Matinees vs Evening Performances - Which One Is Better?

Evening Performances

Evening shows typically take place between 7pm and 8pm.

Pros:

• Popular with the 9-5 crowd, because the timings mean you can head to the theatre after work, with enough time in between for an outfit change or a meal.
• The evening theatre crowd, which tends to be younger, is usually very high-energy and tends to engage more with the performance. This can make for a wonderful communal theatre-going experience.
• A buzzing, excited audience is an actor’s dream, and the atmosphere during an evening show can feed into and amplify the cast’s energy levels as well.
• If you’re planning a group activity, more people are likely to be available in the evening, and the high-energy environment makes this a great option for a girls night or date night.
• There’s something magical about watching theatre at night; it amplifies that feeling of being immersed into a new world. Shakespeare’s Globe’s midnight matinees take this a step further by allowing audiences to experience that theatre magic during the witching hour.

• Evening shows can end quite late in the night depending on the runtime, which can make things tricky if you live far away or outside London, as trains may stop running, or become overcrowded as the post-theatre crowd makes its way home.
• This might also mean, especially if you’ve come straight from the office, that you may be too tired to enjoy the experience.
• Though it’s hard to predict what an audience’s mood is going to be like, there’s a chance that a tired, post-work evening crowd could become irritable and impatient, even a bit noisy, which can distract from the overall experience.
• Because evening shows are the more popular option, tickets tend to be more expensive and less readily available, especially if it’s a popular show.

Matinees

Matinees are afternoon performances that usually take place between 2pm and 3pm.

Pros:

• Matinees are the popular choice with families, especially those with young children who may get tired and cranky past their usual bedtime.
• An afternoon show means you don’t have to worry about getting home too late. You’ll even have time for a meal or drink after the show to discuss everything you loved about it.
• Because matinees are less popular, tickets tend to be cheaper, and you may find yourself in a quieter, emptier auditorium, with more room to stretch your legs and shorter queues for the loo.
• For this reason, and because matinees tend to attract an older crowd, the audience tends to be quieter and more relaxed, so you can lose yourself in the show without any distractions.
• If you’re catching a show in an open-air theatre, especially during the summer, a matinee is the perfect way to enjoy the sunshine while you enjoy a bit of theatre.




Cons:

• A more reserved audience is sometimes a less responsive audience. Because theatre is a social experience, and we often take our cues from fellow audience members when it comes to laughter and applause, you may feel less invigorated or engaged.
• The actors may be lower in energy as well, feeding off a quieter audience or maybe saving their pep for the bigger evening crowd. But this isn’t always the case, as a professional actor will give their 100% regardless of the day, time, or size of the audience.
• If a show features a big-name star, there will be times when they’re replaced by an understudy or alternate, and these are more likely to be during the less busy matinees. So make sure you check who’s going to be performing before you book.
• If you’re only in London for a short time and want to have a traditional West End experience, you’re less likely to get it from a matinee. Soaking in the lights of the West End at night, being part of a loud, excitable audience, and even the act of going to the theatre in the evening are all a quintessential part of the West End experience.

So which one should you go for?

At the end of the day, it depends entirely on what you’re hoping to get out of the experience and what your priorities are when it comes to convenience, comfort, budget, and atmosphere. But whether you pick a sun-soaked matinee or a dreamy night-time evening show, don’t forget that the play’s the thing that matters, and you’re sure to have a fantastic time either way.