Young consultants at The Garage, Norwich spreading the message about the " Tweet Seats " up for grabs for the Curtains Up performances at the venue. Photo: Steve Adams

Norwich venue rewards Twitter reviews

Emma Knights Friday, February 8, 2013
11:11 AM

Young people are being welcomed to the “Tweet Seats” at a city arts venue which hopes to use reviews via Twitter to encourage more people through its doors.

Young consultants at The Garage, Norwich spreading the message about the " Tweet Seats " up for grabs for the Curtains Up performances at the venue. Photo: Steve Adams

The Garage, in Chapelfield North, is offering free “Tweet Seats” to young people who will post their views about a show on Twitter while the performance is taking place.

Up to 10 “Tweet Seats” are available for each show in The Garage’s Curtain Up! programme which specialises in presenting cutting edge new work aimed at younger audiences.

The latest Curtain Up! season kicks off tonight with the comedy Party Piece, and other shows throughout the season includes Suitcase Circus, which takes its audience into the chaotic world of a miniature circus, and Time for the Good Looking Boy, a tale of a young man from the South London estates.

Darren Grice, pictured, The Garage’s director, said the Tweet Seats were part of a range of ideas the venue was experimenting with to encourage young people to engage with and discover new theatre and performance.

Guide to new season

Curtain Up! kicks off today with Party Piece by Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre. The production is a tale of teenage excess as four young people explore friendship and the future, the morning after the night before.

On Monday, February 18 puppetry, music and mayhem arrive in the form of Suitcase Circus which takes its audiences into the wonderful world of a miniature circus which includes the world’s only acrobatic potato sack and a daredevil ski glove.

Time for the Good Looking Boy, which is at The Garage on Tuesday, February 19, is a poignant tale of a young man from South London with a story of a night to remember that has consequences he will never forget.

The show Wasted, by poet, playwright and rapper Kate Tempest, is at The Garage on Monday, February 25, and takes its audience on an electrifying journey through South London’s raves, cafes and parks as a group of twenty-somethings come to terms with adult life.

Whole, pictured right, on Friday, March 8, is a gritty, funny and uncompromising new play exploring love, sexuality, death and religion set to a scintillating live music soundtrack.

Bottleneck, on Monday, April 29, is a vibrant coming of age story about Greg, a 14-year-old boy set in the notorious Liverpool of the 1980s.

Tickets for all shows are £5 for under 25s and £7.50 for over 25s.

To book tickets call the Theatre Royal Norwich box office on 01603 630000 or visit www.thegarage.org.uk

“We want the experience of seeing a Curtain Up! show to be as easy and natural to young people as going to the cinema,” said Mr Grice.

“We therefore started a debate on Twitter about whether we should sell popcorn at some shows.”

Mr Grice said the popcorn debate led to one follower tweeting in the idea for the Tweet Seats.

“We were sent an article about Providence Performing Arts Centre in Rhode Island who have been trialling Tweet Seats for a while.

“It really seemed to fit what we are trying to achieve so we’ve decided to give it a go! We want ‘tweeters’ to share their experience with their followers so that they may also come along and try out a play.”

Young people aged 14 and over, and who have developed a strong following on Twitter can apply for the free Tweet Seats by tweeting @_TheGarage or emailing info@thegarage.org.uk

- The Garage’s Curtain Up! season starts today with the comedy Party Piece by the New Wolsey Theatre Young Associates and the season continues through the spring. £5 tickets for each of the shows are available to people who are under 25. Tickets cost £7.50 for people who are over 25.

For more details and to book tickets visit www.thegarage.org.uk

- Are you involved in a new arts project in Norwich? Call reporter Emma Knights on 01603 772428 or email emma.knights@archant.co.uk