Time to say goodbye? Unclog these theatres!

Starlight Express and Guys and Dolls proved very successfully that not being in the West End is not a hindrance. People will travel outside the centre if they want to see a show. 

The Olympia is next to a London Overground station and only a short walk or bus from Hammersmith station. Not much of a hassle.

The problem is that, as knowledgeable and passionate as we are, we’re a minority yelling into a void. And with that we’re prone to become a little bit snooty about audiences. It’s partly market forces: if people are booking in huge numbers then it’s an act of mad self-sabotage to close a show (and as has already been said costs a lot of people a job). Furthermore if a lot of people are booking for something then it means a lot of people want to see it. No matter how terrible we may think it is, with our experience or knowledge etc… we are not gatekeepers and it would be unpardonable to demand something that people want to see close just because we don’t think it’s good art.

The argument that long-runners are blocking access to other, better shows is fair but seems to me a bit naive. Were, for example, Mamma Mia to close in favour of Shucked, I can’t be convinced for a second that enthusiastic theatregoers would simply happily book for Shucked instead. It also helps perpetuate the idea that a piece of work is only successful or artistically relevant if it has a run in The West End. Granted, it means that more people might see it but the extension of that argument is…long runners.

Unless you've never seen them before and want to experience the same thing that thousands/(millions?) of people have before for the first time. 

The District Line branch to Olympics only gets a limited service on weekends and whenever there is an event at Olympia. The vast majority of the services is from London Overground. 

Yep from Euston, Kings Cross/ St P, or from Claphm Junction direction - 15-mins either way.

I really enjoy the Mousetrap, there is a reason it’s still there

Surprised to see so many here campaigning for the demise of the shows that are essentially the backbone of the West End theatre industry. The shows that got many of us interested or employed in the industry in the first place. What do you think the alternatives would be? I suspect a lot of cheaply produced shows that would last 1 or 2 years max before being replaced by more of the same. Do we want a West End full of Mrs Doubtfires and Devil Wears Pradas that provide a sickly sweet hit for a year or two then fizzle out? Of course I want to see the development of new and interesting shows, but I do believe there is a place for all sorts in the West End. Big, long runners that please families, tourists, schools etc, a place for mainstream but new shows that run for a while, and a place for more artistic, experimental work. That is why London is so great, surely? We can have it all and we can choose what we see and support.

The long runners are the backbone of the theatre world. They keep so many people in employment in a challenging industry and are a perfect gateway for new generations of theatregoers, creatives, casts and crew.

Why would they do this though? Lion King makes literally millions for Disney. I read somewhere that it's made more money than literally any other entertainment product in history. They presumably have a good deal with the theatre owners and it seems to sell out all the time. I guess Wicked, Les Mis all have similar arrangements. What's in it for them to build a whole new specific 'event venue'? They are West End shows, part of the appeal for people is that they are in West End theatres, surrounded by restaurants, hotels and attractions and easy travel connections. I suspect if you stuck Lion King in the Wembley Troubadour or suchlike it wouldn't last long.

To play devil's advocate for a sec, long running musicals often give the impression that "this is what musicals are" to new audience members when they are a tiny snapshot of the smorgasbord out there. But these are the shows people come to first because they most familiar as a consequence of their longevity.

I have 3 male friends that first experience of West End theatre was separately Wicked with their partners. They hated it and presumed that all musicals are like this. It was not until I dragged them along to Mincemeat and Police Cops that their eyes were opened(!)

I don’t necessarily think musicals need to be old to make it on to ITV etc.

They just need to be big. And new shows get added into the TV repertoire if they are big.

Hamilton and Six are on telly a lot cos they are massive.

Sadly you’re never gonna excite the TV audience with small numbers from lesser known shows.

But people who are interested will have a gateway into MT and will be able to discover more under their own steam. As most of us have done!