The many faces of Pete Cliff

[Rob]

Unfortunately Bravo was subjected to Marketing's view of entertainment needing to have an immediate impact and also being educational or allowing guests to have something taken from it.

Frankly it should be considered criminal that the band have been scrapped as they were easily one of the best forms of entertainment last year and would have easily continued to entertain this year also.

If true that is shocking. Do they (marketing) have no idea of what entertainment actially is? I'd love to know how they think the pirate show for example has an "immediate impact" or is "educational and/or allows guests to take something from it". Sounds like more complete tosh like how all Merlin rides need to have a "killer image" and "compelling proposition". The Bravo band looked fantastic from the videos I saw and is the type of entertainment we need to see more of. Really helps improve the atmsophere on park.

 

[James]

To be honest it just sounds like a cover up by certain staff that personally don't like ideas by the ents team.

Bravo was pretty popular last summer and guests seemed to really enjoy it. You only have to look at the YouTube videos to see the crowds that gathered around the show.

 

[Imagination]

Yeah, Bravo was extremely popular. It was on the more expensive side in terms of street entertainment, but damn was it good in-terms of capturing that "Alton Towers" feel.

Marketing have always pushed "We liken our image to Tim Burton's Willy Wonka" rah rah rah...yet weirdly I feel the personality of this street theatre had elements of Willy Wonka in it.

 

[TheMan]

We need to encourage a rebellion lol!!

Rogue entertainment crews performing illegitimate acts of actual entertainment around the resort in protest at the rigid and turgid attitude towards actually creating happiness for guests

 

[delta79]

How about a TST flash mob. I know the song that should be used 'Marketing killed the entertainment star'

 

[MattyH]

Good luck with that one...

 

[djtruefitt]

I think it was extremely expensive to do! As they were all external people. I imagine that was also a bit reason why it didn't return. I'm sure they could hire their own ents team to do it all season and it could work out cheaper.

 

[James]

Surly cost would have been a bigger opportunity to create something similar in house and expand the talents of the ents department. Not like they would have to hire the guys from last year again, just cast people that can play instruments/perform and make them all year round ents staff. It's cheaper and offers something that ents could use in years to follow.

 

[delta79]

The question is does he have the budget to create the entertains team he want. He has a cracking little team at the moment, however a few more cracking members of the team could make it second only to Disney.

 

[thefatone]

Surly cost would have been a bigger opportunity to create something similar in house and expand the talents of the ents department. Not like they would have to hire the guys from last year again, just cast people that can play instruments/perform and make them all year round ents staff. It's cheaper and offers something that ents could use in years to follow.

They've expanded other offerings.. and don't forget CBeebies Land is almost purely entertainments too. Maybe, just maybe, they were busy on other things like doubling the size of their full time dept!

 

[TheMan]

They've expanded other offerings.. and don't forget CBeebies Land is almost purely entertainments too. Maybe, just maybe, they were busy on other things like doubling the size of their full time dept!

Despite my reservations, in that regard I think you make a good point, but how much extra revenue generated vs. costs would give a more accurate depiction of the validity of your point.

 

[thefatone]

Regardless of the revenue creation - it's difficult to double departments and ensure they still run efficiently or smoothly. You need to grow things slowly, so over the seasons then I'd expect more and more from Ents, not just suddenly one year.

 

[TheMan]

Regardless of the revenue creation - it's difficult to double departments and ensure they still run efficiently or smoothly. You need to grow things slowly, so over the seasons then I'd expect more and more from Ents, not just suddenly one year.

No, but we were only talking about a 4 piece band that's already been used to be fair, not the Alton Towers Symphony Orchestra.