreciate it. Thank you :)’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘The whole experience was a very good one. Great opportunity for families to do something that is normally too expensive for a whole family to do. Thanks!!’ (Guardian, Wicked) ‘We had a really amazing time and it saved us so much money. It was a great opportunity to see a new show in a West End Theatre. Thank you so much!!’ (Mentor, Top Hat)

‘Thank you very much for the opportunity - theatre trips are generally out of the question for us because of cost, especially with 3 children. This was a great treat - only my 3 year old didn't enjoy it immensely - but it's hard to find something that suits the age range (3, 6 + 9 yrs) so overall a hit as LOVED by the older two children.’ (Mother, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain) ‘Great experience which would not have been made possible without generous assistance of the project. My 11 year old son was bouncing in his seat at the singing and dancing. I hope that this will make him want to go to more.’ (Mother, Dirty Dancing The Classic Story On Stage) ‘My children and I had a great time. We would love to go regularly but we would not be able to afford the prices. This is the only reason we would never be able to go is the cost of the tickets if we had the offer again we would go. Thank you so much. P.S. We were all dancing.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) Making Theatre Accessible ‘What you do is simply amazing. Thank you very much. Dear Family First Nights, I wanted to say thank you very much for making it possible for us to take two children and their cousin to see Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play at The Polka Theatre. Seeing the children’s faces as they watched the play is something we will never forget. Hearing our daughter talking about her favourite parts of the play with her eyes shining is magic. She has told everyone all about it!! So I thought I would share this with you because you made this possible. Thank you very much.’ (Mother and aunt, Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play) ‘We had a fantastic time. The front row seats made the experience even more enjoyable. This is a great scheme. Theatre should be accessible to all families, not just those with money.’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘We had a great time. Without those tickets we would not go, so many thanks.’ (Mother, Mamma Mia!) ‘It was a well enjoyable experience for the whole family. Thank you so much for the opportunity, it turned out to be a good birthday treat for me and my family. :)’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘Very good show really enjoyed it. Will definitely think about going to future visits. Thank you for the tickets and giving us the chance to attend the show.’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘My daughter enjoyed being part of the play. She understood the play. We discussed what were the challenges in the play. It was a brilliant experience! Thank you.’ (Mother, Romeo & Juliet) ‘We had stopped going to the theatre together as my son found it too stressful. This offer allowed us to try again by going to a show based on his favourite film. It was a great success and we went to the stage door to meet some of the cast after. Thank you so much for this opportunity.’ (Mother, The Ladykillers) ‘Thanks, we had a really lovely family day out at the theatre. It had never occurred to us to take our disabled son to the theatre, but we were made very welcome at all stages and the boys had a fantastic, memorable day. It has made us realise there are all kinds of things we CAN do, thanks!’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘We had a lovely time, very engaging performance. The children want to go to the theatre more often. Also they remember all the songs.’ (Mother, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain) ‘The whole experience was very enjoyable. It was the first time we had all been to the West End and we all had a great time, especially the children. Great Service, thanks.’ (Mother, Fences) ‘Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to take our family to a West End show. My son gets very anxious at the theatre and cinema and we often miss half a performance whilst he hides in the foyer. Hence we would never invest in tickets for a big show. However, he 'really' enjoyed

