Differences between West End Theatre and Broadway Theater

Broadway shows start 7 minutes late. West End shows generally start on time.
Broadway theatres have one entrance for all levels vs West End having different entrances for different sections.
Broadway tickets are all one standard size, West End tickets vary according to agency/venue.
Broadway audiences are generally more responsive and enthusiastic

Broadway you get free generic Playbills with just an centre insert for that production. West End you pay for a programme that is (mostly) production specific.

In my experience Broadway audiences have more late comers being seated during the performance. West End theatres will have you wait till a scene change or sometimes even interval before seating you if you arrive late.

Broadway audiences also applaud an actor's entrances and during the performance. West End audiences usually only applaud at the end of the act. ( except for musicals - they are a law unto themselves!)

It's not uncommon for Broadway theatres to only have two levels of seats. It's fairly unusual for a West End theatre to have fewe than three, and you're more likely to see four.

Plays on Broadway largely seem to be either UK transfers or vehicles for movie stars. There is not a lot of inbetween. The West End does see the occasional movie star, but we also see much more variety in reasons for a play to be taking up space in London's glittering West End.

The economic differences are huge - and fascinating. It seems like producers and investors have a lot more creative power and influence on broadway than they do over here.

This confused the hell out of me the first time I went to Broadway! Does anyone know if there is a logical reason that they do this rather than just having the numbers in sequential order? It just seems like its done to make things a challenge!

Stage doors are even more ridiculous in New York than they are for the megastar productions in London.

Well, yes and live there too! 😂

Don’t know if anyone else has noticed this? On Broadway the seats are lower. Which means if you are tall like me your knees will be above your bum, which causes great uncomfort in the knees, especially in the mezzanine.

The main difference between Broadway and the West End is that, at least in the case of musicals, Broadway is at the cutting edge of sophistication, innovation and artistic achievement. Whereas in comparison, the West End seems to correspond with low-brow shows that appeal to mass audiences. It's very interesting because people that aren't in theatre apply stereotypes to USA vs British culture and assume that the West End is more sophisticated, when it is the complete opposite.

Just want to elaborate on your first point, by doing a West End - Broadway comparison on seating.

West End              -             Broadway

Stalls                                  Orchestra 
Dress Circle                         Mezzanine 
Royal Circle                          Balcony
Balcony                               No Broadway Theatre has a 4th level

Child labor laws aren't as strict on Broadway. There were a few times when a Billy or a Matilda would do both the matinee and evening performance and the last Annie revival had one full time Annie and then a standby. On Broadway both Billy Elliot and Matilda only had one set of ballet girls and classmates respectively. The Broadway children also tend to get paid better then their West End counterparts but that is mainly because the AEA minimum pay rate is noticeably higher at just above $2,000 a week.

The price tag and lack of great deals for plays probably explains it but a MUCH less diverse audience than in London, i've always found. A lot of white middle class families in suits and dresses (even the kids)

It is getting better for some shows though, Dear Evan Hansen and Mean Girls etc, but it's still an issue.

In a West End theatre, it's likely that you have to go through the first double doors to get into a sort-of vestibule, then you go through the second double doors to get into the foyer. After that, you'll probably go through another door to get to a winding corridor, which will take you through at least one more door before you're in the auditorium itself (sometimes more depending on whether the bar is en route or off to the side). In a Broadway theatre, it's not uncommon for the first set of doors to deposit you straight in the foyer, and the second set of doors to open directly into the auditorium. Obviously some West End theatres are a little simpler and some Broadway theatres are a little more elaborate, but although my experience is somewhat limited, I've nonetheless been repeatedly surprised by the non-auditorium space in a Broadway theatre compared with the West End.

Me too. It's so much quicker and easier to get home after a show.