To think that West End shows are not all as overpriced as some on here say?

[Carla786]

I definitely think that people are being priced out by col and this is very unfair. But I also think some posts on here about how unaffordable West End theatre is are exaggerated.
The Globe offers standing room for as low as £5 or £6. OK, it's not ideal as most of us would rather sit down but it does at least mean a lot of Shakespeare & some others is affordable if you're prepared to stand.

Then as to West End musicals : I think an issue here is that pps who cite them as unaffordable are trying to take a whole family, 2-3 or maybe more kids, as well as them & DP. This will be a lot harder than going on your own or with one other person, especially if trying for an Xmas show (though booking in advance might slightly lessen). It does vary based on show too : the most popular will of course be more likely to be sky high.

COL has obviously increased a lot, but I also wonder how affordable West End was in the past for family trips. I was born early 2000s and my mum was able to get a lot of cheap tickets very high up just for me & her. As a child her family didn't really do musicals or plays. In the 70s-90s, were big shows a lot more affordable for family trips?

So I suppose I'd say that I agree prices are too high for a lot of families, and this is wrong : but I'd also caveat that I think there are lot more affordable options than some posts on here imply.

Oh no I don’t mean £300.

I had row D in Stalls seats to Stranger Things for £70. I loved being so close.

Being in the nosebleed seats for £30 is a waste of money to me.

I remember the opera glasses back in the eighties. They were located in front of you.

One reason I get stall seats today was because I hated being cramped and getting over-hot in the Gods when I was a teenager. The West End was an annual treat for us, even then.

Such a dismissive view. The experience is fine up there. The difference between a £30 and £70 seat is very, very little. I always buy tickets on the road where the price band changes.

We prefer to enjoy something more than just ‘fine’ though. 4 x £30 tickets is still £120 and to come away disappointed with the experience despite having spent that amount of money and the effort of going to London just isn’t worth it for us. It’s fine if you wouldn’t feel disappointed, we’re all different.

I’m not saying the high prices shouldn’t exist, I understand the shows need to make money. I’m just saying it’s unaffordable for many people.

But £30 per ticket is still cheaper than zoos, theme parks and other attractions (and it could rain).

The West End can’t help being in London. If I wanted to go to Alton Towers or Legoland I’d have to travel.

Depends on how you are interpreting fine. I mean - the view and experience are great, you don’t need to pay more.

I keep trying to get lottery seats for this!

I took dd years ago but want to go with DS - there’s a five year age gap but bigger maturity gap so it’s a few years since I originally went.

I remember enjoying it though!

Try the slip seats at the Lyric, when you’re actually sat in them you can’t see a thing!! My back was killing me after that - never again lol.

i always look at seat websites first. Though I sat on benches on the side of the ROH for £25 and had a great time.

So I remember when you could get some of the best seats at big musicals for around £40-£50 so still not super cheap, but so much more affordable than now (this was mid 00s) They have gone up to hundreds of pounds which is definitely more than inflation. I also think it’s particularly bad for families as I rarely seem to find cheap tickets for matinees. But equally there are almost no arts subsidies, and big musicals have to pay so many people with big casts, bands, specialist production etc etc I can see where it goes.

I think it’s personal choice!

My dd would definitely prefer to go to more things but have cheap seats.

I think they’re better for the young!!

(although to be fair I’ve no idea what age you are - I think I’m too old for anything involving benches now)

Definitely.

The worst for me was the cheap seats at Lord of the Rings musical in 2006 when I was a poor student.

The actors looked like ants we were so far up.

We go to a London show once a year, on average pay around £70 a ticket for not the best seats. That’s £280 for our family before the train, hotel etc. As pp have said shows like paddington can be up to £300+. That’s just ridiculous. I get it’s London but it’s a static show, not touring and with a long run. Those level of costs are just exploitative.

Costs in Birmingham and Manchester are getting bad. Again £70 average unless you are absolutely in the gods and shows like Hamilton when touring often have seats at £110/£130.

It’s awful if you’re scared of heights! I’m not thankfully but my DS is.

The cheapest seats I ever went for were for the Crucible at the Old Vic on the benches. Over ten years ago now. The view wasn’t great and you had to lean forward but it wasn’t so bad for the price.

I have done standing at the globe back when I was in my 20s too. Dd does it now!

I think the term 'overpriced' is quite loaded. If you look at a show with main cast, support cast, chorus artists, orchestra, technical crew, multiple costume changes (more staff), several complex sets, front of house staff, rent, West End business rates, director's salary, and the writer's % of the box office, plus all the other less obvious stuff - it's very expensive to produce.

I do think it’s more expensive than it was 30 years ago, but there are ways. I’m a teacher and managed to see a couple of shows for not too much mid-week this Easter break, not the big ones with famous names, but had a lovely time. I keep an eye on what’s on at the National Theatre because all the seats are good really and it’s super comfortable. Was at the Apollo a few weeks ago and that’s not a comfortable venue! My poor step father is 6’4 and was very uncomfortable.

For bigger shows I try to see regional shows, I’m near Southampton and The Mayflower is fantastic, and seats are a bit cheaper and not getting the train to London saves a fortune.

Im also a fan of NT cinema, they never seem well attended, but are a great way to see a performance for a fraction of the cost of going to London.

I appreciate your post as a whole acknowledges that a lot of cheaper workarounds have been mentioned on here.

But is this really justified by what's been said on this thread at least 'crap tickets for things they don't want to see.' : is this really the situation for most?

What people want to see is also subjective. One could argue that smaller shows like Operation Mincemeat (still quite expensive) or Hadestown are just as worth seeing as huge hits like Wicked or Les Mis.

I loved opera glasses when I was small! But I understand not taking kids if they really don't want the higher view. I don't think it's necessarily something children can't enjoy though.

The National Theatre still sell standing tickets, for the ridiculously cheap price of £5 each.

I don’t mean to be dismissive. I’m just saying I would prefer to go to fewer shows and pay for better seats (at the £70 each mark, not crazy prizes like £300) rather than go to lots of shows and pay £30 if I can’t see the cast.

As Gertrude says, it’s a personal preference as to how people spend their money.

I waited ages for London Theatre Week to get the half price stalls seat tickets (view attached) and really enjoyed it. I’ve also attached the cheapest tickets view which is also pretty good but not what I wanted.

Yes, my LotR ticket was £10 in 2006! This was my seat

Did she get a love of Shakespeare from you?

I do think with Paddington you have to factor in it only came out 6 months ago. New shows will usually be a lot more expensive.

A quick Google (need to check) said that Tickets start from £30 for upper circle band D or £40 for dress circle band C, with group discounts available.
Lottery Tickets: A monthly draw offers £35 tickets, with details at Paddington The Musical Official Website.
Premium Options: Premium seats, including front row options, are available on LOVEtheatre or directly Priceless for premium prices, £275-500.

So while the seats are expensive, the £300 seats are the top band, not the average price, and decent seats seem to be available much lower.

Yes, that's me as well.

@Carla786try getting the cheaper Paddington seats on weekends or school holidays - near impossible and the cheap seats are generally a couple of rows. If you are in the know as to when they come out etc I imagine you could do it but I’ve tried several times and only ever been 3 figure seats available.