Spamalot this week and although nervous, he stayed in his seat for the whole performance - even when his dad (who was sitting right next to him) was pulled up onto the stage by the actors. We may now take a chance on booking for another show independently. Finally, thank you for enabling my daughter to do a 'normal' family outing, she usually misses out on these things.’ (Mother, ‘Spamalot) ‘We absolutely loved our trip to Thriller, my son loved the excitement of being at a West End Theatre and was beaming! I would attend a matinee in the future as it was a v. late night for him, ok on the night but he was a "Thriller" the next day!’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘I was very grateful to be given the opportunity to take my family to see a West End Show. My boys had only been to a theatre once, a pantomime in Hornchurch. We all enjoyed ourselves and have some happy memories. The whole experience went smoothly, I have no complaints. Thank you again.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘What a great experience! Our son who has Asperger’s loves acting and it was a wonderful evening which he and the rest of the family enjoyed. Collected the tickets with no problems. Thank you.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘It was a very good experience. We had requested wheelchair access and were very pleased to have been given very good seats which made the experience of the children very comfortable and memorable. Many thanks. Look forward to many more.’ (Foster carer, Dirty Dancing The Classic Story On Stage) ‘I was really worried about taking my 3 year old to the theatre I didn't think he would sit down. He didn't move, he loved it and I will be taking him again. The whole show was done very well.’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘We had a great family night. Kids were very excited. My 5 year old daughter asked me if the kiss was for real. My son loves dance so seeing the actors dancing made him want to go again. Thank you so much to give us this opportunity.’ (Mother, West Side Story) ‘We all thoroughly enjoyed the show. It was a great experience, would definitely come to see another show. Thank you for the opportunity to see such a fantastic show. It was the children's first ever show and would love to come again.’ (Mother, The Bodyguard) ‘The two children have additional needs, and this was an excellent show for them both to understand and enjoy. I have already got tickets to see 'Going on a bear hunt' which we are looking forward to.’ (Foster Parent, Aliens Love Underpants) ‘We had an amazing time my Mum was crying real tears of joy which in turn caused hysterical laughter in my kids. We felt like stars for the evening getting dressed up and enjoying an evening together all three generations. The whole performance was amazing and the way they change the scenes just flowed. The experience was unforgettable so thank you from our hearts.’ (Mother, Dirty Dancing The Classic Story On Stage) ‘Thank you for a wonderful thrilling evening. It is the first time we have all as a family gone to theatre together as we cannot afford for all of us to go. Lovely suggestions to make a day of it. We went to the Notting Hill Carnival first, picnic in Hyde Park. We have all been under awful pressure dealing with health problems/ school so it was a wonderful "carefree" day. Well organised by you. Thank you. We would love to come to more!’ (Mother, The Bodyguard) ‘The young carers enjoyed the show - they felt it was funny, loved the singing at the end and the little girl. Thank you.’ (Family Support Worker, Fences) ‘Just wanted to say many thanks for the tickets we had a great time - it was a wonderful surprise for my son, even my husband had tears in his eyes!! In addition - this was a wonderful opportunity for our family to be together but also a privilege to be considered and included in such a wonderful scheme for families with children who need extra help.’ (Mother, The Lion King)

‘We had a fantastic time, a very good time had by all. Our first time going to a theatre and would love to go again.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘I had a really enjoyable experience at the theatre with my daughter. This is something I would love to do again as I now know that going to the theatre is something that anybody can attend and enjoy. This has removed any misconceptions I had about going to the theatres. Thank you!’ (Mother, Zoonation’s Groove On Down The Road) ‘We had an absolutely lovely time and were amazed at the fantastic seats - front row! The children roared with laughter and we would definitely consider going more often now.’ (Mother, Spamalot) ‘Would like to see more West End shows!! Great!’ (Foster Carer, The Bodyguard) ‘The theatre experience was excellent. We enjoyed every minute. We look into going to the theatre very soon. Thank you very much Mousetrap.’ (Foster Carer, Spamalot) ‘FFN gave us the opportunity to go out as a family. We all stopped work and chores and made a day out of it. I think the project is great! My son wants to go again. Thank you :)’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘It was wonderful! The children had a fantastic experience. They were all excited. We loved it. Thank you so much for giving us this chance :)’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘Just great. Children loved it. Want to see more. Great day out.’ (Foster Carer, Wicked) ‘Beautiful performance, well arranged and organised. Would love to attend the theatre with family more regularly.’ (Mother, Top Hat) ‘The boy loved his first visit. The best one we could see. Staff great too.’ (Mother, Jersey Boys) ‘We had a great time and it was the perfect thing to do with my girls. Thank you for making it possible.’ (Mother, Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play) ‘We had the most magical evening ever. Thank you. What a superb show!! Your service was tops, I will also thank Smiley Ark for putting us forward for the opportunity to be considered for tickets. A very big thank you once again.’ (Mother, Jersey Boys) ‘Unfortunately we didn't get our first choice of show. We therefore put on our second choice Chorus Line and presumed that the show would be suitable for our children. This was unfortunately not the case as the dialogue content of the show was very inappropriate and the language at times very shocking for our 11 year old. This was our only complaint I think Stomp would have been more suitable. However we had an evening out that normally wouldn't be affordable.’ (Mother, A Chorus Line) ‘Had a great time, looking forward to going again. Kids loved it!’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘It was a lovely birthday experience, the children had a great time and were well behaved. It has shown me that I can take them to shows in the West End although it would be early shows in the future. Thank you.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘My daughter enjoyed watching the show; particularly the dance routines. Both me and my daughter would love to see a West End Show again.’ (Mother, Dirty Dancing The Classic Story On Stage) ‘We all had a fantastic time and it was the first time we have been to the theatre as a family. All went well and we really appreciated the chance to see Spamalot the show was absolutely great.’ (Mother, Spamalot)

