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Post by Rory on Sept 24, 2021 11:54:48 GMT
Considering a lot of commercial theatre producers have had little to no income in the 18 months, I think they're entitled to charge whatever they like for their productions because the alternative is no theatre at all. Strongly disagree with you here, Jon. Yes times have been the toughest ever but this pricing is grossly distorted. David Pugh by contrast has very reasonable pricing at the Criterion. So it can be done. I was at a packed to the rafters Wyndham's yesterday afternoon for Leopoldstadt and the prices weren't in this league. Anyway these conversations go on and on but are the prices just going to sky rocket until we can all just afford to sit behind a pillar? May as well not bother.
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Post by londonpostie on Sept 24, 2021 11:59:23 GMT
I suspect there are different business models in play. This one is another smash-and-grab a la Amy Adams, etc; limited 14-week run, top names, notable play, etc - set some bottom line prices and let the dynamic algorithm do the rest.
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Sept 24, 2021 12:26:11 GMT
Considering a lot of commercial theatre producers have had little to no income in the 18 months, I think they're entitled to charge whatever they like for their productions because the alternative is no theatre at all. Plenty of other people have similarly been out of work though so most people can't afford it. The plan is obviously hope the names and limited time sells a bunch of tickets from people with fomo and then if that goes badly they can just have a bunch of deals to grab people's attention, but if they priced it appropriately it would no doubt sell in an instant much like Macbeth is doing.
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Post by Jon on Sept 24, 2021 12:30:50 GMT
Plenty of other people have similarly been out of work though so most people can't afford it. The plan is obviously hope the names and limited time sells a bunch of tickets from people with fomo and then if that goes badly they can just have a bunch of deals to grab people's attention, but if they priced it appropriately it would no doubt sell in an instant much like Macbeth is doing. It was never going to be priced like Macbeth as the Almeida is a subsidised venue and this is a commercial production. This sort of thing has been going on in commercial theatre for years and it's clear prices aren't going to come down anytime soon.
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Post by knowledge on Sept 24, 2021 13:24:01 GMT
Short run. World class creative team. Big name actors. Small theatre. Commercial production. Surely they are within their rights to charge whatever they want for the tickets. Basic supply and demand. 7 out of every 10 shows dont recoup. Why not make some money if you can. Sometimes it’s exasperating reading this forum. Especially as a professional. Please-we all really appreciate the passion and indeed the great knowledge of the members and your insights but please remember theatre producing is unbelievably risky. It can take 12 months of work to pull off rights/creative team/casting/investment/venue etc and of course most producers are looking to try and get 4 or 5 shows ‘off the ground’ whilst being thrilled if one out of every 5 actually comes together. This is a really good play. World class creative team. Top notch cast. Maybe let the investors and producers actually make money for a change.
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Sept 24, 2021 13:40:19 GMT
Short run. World class creative team. Big name actors. Small theatre. Commercial production. Surely they are within their rights to charge whatever they want for the tickets. Basic supply and demand. 7 out of every 10 shows dont recoup. Why not make some money if you can. Sometimes it’s exasperating reading this forum. Especially as a professional. Please-we all really appreciate the passion and indeed the great knowledge of the members and your insights but please remember theatre producing is unbelievably risky. It can take 12 months of work to pull off rights/creative team/casting/investment/venue etc and of course most producers are looking to try and get 4 or 5 shows ‘off the ground’ whilst being thrilled if one out of every 5 actually comes together. This is a really good play. World class creative team. Top notch cast. Maybe let the investors and producers actually make money for a change. I just think theatre should be accessible to everyone no matter how well-off you are and the fact that the second price band jumps up to £55 is actually ridiculous, commercial theatre or not. The theatre is small enough as it is and to have a measly 30 or so £20 seats and nothing else for less rich people is pricing people out of what should be an artform for everyone. I'm not gonna blame the producers entirely because they're doing what they have to do to make back the costs (although I still feel like surely there was some kind of middle ground to squeeze another price band in between £20 and £55), I guess I'm just more mad at how we've gotten to the point where this is necessary.
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Post by Jon on Sept 24, 2021 13:43:44 GMT
I love a good bargain but I have paid a fair whack for things like Ian McKellen and Fleabag because I knew those would be hot tickets and in the case of McKellen, he's a top talent worth paying for.
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Post by knowledge on Sept 24, 2021 14:09:14 GMT
Juicy Surely the market will decide if it’s ridiculous or not? If it sells every ticket (which it will) will they be proven right? Surely commercial theatre doesn't have to be accessible to ‘everyone’ just like prime 30 day aged fillet steak isn’t, or SKY TV or fancy trainers-thats why we have subsidised theatre which tax payers pay for. And I guess you also understand that they could charge £39.50 for those £20 seats but chose to make them £20-basically subsidising those tickets themselves-at the expense of the authors, creative team, cast, theatre owner, investors and themselves in a clear effort to make it more accessible-every though they have no commercial reason to do so. It’s basically giving money away in a bid to be affordable for those that have £20 and no more.
