Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre 2023/24

So the issue with ticket prices comes around time and time again. Not much to add other than what I always say - the way this has played out is London industry standard so it's very much a London theatre thing rather than Sunset producers this, Sunset producers that, Sunset producers the other.

In fact it's been a perfect example of how dynamic pricing works these days. Booking opens with modal price £87.50 (West End standard really). Booking potters along. Big release of cheap key worker seats to get some more bums on seats. Prices come down for Mondays which are selling less well. Opens at about 80-90% full. Some daily and advance downward dynamic pricing to fill. Bookings get stronger and stronger. Modal price starts shifting upwards with £87.50 going to £125 then to £140. Eventually so little left and they all end up the premium £265 ish.

Whatever people think of the morals of this system - it is classic of how London pricing responds to supply and demand now. And almost everyone is doing it (even people that state they don't wish to do it like the guy who produced Shirley Valentine, end up with ATG doing it anyway!)

I'd say the bigger issue than the very small about of people having to pay over the odds at the end of the run is the much bigger pool of people who simply can't see it due to the fact there are no tickets available. It's sold out. (Over the course of the run the % of patrons who had to pay top whack to get the last few tickets in the last few weeks is tiny).

(I sympathise with not being able to book in advance. I work shifts and often don't get my rota until near the time. Constantly having to take risks in booking and then changing tickets when can't make it. With this I loved it so just booked plenty at the start. Anyone who's watched bookings for this could see it was heading to sell out and extortionate prices. I appreciate the average booker doesn't follow these things)

And the point about all the people who now can't see it cos it's sold out - call be a broken record - leads me to wish there was another season here rather than the obsession of going straight to Broadway where it may or may not sell.....

Yes I totally agree with you, I also wouldn't want the show to overstay it's welcome and become incrementally less special month by month, cast change by cast change (if they could even think of a cast change).

But equally I just don't feel as though it's done yet. And another 3 or 4 month run would satisfy those still desperate to see it whilst maintaining it as a special moment in time. A bit like Follies did at The National. 

Dynamic pricing is not widely understood by the British public - I don't know how it is in the US? But the system has been introduced by stealth almost, and I think most people are completely unaware of how it works and how not to "fall foul" of it.

Thats a great way to explain it but whilst the general public ‘get it’ when it comes to flights, hotels etc, I don’t think many realise it’s used for theatre tickets too, so are unknowingly falling victim to (or of course benefiting from!) it.

A ticket for tonight is on the noticeboard for tonight.
Dress Circle Row E.
Downside is you will be sitting next to me and its NOT £295.
If you are around and want to go give me a show as I would love someone to have it.

Exactly. It’s just supply & demand. They’d be fools not to. No point clutching pearls if you slept on buying tickets.

How unfortunate! I recall a couple of posters mentioning something similar happening earlier in the run. I've seen the show a few times and in the most recent visit last week the picture froze a couple of times in the early part of the title song. It was only very brief each time but certainly enough to give me a scare! In an earlier visit, it blacked out for maybe 30 seconds in one of the Joe/Betty scenes in the second half when they were both off stage.

I suppose there is always a risk of something like this happening when live filming is used so extensively. To a degree I think it's what makes each individual performance feel so fresh and exciting - you literally don't know if it could all go pear shaped! Thankfully these technical glitches do seem to be very rare but, as you say, you'd still feel really disappointed if it happened during your show, especially if it was your first and only visit.

Music box, this is one of my bug bears. People seem to be enjoying the performance SO MUCH that instead of listening to the actual highlight of the song they’d rather clap or even worse scream over the top of it and ruin it for themselves and everyone else. Absolute stupid attention seeking behaviour. Filth.

I would offer an argument in addition to “it’s a business” which is, no one is being forced to actually pay that amount. People make it sound like the producers are coercing people to buy tickets. Very different than the c**k situation where the producers not only charged large amounts but shamelessly stole money from people expecting to see Taron as was advertised.

I very much agree with this.

Think I said it upthread, but these 250 quid tickets popped up when there's like 10 tickets or so left. The 140 ones when there were 50 or so left. It's like under 5% of the house. Even tonight and onwards, MOST people in will have bought their tickets for 90 quid and under. So yeah, I do think it's different to C**k (can we write out that word without **s lol?) where most people did have to pay an inflated price. (Although equally they choose to do so).

alece10 was trying to do a deal to sell his spare ticket for last night show to a stranger and we haven't seen him post since.....
Is it 24 hours before burlybear can advise the authorities?