‘My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. My son is still trying to make sense of the storyline but this makes for interesting discussion! A great family experience - thank you!’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Think the whole process was very well structured and everything was very clear and helpful. From this experience we will be going on more theatre trips. It was a good day out. Thank you.’ (Mother, Aliens Love Underpants) ‘I attended the theatre with 5 children. The youngest being 3 years old. Usually she can be a bit fidgety but during this performance, she was fully engaged as she sat on my lap and clapped her hands. All children had a fantastic time and after spoke about wanting to join a dance class. Brilliant experience for children and adults.’ (Carer/ Aunt, Zoonation’s Groove On Down The Road) Organisational Information Mousetrap ‘The whole experience was great and really inspired us. The children were really fired up by the experience and are still talking about it! The booking process was more straightforward than it actually looked. It was very sensible to remind us to note our requested performances. Your team were very friendly and helpful. And our seats were FANTASTIC!!’ (Mother, Spamalot) ‘My boys absolutely loved the show - they laughed all the way through. The admin/booking staff were fantastic and helped me to access suitable seating for my boys with ASC even though I had not requested access arrangements on the original form. I was very impressed with their understanding of our needs. 5 stars.’ (Mother, One Man, Two Guv’nors) ‘Booklet, form and confirmation letters all very clear and easy to follow.’ (Foster Carer, Thriller Live) ‘Everything was very clear, straight-forward and ran smoothly. We all enjoyed the play very much and would definitely recommend to friends and family.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘The FFN team have been so helpful on the telephone.’ (Mother, The Lady Killers) ‘The phone calls to confirm booking and information received as excellent. Very friendly staff at FFN.’ (Foster Carer, We Groove, Wee Dance) ‘WOW! Family First Nights couldn't be any easier, we had a great time, we're going to save to see it again. Thank you we’ve had a great start to our summer holidays.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Thank you for phoning and confirming details as it's easy to lose track of dates in the school holidays.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘The whole process was simple and straight forward. I didn't receive the show I initially wanted, however the children still enjoyed the production. Thank you very much for a lovely evening, much appreciated.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘An excellent production. We had a fantastic day. Our experience from start to finish was outstanding, from the reassuring call from your company to ask if we'd received tickets (very friendly staff) to the theatre staff. Excellent seats, show, just everything. Thank you, we can't wait for next year.’ (Aunt, Wicked) ‘We had the most wonderful evening and enjoyed it immediately. I don't think you could have done anything more, all the details were clear and concise. Many thanks.’ (Parent, Wicked) ‘The booking process was simple, your staff have been very helpful and we are very grateful.’ (Mother, Spamalot) ‘Thank you very much for giving us this opportunity and for being so helpful when I had a query. I will be recommending this to friends.’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt)

‘Everything was perfect, great help from Family First Nights staff. Fantastic seats and no problems getting tickets at the theatre. The show was amazing and the children said 'oh it’s finished, I want to see it again'. Then acted it out at home and sat and made their own books about the story, retelling as they worked. Many, many thanks for the opportunity to enjoy it.’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘Very easy to book show, staff could not have been more helpful.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘All staff - Family First Nights and at Apollo Victoria were very helpful and understanding. Fortunately my eldest had fantastic help with regard to wheelchair and the seats were good. He is also visually impaired and with constant disruption from people in front he found it hard to follow the story. All in all a great evening out. Thank-you.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘It all went very smoothly. Tickets were easy to collect and we were all very enthusiastic about the show. Many thanks.’ (Father, Top Hat) ‘The show was disappointing but your organisation of the event was excellent. Thanks very much.’ (Mother, Zoonation’s Groove on Down The Road) ‘Lovely family night out. Fantastic show. Would love to go to another show. Great experience for my foster daughter. Very helpful staff at F.F.N. Thank you so much!’ (Foster Mother, The Bodyguard) ‘Admin + support was fantastic, we really enjoyed the show and would love to go to similar shows again.’ (Mother, Brainiac Live!) ‘Excellent show and so easy to book, great idea for families and to bring families together. Would definitely use again as had a great experience.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘Thank you so much for a very enjoyable evening, we loved it. Excellent all round service.’ (Foster Carer, Dirty Dancing The Classic Story On Stage) ‘The show was excellent, the seats were excellent and the whole day out for the family was brilliant and well organised. Thank you for the day out and we would like to go again soon.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘We had a magical time together. Thank you ever so much! Fantastic service from the first moment.’ (Mother, The Bodyguard) ‘I found it all very clear and it was helpful to receive 2 phone calls. We felt very 'looked after'.’ (Mother, STOMP) ‘Great communication by administration, telephoned twice for confirmation and any other questions.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Your staff were very helpful and friendly over the phone.’ (Mother, A Chorus Line) ‘We all had such a lovely time, everything in the process was easy and clear, plus a great show! Thank you!’ (Mother, Aliens Love Underpants) ‘I thought it was very well organised and extra information was helpful & informative. We had a great time at the theatre. Thank you!’ (Mother, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain) ‘The stage was small but they used it well. Over all we had a very good experience. All things were very well organised. I appreciated the telephone call to remind me of the event.’ (Mother, Romeo & Juliet) ‘We had a fantastic night out. Thank you so much to Emily and all the Mousetrap team! The show was totally amazing and we are so grateful we were able to get tickets to see it. Thanks a million!!!’ (Mother, Wicked)