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Sept 24, 2021 14:26:05 GMT
Juicy Surely the market will decide if it’s ridiculous or not? If it sells every ticket (which it will) will they be proven right? Surely commercial theatre doesn't have to be accessible to ‘everyone’ just like prime 30 day aged fillet steak isn’t, or SKY TV or fancy trainers-thats why we have subsidised theatre which tax payers pay for. And I guess you also understand that they could charge £39.50 for those £20 seats but chose to make them £20-basically subsidising those tickets themselves-at the expense of the authors, creative team, cast, theatre owner, investors and themselves in a clear effort to make it more accessible-every though they have no commercial reason to do so. It’s basically giving money away in a bid to be affordable for those that have £20 and no more. Well I'm not such a fan of the market so I think we're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this one.
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Post by orchidman on Sept 24, 2021 15:18:40 GMT
The market will decide and I wouldn't be surprised if it decides this is over-priced, unless Taron Egerton is a bigger draw than I realise. Tickets for Amy Adams in one of the plays of the 20th century by one of the playwrights of the 20th century are hardly flying out the doors; this is Taron Egerton in a Mike Bartlett play at a similar pricing.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 24, 2021 15:29:38 GMT
Is ‘the market decides’ what led to prices for Broadway getting to the state they’re in now I wonder?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2021 16:43:55 GMT
I think Jonathan Bailey may almost be a bigger draw to be honest. Bridgerton is a phenomenon, with a pretty hard core following and the second season may well be out around the same time as this, or even before. Pretty sure it was due to be Christmas but I know there have been covid delays.
Plus casting two of the hottest up and coming actors will attract the gay crowd too.
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Post by shambles on Sept 24, 2021 18:35:36 GMT
The market will decide and I wouldn't be surprised if it decides this is over-priced, unless Taron Egerton is a bigger draw than I realise. Tickets for Amy Adams in one of the plays of the 20th century by one of the playwrights of the 20th century are hardly flying out the doors; this is Taron Egerton in a Mike Bartlett play at a similar pricing. I am quite shocked at the rate at which the Glass Menagerie tickets are going ( or not going ) . Is it because it is still quite a ways off? The prices are steep, but that didn't quite stop Cabaret. Amy Adams is just as big a draw.
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Post by marob on Sept 24, 2021 18:50:02 GMT
The market will decide and I wouldn't be surprised if it decides this is over-priced, unless Taron Egerton is a bigger draw than I realise. Tickets for Amy Adams in one of the plays of the 20th century by one of the playwrights of the 20th century are hardly flying out the doors; this is Taron Egerton in a Mike Bartlett play at a similar pricing. I am quite shocked at the rate at which the Glass Menagerie tickets are going ( or not going ) . Is it because it is still quite a ways off? The prices are steep, but that didn't quite stop Cabaret. Amy Adams is just as big a draw. Likewise, there’s still tickets available for Henry V starring Kit Harington. Considering how small the Donmar is I’d have thought that would sell out almost immediately, but obviously not.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 24, 2021 19:30:11 GMT
I am quite shocked at the rate at which the Glass Menagerie tickets are going ( or not going ) . Is it because it is still quite a ways off? The prices are steep, but that didn't quite stop Cabaret. Amy Adams is just as big a draw. Likewise, there’s still tickets available for Henry V starring Kit Harington. Considering how small the Donmar is I’d have thought that would sell out almost immediately, but obviously not. Kit is a weird one. Dr Faustus was selling well while GoT was being aired, but when he did True West during the two year hiatus of Game of Thrones it did not sell well at all. I'm sure that closer to the date the theatre will be fuller, but they were probably expecting him to be a bigger draw.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2021 6:48:40 GMT
Game of Thrones legacy was pretty much destroyed by its final season, and Kit hasn't had the exposure since that Richard Madden has for example.
Star casting is interesting, just because someone is in a high profile show or movie doesn't always translate to people wanting to see them in person. I wouldn't say Amy Adams is as big a deal amongst the wider UK public that will drive people to fork out the cash to see her. If it had been Kate Winslet it would probably be a different story
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Post by alece10 on Sept 25, 2021 7:16:20 GMT
I was following this thread yesterday and saw the comments about the high prices. It's not something that would interest me but thought I'd just look at the seating plan and just chose a random date. I saw lots of £20 and £50 seats available. Yes there are more expensive ones but every show now has a large amount of premium seats at well over £100. So not really sure what the fuss is about as there seems to be prices to suit all pockets. Also comments about Amy Adams. I'm going to show my age now as I had to Google her and I'm afraid I am none the wiser after reading about her. Haven't seen a single film she has been in and most I've never heard of.
