To think these theatre prices are outrageous?

[takeharry]

Currently looking at HAMILTON tickets, now I understand they have a ‘star’ casting in Leslie Odom Jr, original broadway cast but FIVE HUNDRED fucking pounds? For one ticket?

There are a few £250/£275 tickets left but the vast majority left are £500.

AIBU to think there should be some sort of regulatory body to prevent this kind of bullshit pricing?

£1k for a couple to have an evening at the theatre

I think it it because of Leslie Odom Jr. Hamilton tickets are not usually that high and he had just done another broadway stint back in Hamilton and the prices were between $700 and $1000 a ticket when I looked as we were there at the time.

People will be willing to pay because of who he is in relation to Hamilton and thats what they are going to watch. He is doing a solo show and his tickets are no where near that price or sold out. I guess people know him best for Hamilton and are prepared to pay the hefty uplift to watch him in it. Personally, I am not. Even though I am frequent the theatre on a regular basis. The price difference in tickets from theatre to theatre and show to show, and to a certain extent - whos in it, does annoy me but theres not much that can of will be done if the theatre is filling up at those prices every night.

I went last night to a touring show where the main performer is a west end star and was sad to see the theatre only half full despite the prices of tickets being £50 or less. It was a wonderful show too.

Don’t you think that some of the ticket costs is going towards paying its huge star?

Obviously I know that. Yes.

You absolutely cannot see it from my perspective. You haven’t listened to a thing I have said, you have been rude and patronising and you are still going. I won’t be engaging with you any further.

What part of 'the provinces' don't you understand?

I've been to quite a number of shows in London and I don't think I've ever paid more than £35 a ticket. But we're always way up in the gods. Of course the best seats are much more expensive. I certainly wouldn't pay £500 but I guess some people will.

Google tells me:
Staging a new West End musical typically costs between £5 million and £15 million, while plays cost between £1 million and £3 million. Weekly running costs can exceed £300,000, and up to 80% of new productions fail to recoup their initial investment

I do absolutely get your point @takeharry - £500 is outrageous on the face of it but people will pay it if they personally think it's worth it.

DP & I recently went to go and see Cynthia Erivo in Dracula and paid £130 each for seats towards the rear stalls. I baulked at the price but decided to go ahead anyway as a) we had the money as it was a holiday treat & b) it was a unique experience on a short run - like blink and you've missed it thing. We went to a cheaper show the night before at 'only' £40 each but the month before I went to see High Noon at the Harold Pinter with my DS and paid £100 per seat for the very decent view & worth every penny. We paid over £75 each to see Witness For The Prosecution at County Hall and although a good show, you're paying for the location but I felt that it was overpriced.
The fact is that it's expensive to run these shows at all when you factor in production, wages, design, venue hire and restoration costs. Bringing up kids meant that we were short of cash so I relied upon things like kid's week promotions and sales and could often only afford the balcony seats. As money became more available as the kids became adults we bought better seats but in those early days of the cheap (deeply uncomfortable) seats the kids got a love of theatre.

Now would I pay £500 to see Hamilton with an original cast member? Probably not but then again I will pay more to see something unique like Dracula.
Incidentally, the top price seats for Dracula was £275 which I couldn't justify paying BUT an hour before doors opened we were randomly upgraded to top seats because they were unsold that night (slow Wednesday). So basically we paid half price for top seats because they didn't want to have a gap in Cynthia Erivo's eyeline - we were thrilled and so grateful.
I have to say that Hamilton came on tour to our city last year and the prices started at £85! We didn't go.

The £500 are special charity tickets, £250 goes to the charity. Sort of thing a wealthy person/corporation would want to support.

If you want to go then just go on a night that he isn’t there?

I think that was the OPs entire point?

You are immeasurably rude. Telling people they need to learn about economics? You need to learn about manners.

Normal prices….

I'm with you OP, that's crazy pricing, especially if there are two of you going I would never pay that much and would just wait until someone less famous was in it.

Because LOJ is not scheduled that day.

Op that is very steep agree. I know people like to get out but thats too much

I have never heard of it, so was asking what it meant, I guess that means all of it?

So what’s the answer? Demand Leslie Odom Jr takes a lesser wage just so more people who can only afford tickets costing, say, £300 or less can go? No, that’s not how business works.

It's all relative anyway. We are going to see Kenneth Branagh, Helen Hunt, Alfred Enoch and <gasp> Bill Pullman at the RSC on Friday. £34 tickets.

I just want to tell someone haha! but what I mean is, there are all kinds of prices. Thank goodness someone will pay top dollar for sone shows.

I don’t know if anyone else has said this but I’m fairly certain that the £500 tickets are half ticket half charity donation. So while yes, you need to be able to afford £500 for 1 ticket (which is kinda insane) £250 of that is going to charity.

I’m going tomorrow (definitely not for £500 each) and can’t wait. I don’t think I paid much of a premium for our stalls seats for LOJ.

why is it "ridiculous"?

Because you don't want to spend that amount? Then.. don't?
you didn't anyway 😂

It's not an essential, it's a luxury, there's nothing "ridiculous" of something having a premium price.

Why do you think luxury items should become cheap exactly?

It means anywhere outside London @takeharry

Theatre is often cheaper in provincial cities. We regularly see great shows for aboit £30-50 in Nottingham. Less choice tho obvs.

Totally agree with you OP. The prices are insane.

And do many people are here will jump on you for that. It's nearly as ridiculous as the theatre ticket prices. Id be more pissed off if there was a £250 charity donation built in tbh. I detest being arm twisted in making donations to things I don't choose

No you don't understand supply and demand.

If there enough people like you who think £500 is too expensive, the demand is not there and the price will come down. I wouldn't pay £500 either but that's neither here nor there, there are clearly others who would. Theatre tickets are a finite product. They can't just add more seats or expand the theatre.

Then just don’t buy the tickets?

Nobody is being forced into buying theatre tickets or making charity donations.

That's would get on my wick more

All I can say is - don’t go to London then? Go and see a local show. My am-drams group has regularly been lauded as the closest thing to London without actually being there. We charge £19 a ticket to see our current show, and I promise it’s just as good.