‘We really enjoyed our first experience as a family to see a West End Theatre. It was a wonderful experience. The show was amazing, enjoyed the songs and the atmosphere was great and the people we sat with were very friendly.’ (Mother, The Bodyguard) ‘A big thank you for giving me and my children the theatre experience, we enjoyed the show very much, would go again. Brilliant show. Thank you.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Very good service lady on the phone (Emily) really lovely, great show for young children.’ (Mother, Aliens Love Underpants) ‘The follow up prior to the event was excellent and reassuring. The offer of an alternative event was hugely appreciated.’ (Parent, Zoonation’s Groove On Down The Road) ‘The booking/ theatre was fantastic. The theatre charged for booster seats which was disappointing. Food and drink very expensive. All in all kids loved it and want to go again.’ (Mother, Wicked) Theatres ‘Great afternoon out. Seating allocation perfect for my disabled child. Staff friendly and pleasant.’ (Mother, STOMP) ‘We had an excellent time we loved the show, my boys really enjoyed themselves. Staff very friendly and helpful.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘We loved the 'Stomp' show, my children were tapping and banging everything on way home! Really brought us all out of ourselves. Thank you. Getting tickets at theatre couldn't have been easier (hooray!) Can't think how it could have been better!’ (Mother, Stomp) ‘We loved our trip so much and thought the whole show was excellent. I must also say the theatre staff on the telephone were excellent.’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘The experience was so surreal. The family had a lovely and fantastic time going to the theatre and the staff at the theatre were helpful. Thank you for the opportunity. We really loved it.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘Only downside was our seats were very high up and my daughter was a bit scared. Theatre staff were wonderful and allowed us to move during the interval to a lower seat. Thank you so much for opportunity to take our daughter to a show.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘The kids really enjoyed the show and the staff working at 'The Shed, National Theatre' were very, very friendly. We struggled a bit with the directions but found the National Theatre eventually. It was really a good experience.’ (Mother, Romeo & Juliet) ‘Really lovely venue. Things for children to do before production. Lovely shop and café.’ (Social worker, Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play) General Comments from the Family’s Theatre Visit ‘We had a fantastic time at the show. My children loved the show so much that every day they keep talking about it. Thank you.’ (Father, Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play) ‘Thoroughly enjoyable experience. Very good performance.’ (Carer, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain) ‘My family thoroughly enjoyed the show, my son is Michael Jackson crazy it was wonderful to see him so excited and all of us found it a truly amazing experience.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘It was so good for my family. Thank you so much :)’ (Grandmother, Top Hat)

‘Wonderful show. I loved the snow and leaves falling into the audience!’ (Mother, Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play) ‘Everything was excellent.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘It was a great night out, thank you for your offer.’ (Father, Jersey Boys) ‘We enjoyed the show. It was great that there were activities for children before the show. My son loved decorating the pictures and underpants. He was very happy when he got stamps on both arms afterwards.’ (Mother, Aliens Love Underpants) ‘We all had a great evening.’ (Neighbour, The Bodyguard) ‘Everything was covered. We all had a wonderful time!!! Thank you so much.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘Thank you for the wonderful experience you gave to us. My children were very excited about the experience and had an amazing time.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Thank you so much for a wonderful evening. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience of going to the theatre to see Stomp. The looks on my children's faces as the show began was priceless. It has been a highlight of their holiday that I know we will all remember for many years to come.’ (Mother, STOMP) ‘Very good.’ (Grandmother, Thriller Live) ‘It was fantastic and felt privileged to have this opportunity. Thank you!’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘We had a lovely day in London. The show was fantastic very funny and great the way only two characters put on such a superb performance.’ (Mother, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain) ‘Thank you very much, brilliant!’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Thank you very much for the tickets. Unfortunately my daughter didn't enjoy the Unicorn production of We Dance, Wee Groove. We expected something different, more usual for the theatre. Dancing with me for 50 minutes wasn't my daughter’s cup of tea. Next time I will choose more carefully the theatre play for my child. Wishing good luck with your project. ’ (Mother, We Dance, Wee Groove) ‘Unfortunately my son (has disabilities and special educational needs) wasn't able to enjoy more than 15 minutes. I think the size, noise etc just was too much for him to understand in an unfamiliar place. It was, however, a wonderful opportunity. Thank you very much!’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘Fantastic night out - bit pricey inside for drinks, sweets etc but great time had by all. Thanks :)’ (Father, Thriller Live) ‘My son and I appreciated the tickets to this. However, it wasn't our first choice (last) and wasn't my son's thing! Think he was 'too old' for it. It was a long way to go for 40 minutes but at least it got us out! Theatre would have suited him much better I think.’ (Mother, Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall) ‘My child loved very much and he was singing along with them all the time. Wonderful experience. Thank you to all of you.’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘There is nothing you can do better, everything was great.’ (Mother, Dirty Dancing The Classic Story On Stage) ‘We so appreciated the seats we had in the stalls, they were excellent. We felt we were right there amongst the action! Thank you for giving my daughter a brilliant evening.’ (Mother, Spamalot)

