Several years of year-on-year record-breaking business in the West End have defied the recessionary trend elsewhere and made the theatre feel not only immune to the prevailing economic winds but indeed has been often cited as providing a safe haven of relief for those affected by them. Where do you go when something extreme is predicted? A storm shelter, barricaded against the elements but with a community around you. But some people hunker down at home and hope to ride it out alone. And now it looks like the theatre may be seeing more of their audiences adopting the latter strategy.
Figures released by SOLT yesterday for the first quarter of this year reveal a sudden downturn in attendances and box office revenue at West End theatres over the same period the previous year: down a dramatic 10% in attendances, though that only translates into a 6% drop in revenue earned. That suggests, of course, that the 90% of tickets sold against last year’s figures are, at least, being sold at higher prices to offset some of the losses in bums on seats.
There could, of course, be many factors at play that have led to this result, and it’s impossible to draw conclusions based on one quarter only, but anecdotally I hear that the West End is deeply worried. Everyone I talk to speaks of empty houses and struggling shows.
Part of it is no doubt product-related; some new shows are simply failing to capture the attention of the public, like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg that closes at the Gielgud this weekend. No doubt the critics will partly be held to blame; it got mostly negative reviews. But even Betty Blue Eyes, which by contrast opened to mostly rave reviews in April, has failed so far to catch on, with bulletin boards reporting that the upper circle and balcony levels are regularly shut. And where older shows are starting to lose their box office luster, could it simply be that they are finally reaching the end of their life cycle? People have seen them already, and some of them have been clogging up prime West End houses for too long now.
But could part of the problem with the West End’s fall in attendance be that price resistance is finally starting to show? Thanks to the dramatic rise in premium pricing that have seen tickets now on sale through box offices — not the touts — for £85 and more, a perception is being created that the West End is for rich folk only. Of course that’s not the reality and there are lots of cheaper tickets available; but when, as I reported here just last week, the producers of the forthcoming Ghost have marked up all the best seat locations identified by Theatremonkey as premium seats, the general public is specifically being excluded from getting them unless they pay top dollar.
There are, without doubt, cheaper ways to get entertained; I don’t know of better ways myself, of course, but then I would say that — I have a vested interest in ensuring the continuing vitality of the theatre. But now that audiences are not so much ticket buyers as small-time investors, like all investors you want to see a return on your capital; and ever-increasing prices mean that audiences need rewarding with an experience that is equal to the time and money they have put into it.
Audiences, again like investors, have duly become risk-averse; they need to know that their money will be well spent. No one, of course, can guarantee that everyone will have a good time; but instead of rewarding audiences for their loyalty, at least, producers and theatreowners are treating them as commodities to be drained of every last penny, from those premium ticket prices to iniquitous booking fees. In short, if there’s a way to charge the customer for something, you charge them. No doubt there’ll soon be a charge for visiting the toilet. As Bette Midler once remarked about being asked for a fee to pee in Paris, “but I did it all myself!” Actually, there is already a charge for this; lots of theatres now charge unavoidable restoration fees.
Perhaps the main issue is a wider one - that the economic downturn is still around. In fact economists predicted in January that it would get worse for many of us, this year at least. The rise in inflation to 4.5% and the hike in food and other prices mean that people have less disposable income now than ever. 15 years of credit-fuelled spending are well and truly over. Undoubtedly some ticket prices are too high. Maybe this is the right time to bring them back down to earth.
I have also said - that the West End isn't for British theatre-goers by that I mean, majority of sales get bought by tourists who whilst in London want to see 1 or 2 shows. Now if I was paying a lot of money for a ticket for a show on the basis of being in the country for a few days, my money would go on something that I have heard of and know that its a relative safe bet. Umbrellas of Cherbourg (niche shows) Betty Blue Eyes - why not just keep the title A Private Function, more people will have heard of that, I think the only new musical that will have legs over the next year will be Ghost the Musical - a story most generations have heard of.
