According to sales figures, the number of people visiting the theatre in London has stayed consistent throughout the past couple of years, despite the recent recession.
Sales were expected to fall as more people would have less disposable income to spend on theatre tickets. However, according to a Producer in the West End, turn out has been “better than expected” with hit shows such as Mamma Mia! and We Will Rock You still attracting crowds of people.
“We are seeing packed out shows every week” one actress commented, “We are very happy to see people turning out despite the costs associated with going to the theatre. It is not just the price of the ticket, but the train and maybe even a meal out which needs to be paid for. We are also excited to see groups of students attending the shows.”
One technician said “I work on the stage lighting and theatre sound systems. I see the crowds of people coming in at the start of a night, and am still impressed with the level of turnout. At peak times, there are hundreds of people hoarding into the theatre. It is nice to see people wanting to spend their money and the popularity of the theatre is still strong. There is something very different with attending the theatre than simply sitting in and watching TV. One might be a cheaper option, but luckily, people are not deterred by this.”
Research shows even smaller performances are only seeing a slight dip in sales figures. “We have lowered our prices only a little,” says one Theatre Sales Director, “and we run certain promotions to see more people come in at off peak times, such as 2-4-1 or 50% off tickets, but all in all the turnout has been acceptable and encouraging.”