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Post by viserys on Sept 25, 2021 8:33:51 GMT
Kit is a weird one. Dr Faustus was selling well while GoT was being aired, but when he did True West during the two year hiatus of Game of Thrones it did not sell well at all. I'm sure that closer to the date the theatre will be fuller, but they were probably expecting him to be a bigger draw. I think when it comes to people "off the telly" (or movies), for many people it's just wanting to see them in the flesh once. I never liked Kit much in GoT, but wasn't sure whether it was him as an actor or the role. So I was very pleased to see him live on stage in Dr Faustus. But once I had seen him, I didn't feel much desire to see him again. I still went to see True West, because it was him AND Johnny Flynn (who I also like) - if it had been either of them with a partner I don't care for, I hadn't bothered. I definitely don't feel any need to see Kit once more though, especially not in a done-to-death Shakespeare. Taron Egerton is a similar case, I've liked him in three very different movies (Eddie the Eagle, King's Men and Rocketman) and I am very keen on seeing him in the flesh on stage and am willing to shell out for it to a certain extent. He's definitely A-League enough for me to justify these prices and I think by making some seats available at £20, the producers have done enough to make it accessible. I wouldn't overestimate the appeal of Bridgerton. Did it really appeal to anyone above woke Gen Z'ers? I hated it with a passion - and before you jump me, no, not for the colourblind casting, but for the rubbish trite predictable Mills & Boon plot. The only one of that lot who I could see shift tickets on stage would be Regé-Jean Page who also had the good sense to jump ship after the first season. But if we go with the premise that the show has plenty of fans who'd want to shell out to see Jonathan Bailey, then this adds even more to justifying the price. There are literally dozens of plays available all over London, many for very low prices and/or at steep discounts. If you don't want to spend a lot on one out of all those, then it's your decision. And the people who moan here about prices seem to be in the theatre virtually every week, so that adds up a lot, too. Personally, I often don't see a theatre from inside for two or three months, so I do have money available for the occasional treat like this or Cabaret from good seats. So that's my choice - rather see fewer carefully picked things for more money than gobble something every week. This isn't meant to be judgy, btw, it's your choice, too, of course, but that's what I mean - it's about choices... see @kevin and Bonnie & Clyde, something you couldn't PAY me to sit through.
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Post by Jon on Sept 25, 2021 10:57:13 GMT
Taron is more the draw for me as this is his first play in over a decade.
In terms of pricing, it's a tricky balance. We all love a bargain but if all seats were sold at rock bottom pricing, we would't get the likes of Moulin Rouge and Anything Goes and I don't think the West End or theatre in general would survive with one man shows with limited sets.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2021 11:01:56 GMT
Yes bridgerton had a pretty wide appeal, mainly female but it appealed to a lot of age groups. I believe it is also Netflixs biggest ever shows in terms of viewership.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 25, 2021 11:30:48 GMT
Yes there are more expensive ones but every show now has a large amount of premium seats at well over £100. So not really sure what the fuss is about as there seems to be prices to suit all pockets Yes, there are £20 tickets and £50 tickets available for Cock. Everyone knows the cheaper you pay the more compromised the seat. But why would anyone willingly pay £50 when you aren’t actually guaranteed an unobstructed view or decent legroom? Why would anyone pay £20 for that? Or even a tenner? It’s the absolute definition of “not fit for purpose” and I can only think of the theatre industry that has the bare faced gall to charge people for seats that you can’t sit in, and which don’t give you a proper view of the very thing that your paying to see. It’s beyond ridiculous when you actually think about it, and yet people do it because they’re prepared to suffer it to see the show at an “affordable” price (not that £50 is that affordable). I’d rather never go to the theatre again than play that game.
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Post by TallPaul on Sept 25, 2021 12:17:49 GMT
At the Wolverhampton Grand, where School of Rock has been this week, they have 'listening only' seats. No word of a lie. And they want an extra £4 off you in booking fees. And you have to buy two of the damned things so as not to leave a single seat.
They're a bargain £19.50 each; the restricted view seats are £32.50, plus booking fee.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 25, 2021 12:37:03 GMT
At the Wolverhampton Grand, where School of Rock has been this week, they have 'listening only' seats. No word of a lie. And they want an extra £4 off you in booking fees. And you have to buy two of the damned things so as not to leave a single seat. They're a bargain £19.50 each; the restricted view seats are £32.50, plus booking fee. That’ll be a case of “the market decides” presumably. Well THIS market would tell them to Stick It To The Man, or somewhere else where the sun don’t shine ☀️ 😌
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Post by Marwood on Sept 25, 2021 12:39:58 GMT
I have been informed that both of the first two weekends matinee performances have been cancelled and so I have been moved to the evening performance on the day I booked, and also moved forward to a superior seat to the one I booked (green on Theatremonkey), so maybe the people putting this on aren’t exactly the money grabbing bunch of Dr Evils that are bringing about the death of theatre that you are making them out to be?
