There do tend to be a few questions patrons have
about Brownsea Open Air Theatre and the
performance
night(s) they are attending. Therefore, to help
answer
those questions we have set up a FAQ's (Frequently
Asked
Questions) page to help answer them.
Should you have any further questions that are not
covered
within this page or the website please feel free
to
telephone our answering services on (01202)
251987, or email us via the website and we
will get back to you.
What is the best way to order/pay for
tickets
The majority of tickets are sold by posting a
cheque and an SAE directly to BOAT. These tickets are sold on a first
come first served basis. Anyone wishing to pay cash can do so by going
to Customer Services at Beales Stores in Poole or Bournemouth from
mid-April. Only a limited number of tickets are available at Beales, for
Monday and Wednesday performances only.
Why can’t tickets be ordered online
or via Credit/Debit card?
The current overheads for booking either way
would force the price of the tickets up. However, BOAT are exploring the
feasibility of online booking in the future
Are there any ticket concessions?
With costs of putting on a show rising every
year BOAT have to constantly review the ticket price. BOAT endeavour to
keep the price as reasonable as possible and, to budget effectively,
have one price across the board with no concessions. It should be
realised that the cost of each ticket includes the return boat fare and
the usual fee to pay for landing on Brownsea Island is waived.
What time does the first and last
boat leave for Brownsea Island?
The Island ferries are supplied by Greenslade
Pleasure Boats LLP and leave from Poole Quay. The boats valid for the
theatre leave for the Island at approx 5:00pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm, 6:20
pmand 6:40pm. The journey lasts for about 20 minutes.
What time does the performance start
and finish?
The auditorium generally opens around 7:00 pm
for patrons to take their seats. Performance starts at 7:30pm but
patrons are encouraged to take their seats by 7:20. Although we cannot
guarantee an exact ending time, the average BOAT production finishes
between 10:15-10:30. Boats will start arriving back on Poole Quay after
11:00 pm.
Why can’t patrons go to the Island
before 5:00pm?
BOAT pay a specific fee to Greenslade Pleasure
Boats LLP to hire boats for the theatre. The contract only allows for
patrons to use their boats from 5:00pm. Anyone wishing to go to the
Island earlier in the day would need to pay a boat fare to whichever
boat company transports them to the Island.
Why can’t some boats go from Sandbanks?
Greenslade Pleasure Boats LLP are only able to
sail from Poole Quay.
Cancellation of BOAT performances
Due to performances being held in the open air
and on an island, BOAT has traditionally allowed for a contingency
performance should the scheduled performance be cancelled. Hence BOAT
performances are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with days
between set aside for contingency purposes. However, BOAT will not
cancel any scheduled performance at the first sign of rain and simply
because the weather on the contingency date is forecasted to be better,
although BOAT will and does always monitor responsibly all forecasts for
weather and sea conditions. Patrons should also be aware that the
weather on the Island frequently differs from that on the mainland.
BOAT
will always aim to perform on the scheduled date if possible. It is
very much in the interests of the Company, as well as our patrons, that
the show goes on. After months of preparation and rehearsals BOAT will
always want to give patrons the best that can be offered. A condition on
the purchasing of tickets for any BOAT production is that BOAT
Management will take responsibility for deciding whether a performance
goes ahead and that decision is final.
When is the decision made?
BOAT monitors weather forecasts throughout the
day. If conditions are favourable, no decisions are necessary until
5.00pm (the time of the first boat). However, the 5.00pm check is not
necessarily the final check. BOAT will call off the scheduled
performance at any time up until 7:30pm, if necessary. Anyone on the
Island at the time a performance is called off will be transported back
to Poole Quay and tickets will be valid for the contingency performance
the following evening.
What happens if after the performance starts the
weather deteriorates?
Once a performance begins, BOAT is obliged to
continue and perform the whole play unless, in a very rare circumstance,
it becomes unsafe to do so. In wet conditions, when BOAT considers it
right to do so, the performance may actually continue in blacks or
waterproofs. Once a performance starts, there will be NO contingency
performance the following evening.
BOAT performances are all held
in the open air and patrons are exposed to the elements. Patrons are
advised to bring waterproofs and warm clothing in the eventuality that
it may rain and that even following a warm sunny day it will inevitably
get cold late evening on the Island and on the boat trip back to Poole.
Why not put a roof over the auditorium/acting
area?
Putting a roof over the auditorium to protect
the actors/audience from the rain would take away the ‘open air’
experience. Added to that any temporary cover would not help acoustics
and it would doubtless be noisy when it rained!
I would like to join B.O.A.T, how do I do this?
Anyone wishing to get involved with BOAT should
contact us via email or post at any time – else, why not attend the Open
Auditions held each January? As well as encouraging new faces on stage
we welcome lots of help backstage and front-of-house. Experience is not
necessary, only a willingness to become part of a big friendly team.
I would like to appear in a BOAT
production but don’t want a speaking part. Would I have a chance of
being selected?
Anyone wishing to experience a first on stage,
but not necessarily wanting to spout lines, will always be welcome. Many
Shakespeare productions need plenty of ‘non-speakers’ for crowd scenes
and BOAT sometimes struggle to find such people willing to take part
this way. Contact BOAT at any time if you are interested.