‘Overall really great, can't believe I didn't try for it before and will make sure I let all my fostering friends know!’ (Foster Carer, Thriller Live) ‘Our son, who's 10 y.o, thoroughly enjoyed this experience. We are grateful for your offer.’ (Father, STOMP) ‘We have really enjoyed the show and the whole experience. It was nice to see a high quality production - top entertainment! Thank you.’ (Mother, The Bodyguard) ‘We enjoyed it thoroughly and were very happy it was in the morning and could avoid traffic and the heat. Lovely, entertaining and involved everyone good idea!’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘We had an excellent time. Thank you very much for all that you did. It was a brilliant show. My daughter really enjoyed the workshop too with her father.’ (Mother, The Lion King) ‘Both our children had a great evening out, thanks.’ (Mother, STOMP) ‘Would like to say a big thank you for a great day.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘It was amazing!’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘This was a real treat for us and especially good quality time for my daughter and husband. Would have given all 5s, but did need to spend a bit of time working out all the choices and dates - but great choice and don't know how information could be simplified. Many, many thanks!’ (Mother, Spamalot) ‘My tickets, had to be downloaded, via email. The day before show had received my Letter etc. The guy left the wrong phone number on my answer machine, so couldn't get back to him! Otherwise the children in my care loved the experience.’ (Foster Carer, Jersey Boys) ‘It was good to be placed at the back of the stalls - easy to get out quickly when required. Also nice to be near the lighting and sound equipment as my son is very keen on them!’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘Myself and my two daughters have a wonderful time it was very enjoyable. Thanks.’ (Foster Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘Very good v enjoyable. Would have liked to have gone to more than one and been able to take more family members but they did not fit the age criteria.’ (Guardian, Dreamboats and Petticoats) ‘A thoroughly brilliant experience enjoyed by all. A wonderful evening.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘Had a brilliant evening. Thank you. Keep up the good work.’ (Mother/ Aunt, Wicked) ‘Very happy with our experience.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘We really enjoyed ourselves we got our first choice. My daughter was pleased because that is what she wanted to see. We had really good seats. Thank you for this experience.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘We were so happy to have such a good seats! We had good view, for the price we paid… can't ask for more. Excellent from start to the end! Love! Love! Love! My husband and I have no negative comments as you all have done a great job! Thumps up! Happy faces from son, to husband and I.’ (Mother, Jersey Boys) ‘It went like a dream!’ (Mother, Spamalot) ‘We arrived very late due to heavy traffic but we had fun. At first the older ones thought they were too old but when they listened carefully to the play, they began to enjoy it and laughed along. The climax came when all the children as well as parents got up to catch the bubbles. Even though