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Post by marob on Sept 25, 2021 15:11:07 GMT
I’ve said it before, and will no doubt say it again, but I wish the industry would move past the idea of endlessly refurbishing old West End theatres and start developing more modern spaces. Even the higher priced stalls seats have pretty poor views in a lot of these venues, but prices still continue to skyrocket.
When I saw Frozen I read ALW’s three page introduction in the programme, where one of the many things he praises about the Drury Lane refurb is the sight-lines. My view for the first part was ok, but then the two men in front swapped seats when they returned from the interval. With the slightly taller one directly in front of me I then spent the rest of the show peering round his head. I’d booked what should have been a really good front stalls seat, and I’m 6’1”, so it really shouldn’t have been an issue.
It certainly wasn’t an issue at the Barbican for Anything Goes, where the seat was in pretty much the same position in relation to the stage and the view was exceptional. (And it was cheaper.)
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Post by mrnutz on Sept 25, 2021 16:21:14 GMT
Put me in the outrageously priced camp for this one. Yes, seats may be available for £20 but if you can't see anything from them then what's the point?
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Post by Marwood on Sept 25, 2021 20:54:19 GMT
I have been informed that both of the first two weekends matinee performances have been cancelled and so I have been moved to the evening performance on the day I booked, and also moved forward to a superior seat to the one I booked (green on Theatremonkey), so maybe the people putting this on aren’t exactly the money grabbing bunch of Dr Evils that are bringing about the death of theatre that you are making them out to be? It went on sale yesterday. Clearly they cocked up and are owning the mistake. That has nothing to do with their pricing point. It was ‘only’ a £20 ticket, they could have told me it was being cancelled outright and to look again for a ticket but they went out of their way to offer me a superior seat: such a gesture is all too rare these days in the entertainment business and I appreciate that they have done this. Yes the theatre and concert industry is veering towards the ridiculously expensive but people have to just cope with that.
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Post by scarpia on Sept 26, 2021 12:11:44 GMT
I thought Parliament were supposed to be doing some kind of enquiry into rising theatre costs? What happened to that?
Inflation only can't account for the fact that the price of top-price seats in the early 2000s now give you only the worst of the restricted view seats in many West End houses.
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Post by noboiscout on Sept 26, 2021 13:22:46 GMT
I thought Parliament were supposed to be doing some kind of enquiry into rising theatre costs? What happened to that? Inflation only can't account for the fact that the price of top-price seats in the early 2000s now give you only the worst of the restricted view seats in many West End houses. I saw Shining City at Stratford Theatre Royal yesterday for £10 (standard price - row B). Not West End I know, but what a bargain. Tickets for The Music Man on Broadway are priced up to $699 plus booking fees. Cheapest ticket I could book for a play on Broadway for trip after Christmas (Chicken and Biscuits), £57. I agree West End prices have gone up considerably in the past 2-3 years, without any explanation. West End theatres seem to be pricing high and then reducing prices if sales aren't going to plan. But I still believe that they are good value compared to New York. Got 2 front row Upper Circle tickets for The Lion King at the Lyceum last week for £35 each, thanks to dynamic pricing.
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Post by eua78 on Sept 26, 2021 13:53:27 GMT
I thought Parliament were supposed to be doing some kind of enquiry into rising theatre costs? What happened to that? Inflation only can't account for the fact that the price of top-price seats in the early 2000s now give you only the worst of the restricted view seats in many West End houses. I saw Shining City at Stratford Theatre Royal yesterday for £10 (standard price - row B). Not West End I know, but what a bargain. Tickets for The Music Man on Broadway are priced up to $699 plus booking fees. Cheapest ticket I could book for a play on Broadway for trip after Christmas (Chicken and Biscuits), £57. I agree West End prices have gone up considerably in the past 2-3 years, without any explanation. West End theatres seem to be pricing high and then reducing prices if sales aren't going to plan. But I still believe that they are good value compared to New York. Got 2 front row Upper Circle tickets for The Lion King at the Lyceum last week for £35 each, thanks to dynamic pricing. Yep, I think it all depends on when and where you look. I got 2 Lion tickets in the Royal circle for sub £30 each a few weeks back, in comparison looking in a few weeks time they are well over £90. In comparison to Broadway, west end still costs considerably less.
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