Behind The Scenes: The View From The ONCE Tweet Seat!

In case you missed it, BWW:UK were invited to take up residency in the Once Tweet Seat last night (Tuesday September 16).

Not sure what a tweet seat is? Well, rest assured - they're not seats on general sale! It's the very occasional opportunity for an invited guest to sit in a place well shielded from the stage and the rest of the audience and send updates and pictures during the show.

As far as we know, Once is the only show to be offering this opportunity - and they've been keen to engage with social media from the outset. And of course there's a friendly and relaxed atmosphere in the theatre itself right from the start of the show, when audience members mingle on the stage with the cast.

So if you didn't see the tweets and pictures, here they all are...

Editor @carriesparkle is just on her way to @OnceMusicalLDN for tonight's #oncetweetseat! She'll be tweeting here from 6pm.

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

The idea is that she'll be in a special seat at the theatre, allowing her to tweet (hence #OnceTweetSeat).

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

She was rather concerned that tweeting from her seat might prove distracting but is assured nobody else will be able to see! #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Hello! @carriesparkle here. I'm at the Phoenix Theatre ready for #oncetweetseat pic.twitter.com/WN8mUNzBoG

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Backstage tour! Lots of screens #OnceTweetSeat pic.twitter.com/7nFYENoim8

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Instrumental warm-up now. I've just watched one of the (beautiful) guitars being re-strung #OnceTweetSeat pic.twitter.com/KbwTkagdwR

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

The collection of guitars have the varnish and wood worn away in places by the playing of @thedavidhunter and the other Guys #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

FINALLY met the lovely @thedavidhunter after tweeting with him for years! #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

I'm still a bit fretful about tweeting from inside a theatre, but @thedavidhunter has reassured me #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

AND just met @JillWinternitz finally! She guest-blogged for us when she was playing Baby in Dirty Dancing #oncetweetseat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

So here's my seat from where I'll be tweeting... #OnceTweetSeat pic.twitter.com/HFWwydgUD8

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

You'll notice there's nobody behind me, and I have my guest for the evening shielding me as well. #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Plus I'm using my tablet on low screen brightness, and it's in its case ready to flip down. Won't be intrusive :) #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

The house is now open! #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

I suspect it's not the first time some of these people have been here. They're heading straight to the on-stage bar #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Stalls filling up now. #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

"I don't want to be Bono." Fair enough assertion. Particularly this week. #itunes #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

I wish you could pay for things in real life with Mendelssohn #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

I do like the surtitles. Cleverly done. #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

"Never sing." "Ever." So brutal #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Interval! #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Might go and get another appropriately Irish drink now... #oncetweetseat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

I asked company manager Sue before the show if they'd ever had an in-show instrument crisis. She says no, not yet, touch wood #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Second act beginning! Automatically went to close down my tablet then... #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Brilliant staging of the city lights. So striking #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

What's Guy going to DO? #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Well, congrats to @thedavidhunter, @JillWinternitz and the cast of @OnceMusicalLDN ! Well deserved cheers #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Standing ovation and whooping in the stalls #OnceTweetSeat

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Thanks for having me, @OnceMusicalLDN ! @carriesparkle signing off from the #OnceTweetSeat !

- BroadwayWorld UK (@BroadwayWorldUK) September 16, 2014

Editor Carrie then took to her own Twitter account to post some personal reflections.

Interesting experience in the #oncetweetseat. I'm sure I was obscured enough for it not to be distracting to anyone else, but...

- Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) September 16, 2014

...I found it difficult to do during the show and had to remind myself to tweet! #OnceTweetSeat

- Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) September 16, 2014

Probably also worth noting that it seems to be people on Twitter who have an issue with #OnceTweetSeat , without seeing how it works.

- Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) September 16, 2014

Certainly Once aren't giving carte blanche to everyone to tweet and text and photograph throughout the show #OnceTweetSeat

- Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) September 16, 2014

But it's a nice way to offer an occasional different insight on the show via social media #OnceTweetSeat

- Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) September 16, 2014

Not saying it would work for every show, because obviously it wouldn't, and of course it has to be limited and controlled #OnceTweetSeat

- Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) September 16, 2014

Mostly, however. I think it's a cute idea and was glad to get the chance to report on a show in an innovative way. #OnceTweetSeat

- Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) September 16, 2014