blowing bubbles is a common thing for them this one was more fun. They enjoyed sizzles!’ (Guardian, Charlie & Lola’s Extremely New Play) ‘It was great!! We really enjoyed it a lot :) :)’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘We enjoyed it very much. Wish we could participate in more events like this. Thank you very much for all your assistance.’ (Mother, Spamalot) ‘The show was really good and funny and experience very positive. Thank you.’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘Just everything was excellent!’ (Father, Wicked) ‘Attended 'A Chorus Line'. Singing and dancing fantastic. Storyline rather weak. Disappointed by some of the swearing, not necessary when children watching.’ (Father, A Chorus Line) ‘Children really enjoyed the singing and joining in with the actors.’ (Social worker, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘We really enjoyed this interpretation of Romeo & Juliet…It had a very modern spin on it & we loved the audience participation. My children liked the use of music during the emotive scenes. Thank you Family First Nights for an enjoyable afternoon.’ (Guardian, Romeo & Juliet) ‘My daughter really loved Thriller, didn't want to leave. Nothing to suggest, was excellent. Thank you for a great evening.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘Fantastic production. We all had a wonderful time. Thank you.’ (Mother, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain) ‘The theatre was located next to Victoria Station which was a great advantage. The performance was wonderful. Although it was blighted somewhat as my son would not keep quiet during the performance and he seemed to enjoy interrupting the quieter moments in the show. However, overall he thoroughly enjoyed it and tried to sing along to the songs even if he has not speech & language!! :)’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Had a good day out. Wish it was an annual event!!’ (Mother, Brainiac Live!) ‘Thank you so much we had a lovely time. Thank you love the costumes. She wasn't Wicked, she was just mis-understood.’ (Mother and child, Wicked) ‘Would be pleased to take up any further Family First Night offers.’ (Mother, Top Hat) ‘Interesting created spectacle. Turning the children into action. Light and music effects.’ (Mother, We Dance, Wee Groove) ‘Because the show was for younger children my eldest children (aged 8/10) though they enjoyed it, found it a little 'average'.’ (Mother, We Dance, Wee Groove) ‘The children had an excellent time, the only problem was they had to lean forward to be able to see the performance. As they are quite small, it meant they could not sit on their seats. Overall a good time had by all.’ (Grandmother, Thriller Live) Suggestions from Participants ‘Maybe a tear off section with application number and space for shows listed to be kept by us. Not thinking I put the booklet in the recycling and only noted the dates in my diary but not the name of the project. Luckily my confirmation came as I was getting worried about having missed something!’ (Foster Carer, Thriller Live) ‘If we had been told which show we were seeing sooner we could have arranged childcare for the babies more easily.’ (Mother, Aliens Love Underpants)

‘It was a good experience, my daughter enjoyed the play. The thing you could do better is to inform us earlier about the theatre tickets and get them a few days before the play. I had applied more than a month before the date of the play.’ (Mother, Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play) ‘I enjoyed the show but I wanted to see a different show. I would like more offers for my family to visit the theatre. Thank you very much!’ (Grandmother, The Bodyguard) ‘Fantastic show but shame on those people who kept eating and cracking food packages behind us. Should be banned!!! Three very large people also blocked our view and we had to sit sideways in order to get a glimpse of the stage. Our bad luck I guess but the first one should not have happened.’ (Father, Wicked) ‘The show was great but was somewhat spoilt by a woman who thought it appropriate to take 2 children, clearly under 4, who talked, moaned, cried and complained during the whole first half. Luckily they left in the interval. The theatre should not have allowed them in.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Show was a bit late, children very tired would have been better to go for a matinee. Would have preferred slightly more notice to arrange childcare for other children.’ (Mother, Mamma Mia!) ‘The show was excellent, but our seats were VERY high up (2nd circle) and as this was a musical was not as good as it could have been. Recommend seats closer/lower to stage for musicals.’ (Mother, West Side Story) ‘More notice of dates.’ (Mother, One Man, Two Guv’nors) ‘We went to see We Dance, Wee Groove, but were disappointed with the content. Not really what we were expecting. Some of the dancing was a bit old for the children's age. Not properly demonstrated.’ (Foster Carer, We Dance, Wee Groove) ‘It would be useful to know if there is any discount theatre card for my teenage daughter who loves musical theatre (I think there was some mention of one for 15-16 yr olds on the confirmation letter but I can't remember what it was called.)’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Perhaps looking at ways to send tickets out in the SAE as opposed to leaving early to queue up at the box office to collect.’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘Not clear on leaflet that both parents could go if only have 1 child, so did not go as a family.’ (Father, Aliens Love Underpants) ‘The only thing I suggest that you advise not to seat special needs families in the audience participation seats.’ (Mother, Spamalot) ‘We enjoyed the show, however we were a bit nervous by how far up we were, although we had front row upper circle seats because of our youngest child being only 5 and very small.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘The show was fantastic. Unfortunately there was a problem when we first arrived as details of my son being in a wheelchair hadn't been passed over so there were no suitable seats at first. Then we were seated but my other son had to sit in a row behind me with his aunt.’ (Mother, Dreamboats and Petticoats) ‘The production did need an interval as half way through my children and others around started fidgeting, or it needed audience participation, like provided at the end of the show, to give the audience a chance to move. 2 hours is a too long, even in a cinema.’ (Mother, STOMP) ‘The 8 plus age guideline (in your literature) was not appropriate to the at times bawdy humour and obscene gesturing contained in the Spamalot performance. 12 plus would have been more helpful.’ (Mother, Spamalot)