It also opens up the question of why producers think a show has to be in The West End, take Love Story for example high plaudits from almost everyone who saw the show, either in Chichester or in Town...but it wasn't a show suitable for The West End, it could have toured very happily for a year playing to packed houses in regional theatres, yet somehow blinkers have started to tarnish some sensible decisions during very difficult times...saying that I do appaluad the producers willing to take some risks and to try and change the face/trend of Jukebox musicals and standard fayre.
I think the key to these figures is the fact that Easter is in the second quarter this year and a few of the big houses had dark periods between shows during Q1. For example, Drury Lane was dark after Oliver and before Shrek and that's a lot of tickets not on sale every night.
Also, I can't recall the exact figures, but it's certainly not true to say that the majority of West End sales are to tourists. The domestic market is still a very large segment - and from memory far more significant than the overseas market. I think the overseas market accounts for less than 30% of ticket sales.
I hope this at last a kick in the pants to greedy Producers
who thought they were immune to the overwhelming austerity grasping us all.Again you raise some very pertinent points, including the cheeky "Restoration" levys.It's like a cafe charging a customer an extra 10p on a coffee for upkeep covenants.
Except it's a bit more than 10p. Restoration fees are a way, in regional theatre, of theatre managements screwing more out of the deal. What is agreed as a 75/25 split with a promoter starts to look like 70/30 once the non-shared extras are loaded on. Small promoters are hit hard by this but they don't have a say. And it's all at the expense of the paying customer of course. It's short-sighted because audiences will eventually rebel, it will put small touring managements out of business and venues will go dark for periods when they don't have big shows. It really is something the big theatre chain/s need to think about.
@TheatreLover
Yes it's 75p upwards to about a £1 I think - I was making a comparison and lowered it pro-rata as it was a £2 cup of coffee.(perhaps %age wise 10p was too much!)The gist was there!
The thing is booking fees + "restoration fees" are generally much higher than £1. You can pay an extra £5 easily. Now, on a £50 ticket that's less noticeable but on a £15 ticket it's 33%. 10p is neither here nor there on a cup of coffee. Hidden taxes on theatre tickets are outrageous and only benefit the venue management (and not the promoter).
You've pointed up the two crucial elements to this. a) the tickets are too expensive. and b) the shows are of wildly erratic quality. YOu wouldn't mind parting with the cash if you knew you weren't in danger of being let down - and as Richard Eyre once said "an £80 pair of shoes won't let you down." I've just seen so much West End rubbish that frankly I'm not willing to risk chucking the money away. National Theatre Travelex is risktaking but cheap - this is the only way to go
It is really very simple: people are staying away because there is nothing much to see. I love musicals, I have done all of my life (I am 68) and I am fortunate enough to have a daughter, Celine, who is a major musical star here in Holland.
But-give me a free theatre token for any show in the West End at the moment and the fact is I would not know where to use it. There are no great,"break-out" or "event" shows in town (The same applies to Broadway too alas) Cameron Mackintosh has lost the plot (A show about a PIG?! - Sorry, "Hamlet"-no offence) and ALW is running amok trying to sell two flops "Love Never Dies" and "Shrek" (after 3/4 movies and a tv special are we not "outShreked?!!) to say nothing of a demented version of the "Wizard of Oz" (Have you heard that horrible noise he composed for "Red Shoes Blues"? And no, I don't want to see/hear yet another musical version of a movie hit- "Ghost"- I fear it will not be long before we get "Avatar- the musical" at this rate.
The fact is that we live in mediocre times and it is hardly surprising that-devoid of any great or even semi-great composers- the musical form like so much else should be suffering as a result. Meanwhile,the crazy prices being demanded by producers to see/hear this mediocracy is finally being felt in theatreland. I am afraid that all one can do is grit ones teeth and hang on until better times arrive. Meanwhile, I am staying home with my old,great original cast albums....
