Recent flops

Bend It did really well when it first came out, however in it's final months it sadly didn't do so well. 

Yeah totally agree! I really enjoyed Made in Dagenham.

I think it should've opened in a regional theatre or smaller thatre like playhouse of Phoenix. 

I think both of these were good, but I can see how they don't really have an audience, especially among the casual theatre goers or tourist market.

Yes, not a successful musical, and not even a musical really.

Got all the raves a show could want, that didn't stop from letting people in for £15, because no one wanted to see it.

I can't sing was a pretty big flop - unfortunately, I must say as I loved the show for what it was.

From what I hard from various people, in the first month or two Bend It did well, but there is no denying that in the end it was a flop. Wasn't a fan of I Can't Sing (The X Factor Musical), it could've been done so well, but didn't feel Harry Hills was the best writer for the show. Cynthia Eviro was great though!

There is generally very little public knowledge of Broadway theatre, and its success or otherwise, except amongst a very small number of people who follow it very closely (and many of whom seem to post on here). And of those select few who can recite a list of current and recent Broadway successes, only a small proportion will translate Broadway success into an indication that they might personally wish to see a show if it transfers here.

So, for example, I had never even heard the title of Hand to God before it was announced in London, and I'd take the mass appreciation of Broadway audiences as a personal recommendation to avoid a popular show, and my main assumption about any show featuring hand sock puppets would be that it would be foolish to sit further than a few metres away, which would rule out most of the seats in a West End theatre.

Yes it didn't do well at all. When I went we was upgraded to front row for nothing from upper circle. I'm glad I didn't pay for the money when I went, it was for a friends birthday, otherwise I would've thought I had wasted my money. The amount if empty seats was a lot and they literally asked yoy to come and watch.

The show just wasn't thought through. Story wasn't amazing and neither were the songs. Didn't feel like a west end show that much.

I've never been aversed to a floppy Beckham, personally.

The trouble with flops is some of our favourite shows can just happen to be flops. I loved Women on the Verge, Made in Dagenham, Henderson etc... its crap they all closed early but I still love them.

Saddest one for me was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, that didn't do so well. That show really deserved better.

I don't really know why Bend It extended. I saw it in month 2 on a Friday night and they sold me a ticket for £19 for middle of the dress circle.

This.

I was trying to write a response like this but didn't know how to put it best (and feeling I've said this at least once before).  I could say that I thought "Made in Dagenham" deserved to do better, that "Beckham" did not, etc. pp.  but each show will have its own fans and people who loathe it.  What I find really disheartening is that Matilda is the only musical recently that managed to run long enough to see some cast changes. Off the top of my head, we'e had From Here to Eternity, Stephen Ward, Made in Dagenham, I can't sing, Bend it like Beckham and now Mrs Henderson flopping more or less. 

The only bigger musical recently has has been doing reasonably well seems to be Kinky Boots. Which also disproves (my own) theory that people just don't care for movie adaptations as they seem to like this one, but didn't care for Stephen Ward, which was an original musical.

(I'm not including revivals like Gypsy or now Funny Girl, which are somewhat known commodities and thus find it easier to make people part with their money and the stars were/are absolute draws).

So, yes, we have a bunch of money-spinners that seem to be going on forever like Les Mis, Phantom and Lion King and otherwise jukebox musicals doing well (Beautiful and Sunny Afternoon are still around, Motown going strong...). I just find that disheartening overall.  Sure, it's not that different from Broadway, but it seems that there's a higher percentage of shows that at least manage what I'd call "decent runs" of 2-3 years before folding and often going on on tour. I can't blame producers for becoming more and more risk-averse but I dread the day the West End has become more or less a theme park for tourists with safe titles and jukebox shows.