‘Took a long time to collect the tickets at the Playhouse Theatre as they were difficult to find on the database (15 minutes).’ (Mother, Spamalot) ‘We had an awesome night out. The show was fantastic. The seats were excellent. THANK YOU!!! :) Do you organise Family First Nights over the Christmas break? During the Christmas period there are many productions (Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Snowman etc) that are fun while introducing kids to different experiences of theatre.’ (Guardian, Siro-A) ‘The seats we had were restricted view and we had to lean over to see. We were high up so both children were frightened. We made do the first 1/2 of the show until we could be relocated at the interval to the back of the theatre.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘My 7 year old daughter got a bit scared initially but she was ok after a while. The sound was too loud for her. The seats were at the very back and two very tall people were sitting in front so she couldn't see properly. We left the show at the break time.’ (Grandmother, Wicked) ‘The children really loved it, and so did we! Thank you! On the booking form there was information for booking pre/post show workshops/similar it wasn't clear how this would work.’ (Mother, Thriller Live) ‘Thank you for this offer it is a lovely experience. I think you should offer the schools this voucher, because we can't afford to buy the tickets at all and if you ask the children in school to pay £5 a head that will be a wonderful, because my child wouldn't know about the theatre if she didn't have this voucher. Please think about it and give the children in school places. Many thanks and we are lucky.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘It was difficult to choose one show that the whole family would enjoy because of age differences and interests, so it would have been good to be able to choose two separate performances and take the two children with ADHD separately. Also my oldest son of 18 who has to put up with lots of problems missed out due to my 14 year old son deciding he didn't want to go because of the rule 2x children under 17. Having said that my daughter and I had a fantastic evening. Thank you for the opportunity.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘We all had a wonderful time at the Apollo Theatre, 'Wicked' was really wicked!! Suggestions for future offers, it would be great to go and see:- The Lion King, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Top Hat was amazing! We walked through Covent Garden Market, the kids were awed by the buzz in the air. Theatre show - faultless. We did switch seats halfway through as kids couldn't see past maybe have boosters for kids so they can rise up to grown up sizes? So, so, so great thanks! Top Hat was amazing! The music and dancing was really good. It was Mummy's 40th birthday and coming to Top hat made it very special!’ (Mother and daughter, Top Hat) ‘Confirmation letter not received in post. Probably more secure to send via email. Thanks for a great time!’ (Aunt/ Step-mum, Thriller Live) ‘Because we were on the cheap ticket, we were placed on the second row, so our child could see the actresses’ body and the top of their belly! However the show was good, but our seats were in a very bad place and we did not enjoy!’ (Father, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘If any spare seats were available on the day - maybe we could have been given a choice to move. Otherwise a great day. Thank you very much!’ (Mother, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain) ‘Two of us was disabled and there was nothing to hold on to going to the loo, a lady had to help me other than that the show was great.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Online booking system, may aid towards cross checking and costs.’ (Mother, One Man, Two Guv’nors)