I think there is cause to be optimistic. Average seat prices up, but as someone has pointed out, the first quarter saw several very large theatres dark, and at least one surprise turkey (Umbrellas) to dent the attendance figures.
I'm sure Betty Blue Eyes will eventually find her feet and start to pull in the punters after a little trimming here and there, and maybe it is time to bring down the curtain on some of the old war horses and send them touring.
Without new product this industry we all love will be dead on its feet. New work is needed to fill the theatres (and lord knows, there's no lack of it out there) and bring in old faces to see fresh shows, and probably more importantly fresh faces to see new shows. It's only, after all, by building a market and an audience today that there will be any sort of business for tomorrow.
I was making a point -that I think Theatrelover has totally misunderstood - that IF a humble cafe proprietor decided to "Add" 10p on a cup of coffee for "Building upkeep" and informed his punters accordingly then there would be a bit of consternation.I KNOW 10p is not as much as a £1 restoration levy but pro-rata and as an example only-it's just as bad.
TheatreLover has now got it. You're right, coffee drinkers wouldn't buy the "restoration fee" scam the way theatregoers do. "We need new chairs in the cafe" isn't a line they'd fall for, yet they do if it's a theatre. Extraordinary!
The shaftesbury, drury lane and Palladium being dark for some of that period would account for some of the drop, 3 of the bigger houses not having seats to sell in the same period is going to affect the year on year comparison.
That said I struggled to fill my show slots for my febuary trip, mostly as all the plays I wanted to see had the same matinee, so I ended up seeing a film one afternoon instead of going to the theatre, unknown for me usually when I have the choice.
To all complaining about booking fee and/or restoration levy and blaming the producers for this: Those fees are imposed on the producer by the theatre-owners and/or ticket agents. Furthermore, the box office will take a fee on the inside of the ticketprice, just as many resellers (SEE, Ticketmaster, Lastminute.com) do. The rise in ticket prices is largely due to these increasing fees.
Premium seating however is another matter. Knowning that some people just 'want the best seats in the house' they will sell some. If they don't they'll discount them. On weekdays TKTS always has Les Miz's premium tickets for 39 pounds.
Beside the few premium tickets, prices haven't risen that much over the last 2 years.
People tend to 'shop around' a lot more than they used to. More people are buying discounted tickets and/or special offers that include a discounted ticket.
Compared to Europe and the USA, seeing a show in London is quite cheap.
On economics: Most of us haven't felt anything of the crisis yet. We are now at the point where we have make dramatic cuts. Now is when the theatre business will start to feel the pain as well.
On new shows: Producers want minimum risk. If a show is has recouped and covers it's weekly running costs and/or make a bit of profit, why close it?
The dark theatres do account for some of the fall in attendances, not for all of it though, if you calculate it relatively. (You need last years figures for that.)
A and Betty Blue Eyes is the worst piece of musical theatre I have ever seen. It would be a first though if Mackintosh gave up on a show. Remember Martin Guerre and Witches of Eastwick?
Overseas visitors account for only a small percentage of attendances, according to SOLT and Ipsos Mori's 'The West End Theatre Audience' report of March 2010. I believe it was well under 20%.
If the west end really wants to survive then they should get rid of the 0845/0844 number rip-off.
I am a "friend" of the Donmar and have been for many years. I pay £175+ for the privilege .The box office used to be 0207 numbers last year they changed to the ATG box office with 0844 numbers. A couple of weeks ago, I bought tickets for the new season , all 3 shows. Yesterday I got my phone bill... the cost of phoning up, being told try again later, and eventually getting through for the tickets on my land-line was a staggering £20.. Yes that’s £20.00; that’s the price of two Monday night tickets at the Royal Court. Nothing unusual you might say, that’s the west end for you. But the Donmar gets an Arts Grant; The Donmar's Mission is "Great Theatre at affordable prices". Sounds a bit hollow when they employ budget airline shafting techniques to the patrons who are "so important to us" If this carries on my long association with the Donmar will have to be reviewed, since they will become too expensive