Over the last 30 years the headline cost of top price theatre ticket prices has more than quadrupled! 55 per cent of theatre-goers considering the cost prohibitive. This has led to some interesting headlines, but are they fair?
More recently the average price for a top price ticket has only risen by 8.5% in 5 years! And the average price paid to watch a West End hit show last year was under 30p per minute – that’s not bad considering you are paying for the actors, the stage crew, the orchestra, the front of house staff… not to mention all the work that went on even before the show opened.
The range of ticket prices in London’s West End is huge. “Face value” ranges from £15 to £67.50 but on top of that there are VIP seats costing up to £25 more… and bookings fees and delivery costs and restoration levies and postage and…
But there are also special offers, 2 for 1 deals, meal deals, group discounts, preview prices, school group discounts, early bird deals, accelerator rates, OAP rates, student rates, day rates, there was even a special £20.12 Olympic rate at one of the theatres to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic Games in 2012!
In a recent poll, London theatres were hauled up for a variety of sins – expensive drinks, lack of toilets, the behaviour of other members of the audience, uncomfortable seats… yet the biggest gripe was price.
Did you know that you could spend over £100 to see a West End show and that not 20 feet away from you will be someone who has only spent £30?
It is generally the producers of a show who decide on the seat prices. Of course they are guided by the theatre and their marketing company and ultimately by market forces, but initially it is their call.
A couple of years ago certain producers came up with the plan to ring fence the very best seats and sell them as VIP seats. The package sometimes included a programme and a drink but often just included the fabric on your seat. This meant that around £20 was magically added to the price of the top price tickets. Not a lot but, if you bought a pair of tickets through an authorised STAR ticket agent, with an ice cream, a programme and a small glass of wine at the interval you’ve just spent £250 on a night out and you may not even like the show!
So here are some tips to make buying your theatre ticket as easy on your pocket as possible and to make sure that your London theatre trip is as perfect as you can make it.
First don’t believe just one person – even me. Do your research! There’s the internet and you can always be old-fashioned and pick up the phone! The most important thing is to be flexible – the date, the show, the seats and the package all have an effect on the price. Of course sometimes there is nothing for it but to pay the man. Hopefully, by reading this book, you will know when that is likely to be the case and when it might just be worth that extra phone call!
If you just want to come to London and experience the magic of a West End show pick one of the older productions. The reason they have been going for a long time is that they are popular, the reason they are popular is that they are good, and even the most popular shows have deals available after a while. Don’t be drawn to see the latest big thing. If it really is that good it will be around for a while. The only exception to this is if it is a vehicle for a star. They will be on a specific contract and that will be that. For these shows get in quick, things will only get worse (unless of course they end up being rubbish which is another reason for not bothering with the latest “thing”).
If you can be flexible on date then try to avoid a Saturday. Everyone wants to go on a Saturday so the only way to get a discount on a Saturday is to book on the day (see Ticket Booths) and then you are not guaranteed to get anything!
Some shows would rather increase the value of the ticket rather than reduce the price to its patrons. So they get together with agents or restaurants or hotels or holiday companies to offer a package. These packages can cost no more than the ticket price but include extras – a pre-theatre meal, a programme, a tour or even overnight accommodation.
It is lovely to sit at the front of the theatre but the view can often be just as good from the cheaper seats further back. Do you really need to be so close that you can see the nostril hair of the young actor playing the lead quiver as he gets more and more emotional? This is where you need some knowledge. Yes, as you get further back some seats are “restricted view”, but by no means all are. YOU MUST ASK.
If you are talking to a reputable agent or the box office they must tell you before you buy the ticket if there are any viewing restrictions from the seat you are buying, but ultimately it is you who is going to sit there, so it is up to you to for the details.
Ask about the seats, the pros and cons of each place to sit – think about whether you need easy access or extra leg room? There are some great deals in the cheaper seats, but it is true – by going for the cheaper seats you could find yourself behind a pillar and closer to the toilets than the stage.
You can get your theatre tickets from several sources. Each have their own benefit.
The Box Office is always worth contacting for the proper cost of the tickets and an unbiased view of the tickets. They are not on commission and they know their theatre best. The people you end up talking to may not actually be at the theatre – they may be a ticket agent acting as the box office, but as long as you phoned them as the box office that is how they have to act.
Interestingly, apart from “day seats”, which some, but by no means all theatres offer, “deals” are not usually available from the theatre direct, but on the plus side, any fees they charge will be minimal. So even though you are getting the correct price it still may not be the cheapest. For Day Seats use google or twitter (#dayseats) to find out who is offering what and how early you have to get in line.
These come in all shapes and sizes. Agents can provide you with some of the best offers – but remember, check how “special” the deal is, price and position – it’s all about price and position! (See Exclusive Deals).Look out for the Society of Ticket Sellers and Retailers’ (STAR) badge which will will help you find a trustworthy one, but even amongst their members there is a wide variety of bookings fees.
A holiday company will help you book your tickets, accommodation, travel, pre-theatre meal and other tourist attractions. If you are short of time or you are not sure what you are doing then companies selling theatre packages (or theatre breaks) are a great way to get things organised. They will also have access to discounts (where they exist) on tickets, hotels and travel so if there is a saving to be had they will be able to pass that on to you
Again, look for the STAR badge on their booking pages. This will tell you that when they say “top price seats” they mean good seats, not just expensive seats and you will know that you are not getting a second rate ticket in its place.
Do you know how many Official Half Price Ticket Booths there are in Leicester Square? NONE! The famous Leicester Square half-price ticket booth run by the venerable Society of London Theatres (SOLT) which is what people are referring to when they speak of “the Official Half Price Ticket Booth” is actually called TKTS. It is a one story building set on its own in the pedestrian part of the south side of Leicester Square. It offers half price tickets and other discounts for shows on the day so if you don’t want to plan ahead, just turn up and see what they have available.
There are many other booths around Leicester Square, some claiming some form of official status. They may be lovely, honest, legal, people who really do have some great deals (I know several, personally, and they are and they do) but “Official”? Whilst travelling, I once worked for a company that claimed to sell 100% Australian orange juice – it was 100% Australian but it wasn’t 100% Orange juice!
That nice smiling man (or woman) in the hotel will also sell you tickets. He will use one or more of the afore-mentioned agents and take 10% from them (not from you). Yes you can tip him if you like but don’t imagine he is doing it out of the kindness of his heart!
This is the man standing by the box office in a dark mac: no he isn’t the producer, no he isn’t a poor jilted lover, no he isn’t an actor from the chorus line whose proud parents can’t now make it, he is a con man and he is wanting nothing more than to rip you off! Do not even own up to having a wallet!