‘I was happy to have received a reminder for the performance as there were some confusion regarding the time. This was cleared up and my party attended for 7.30 pm. However at the box office we waited for some time as our names were not on the list. It was a good thing that I took the letter with me and not just I.D. Great show!!’ (Foster Carer, Soul Sister) ‘The show was absolutely brilliant and funny. I thought if maybe a good idea would be a few kids perform on the stage to make the show brilliant and more better. This will encourage the other kids to be creative in music by making the sound and music with different objects’ (Father, STOMP) ‘We had an amazing time @ Jersey Boys. Thank you. Thank you for allowing us such an experience through Family First Nights. My only suggestion would be post you kindly sent through the mail was posted with no postage attached and arrived two weeks after our brilliant evening.’ (Mother, Jersey Boys) ‘Offers of plays throughout the year rather than just over summer.’ (Father, Fences) ‘Add more choice of performances and/or more dates for production suited to children 0-6 as it was hard to get these choices due to limited availability.’ (Mother, STOMP) ‘My little boy loved this production and it was great we could go for £5 each. Our seats were near the front so we were very pleased! Booking process was very easy. The only improvement would be to add some more shows to the list!’ (Parent, Brainiac Live!) ‘We have 4 children, ranging in age, 13-3 yrs. We felt we had to choose who to take to the theatre: A show for the older kids or the younger ones…So although we chose to take the older ones, the younger one missed out :( You maybe could have had something like this: choice 1) Spamalot -Adult + 3 kids, date….. 2)Bear Hunt - Adult + 2 kids, date …. Thank you, the big kids loved the show!!’ (Father, Spamalot) ‘My only comment is it would have been good to know a little earlier that we had been allocated tickets.’ (Mother, We’re Going On A Bear Hunt) ‘Because days and times can't be confirmed until after form sent it would be nice to have flexibility to add a family member once a show is offered as I applied for a matinee but didn't apply for husband as working but offered and took evening show so would have liked to add my husband.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Thank you very much for your kindness and generosity to give all of my family the tickets for Wicked (6 tickets). We watched it last night, and we had a very nice time!! We got good seats (Dress circle Row M), but if we had been informed which KLF seats we would be able to get, we would probably have brought our binoculars. The map which shows places you can visit in London such as Covent Garden was not very clear and not easy to use. Our family often use a small booklet which was published by HSBC ("Welcome to London"), we got it free at Waterloo Station. The booklet not only include map but also sightseeing, Art and Leisure, Eating and Shopping etc. Thank you very much for everything!!’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Thought the 'what to expect' sheet was talking down to us. Just because my daughter is disabled and we haven't got much money doesn't mean we're too stupid to know to go to the toilet before the show starts! I know it was meant well but it was a bit depressing to read!’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘Because the performance ended late, we think that matinee performances would be better for children. Our children were very tired afterwards. We appreciate the experience, it was great, thank you.’ (Mother, Wicked) ‘No real suggestions - one thing I was slightly worried about was whether could store a pushchair at the theatre - perhaps this could have been in the confirmation details, but not critical and otherwise they were comprehensive and admin v helpful/ friendly over the phone. Many thanks!’ (Mother, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain)

‘Perhaps allowing a second adult would be helpful, since we are a single child family.’ (Mother, Dirty Dancing The Classic Story On Stage) ‘It was difficult to get hold of the application form because organisations did not have the form or did not know about the scheme. I only received the form shortly before the deadline. There was a limited choice for a small child.’ (Mother, The 39 Steps) ‘Perhaps leave a space on the booking form for people who are able to state a) any weekday/ any time b) any w/end day/time etc. Thanks.’ (Mother, Brainiac Live!)

Comments from Family First Nights Participants Workshops General Comments from Practitioners and Participants ‘Thanks very much for an interesting, absurd and very fun/ny day.’ (Guardian, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain workshop) ‘Highly grateful for the opportunity given to participate in this workshop and thrilled by the prospects of seeing the show knowing we were given an insight into some of the tricks of the trade. 101 thanks for this wonderful educ-taining experience.’ (Guardian, STOMP workshop) ‘I find the experience very educational.’ (Child, STOMP workshop) ‘It felt like a warm and playful experience. The adults seemed a bit unsure at first but they all

joined in by the end and left laughing and happy!’ (Practitioner, Wicked workshop) ‘I find it so musically entertaining.’ (Child, STOMP workshop) ‘I really enjoyed myself and would love to come again.’ (Child, STOMP workshop) ‘I came away from the workshop full of energy. It was an enjoyable and upbeat session, really enjoyed it.’ (Practitioner, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain workshop) ‘The workshops are a great idea to make the children feel part of a performance and look forward to the show they are going to see. Children’s comments: OMG, Fabulous, great, fun. They would come again.’ (Guardian, Wicked) ‘It felt very inclusive and participative.’ (Guardian, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain workshop) ‘It was fun. Great workshop leader.’ (Guardian, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain workshop) ‘Relaxed atmosphere. Staff were friendly and welcoming. They encouraged the parents and children to express themselves through the music/ playing of instruments.’ (Guardian, Wicked workshop) ‘Daughter’s confidence improving from this workshop.’ (Mother, Wicked workshop) ‘I enjoyed observing the smile and confidence on the children’s faces as they made rhythmic beats with their bodies and household items.’ (Guardian, STOMP workshop) Suggestions from Participants ‘There was no information about the workshop so we were a bit confused and also the timing for the gallery as well. Would be great if this details are included in the letter.’ (Guardian, STOMP workshop) ‘More please.’ (Mother, Horrible Histories - Barmy Britain workshop) ‘Would have loved the session to be slightly longer, although I felt exhausted banging, stamping and clapping.’ (Guardian, STOMP workshop)

If you would like any additional information, please contact: Family First Nights Mousetrap Theatre Projects, 23 - 24 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8ND 020 7240 6606 ffn@mousetrap.org.uk www.mousetrap.org.uk