Seymour Centre — Attraction in Sydney

Dear team,

I wanted to share feedback from the recent Spot show I attended with my 4-year old daughter.

We had spend weeks counting down the weeks and days together, and this was to be her first live theatre show! Lo and behold the day arrives, and we make the significant journey to the venue in high spirits! We have located parking in the parking centre near-by to enhance the experience, so my lovely daughter Liv, can focus on an experience with her dad and a beloved dog named Spot from her nighttime stories.

When we arrived at the venue there was not one single poster or piece of information letting us know the show was actual on. After overvoming the heavily under-construction route to the theatre we did step inside and anticipation was high!

As there was no indication of the show, merchandise or anything else targeted at children, which I have to assume was the target audiene for the show, I ordered a coffee for myself abd a cupcake for my excited child. In the box office window was a large note. asically explaning not to approach, to go to the theatre intended, yet still not one mention anywhere of the actual event! A lady with a stern face behibd closed glass in the box office dis not exactly elevate our exitement or help us be at ease. After receiving our items for our order with no utensils or napkins in sight, we ascended the stairs, which we had identified with other guests, not staff, was the right next move. We come up to level 3 where nothing is welcoming or open. There is no indication a show is about to start, and I would say that the closed half of the floor end depressive atmosphere started to get to my daughter. "Is spot going to be here?" she asked, and I sad I hope so!

Again there was no merchandise, no refreshments and nothing telling us, we were about to attend a high quality and professional production of a beloved childrens book character. Speaking to one of the ushers about merchandise, he calls on his headset, and we observe a blank stare and no information. Another lady approaches, and the update is "there is no merchandise, I have just been told". So the clearly uninformed and unprepared staff were left to deal with any questions, as organisers had clearly neglected the basics of engagement, familiarity and experience from the audience. As no announcements were made at anytine we scanned our tickets on my phone, and no ackowledgement of my girl or where we were to be seated were offered. We went in to the fully lit and quiet auditorium, where only other guests voices could be heard. About 10.10am the show starts abd after having to get up numerous times to allocate people to their seat, performance begin. First 5-10 mins people still arrive, and no ushers are helping, just parents trying to lift and move their children to allow access, causing the kids to be flustered and miss part of the performance.

The performance end 10.45am and was enjoyable overall as a play. My daughter asked if we can get a treat or a toy, and I say we will get it later when we are out of here! The journey back to our car was again fully non-assisted, no staff in sight, and no merchandise or items to create a lasting memory existed.

I found the experience to be cold, poorly planned, non decorated, not supported and with no attention to our little tiny customers happiness or excitement. I hope there are a few emberrased faces among organisers and management of event staff, as this was truly a horrible experience, and it was only my own energy and drive as a parent, that made the experience remotely acceptable for my 4-year old daughter.

I hope someone takea their time to read and understand the utter dissapointment described in this message.

Kind...

Staff were friendly

Parking building ok, even for a high vehicle. I was able to fit and I have a 2.1m height restriction. Car park ramps up and down were a little narrow, so be careful :-)

Exciting the car park when an event finishes is painful because everyone wants to exit and turn left but there are traffic lights that direction so traffic exciting is constrained by the light sequence further up the road

Toilets were not on the level of the theatre entrances, you have to go down the stairs which is annoying if your elderly as you may have to take the lift which takes longer or if you have kids you will need to decent the stairs with them to accompany them

Food prices were over the top. I didn't buy a drink so I don't know drink prices but I would imagine they are similar. One bag of sweets (sour snakes) cost $5 8-(

Seating was good but not great. Plenty of legroom and width. The gradient of the theatre could have been more to reduce being impacted by human giraffes in front.

We had one taller person in front of us which impacted our viewing experience a bit

Luxury cinema seats and seat row heights in Hyots are better than the Seymour centre in my opinion in terms of comparison.

I'd like to see staggered seating in theatres so that each alternate row is shifted half a seat so the the row behind looks through the gap between the seats in front. Either this or raise the seating height so you don't get impacted by human giraffes

Row height seating is poor compared to say the Lyric theatre which is awesome in terms of not being blocked by tall giraffes in front. If your at the back in the theatre at the Seymour centre, you are a long way from the action, unlike the Lyric theatre with it's high gradient so that your placed much closer to the stage. The Seymour centre isn't bad though, I'm just trying to describe where it fits in, in terms of theatre experience. I believe the Seymour centre is much...

I wrote to the Seymour centre to express my extreme dissatisfaction at the painful and blinding lighting rig that accompanied Hania Rani’s excellent concert last night

During large swathes of the performance the Intense floodlights were left shining directly into the eyes of the audience, and at other times - the larger multi- spots likewise were turned on the audience - and left in position - blinding us for long periods of time

Truly it was like getting the 3rd degree in a movie interrogation. I got a sharp headache, my wife sat blocking her eyes , and many many audience members were forced to do likewise

While the lighting designer/ operator was part of Hania’s team, I had thought, as the venue and curators of the concert - that the Seymour Centre team should be assessing these situations during the set up and lighting check and impose a more rigorous and safer standard of practice that takes audience comfort and indeed OH&S concerns into consideration. I actually went up to him after the show to alert him to how uncomfortable and indeed painful his lighting was at times - I got a distinctly rude brush off with a “ I either do that and have a show or not so I'm sorry but leave me alone” I note I was not the only patron so moved to approach him

The entire concert was ruined for sections of the audience - and that is a shame indeed.

The Centre has since advised that they have no purview in these matters and that placement of stage lights rests solely with the production company.

It's a sad irony indeed then that a lighting designer such as this - who only has his job because audiences pay to come and see the concerts - has such little regard for Audience comfort and safety. How complicated could it be to alter the angle of those floor spots by less than 20 % - to ensure they don't shine directly into the eyes of the audience ? Or keep them moving at least so they don't...