Premium pricing was originally meant to be an offer in exchange for a premium experience: you bought a bit of privilege, whether it was a personalised ‘red coat’ usher to attend to your needs (LW Theatres), or a programme and access to private bar (ATG). But nowadays it has most become a mechanisms for ensuring that the best seats in the house — and some less good — are sold at the highest prices possible.
At least ATG and the producers of Cabaret that will play a reconfigured Playhouse in November starring Eddie Redmayne (pictured above) and Jessie Buckley are offering a bit more bang for your considerable buck with their £325 package that includes food and champagne.
But it is also driving a feeling that theatre is becoming ever more inaccessible to the masses. And in this case, it goes explicitly against the spirit of the show, too.
Yes, the show is going to be an event, for sure. But as a young director pointed out on my Twitter stream,
Michael Grandage’s company, from whom Jamie Lloyd took his lead, insisted on accessibility for its shows from the moment it was set up, making seats in all areas of the theatre — and not just in the remote balcony — available for an affordable £10.
I don’t actually have a problem with tickets that cost £325 — as long as there are also tickets available for £10 (and not just a handful of day seats held back for a lottery as balm to soothe the producers’ consciences). Whether a ticket is £100 or £325 puts it out of the reach of a lot of theatregoers; so let the people for whom £100 and £325 makes no difference help to subsidise the cheaper seats.
MY COLUMNS AND REVIEWS OF THE WEEK
- Sunday August 1
My column for today is here: https://shentonstage.com/that-was-the-week-that-was-july-25-31/
- Monday August 2
My column for today is here: https://shentonstage.com/august-2-update-latest-scheduled-new-returning-shows/
- Friday August 6
My column for today is here: https://shentonstage.com/august-6-friday-diary/
MY REVIEW COLUMNS OF THE WEEK:
- Two Character Play (Hampstead)/ John & Jen (Southwark Playhouse)
https://shentonstage.com/reviews-the-two-character-play-john-jen/
- Anything Goes (Barbican Theatre)/ Singin’ in the Rain (Sadler’s Wells)
https://shentonstage.com/anything-goes-singin-in-the-rain/
MY REVIEW TWEETS OF THE WEEK
- John & Jen (Southwark Playhouse):
- Anything Goes (Barbican Theatre)
- Benjamin Scheuer (Crazy Coqs):
- Wonderville (Palace Theatre)
- Pippin (Southwark Playhouse) — 4th visit (!)
OTHER REVIEW TWEETS OF THE WEEK
LONDON HEADLINES OF THE WEEK
REGIONAL/ TOURING AND FESTIVAL HEADLINES OF THE WEEK
BROADWAY HEADLINES OF THE WEEK
COVID NEWS TWEETS OF THE WEEK
THEATRE BIRTHDAYS OF THE WEEK
- SUN AUGUST 3
- MONDAY AUGUST 2
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- TUESDAY AUGUST 3
- WEDNESDAY AUGUST 4
- THURSDAY AUGUST 5
- FRIDAY AUGUST 6
- SATURDAY AUGUST 7
AND FINALLY, SOME FAVOURITE PERSONAL TWEETS OF THE WEEK