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

Lots of things are shockingly expensive but in fact I don’t think this is shocking at all. Theatre is so terrifyingly expensive to run. They put in a big star to boost publicity and sales and a presumably small group of people decided they want to spend that amount of money for that experience.

I’m just looking back to three years ago when we went to see Dear England at the National for £20 each. An outrageous, wonderful, subsidised bargain. I love that there is everything you can ask for available in live performance here, from £500 for this no doubt unforgettable evening downwards in price but not in quality. I can’t even register this as anything other than positive.

I never go to London for any events. Prices are far cheaper in other tows/cities. The stars might not be there but I have seen a lot of musicals/drama for far less than Westend prices. Of course I can see the point of seeing certain actors but I am never concerned about that aspect. Matinees are often around £15 in other places.

"I would not pay to attend Hamilton if the tickets were £500" is there a reason to make a Mumsnet thread about it?

I wouldn't as well.

People make threads about all kinds of things, some of which I think are complete bollocks and ignore. You are free to do the same.

Yet you have made circa 27 posts on said thread…

@takeharry to be fair, you have chosen to cite as an example the most expensive seats at the most expensive West End show at the most expensive time of the year.

London has among the best, if not the best quality and range of shows in the world. It is not like average folk are tragically missing out on cultural capital because they can’t afford to spend 500 quid watching Hamilton.

There are absolutely loads of excellent shows, both in london and beyond at nowhere near that price. This summer, I’ve got tickets for Operation Mincemeat, Glengarry Glenross, a production of Medea in Cambridge, Cats at Regents Park theatre (God help me), Warhorse and Romeo and Juliet at our local stately home. I don’t think any of the tickets cost me more than about 60 quid There are loads of options out there, many excellent quality.

The RBO has announced it is to lay off 64 staff, including some compulsory redundancies.

There is definitely a shortage of funding for the arts.

I chose to cite that because I wanted to discuss that. I understand there are lots of options but the thread wasn’t about theatre pricing in general.

At this risk of adding fuel to the fire, if it’s a ticket specially to raise money for charity, could one offset it against one’s income tax making it ‘only’ cost 53% of £500 or indeed if one’s caught in the ‘losing your personal allowance’ bracket 38% of that. At £190 it’s a bargain ;)

They can charge that amount as people are paying it. There are lots of cheaper theatres to go to and offers to find. Just as there are exclusive jet set holidays or an overnight in a b and b

When you take the decent charity donation out, £235 is about standard for the best seats in the house in London, especially with star casting

Because you said the government should step in to prevent it. I also thought you weren't going to respond to me anyway.

I only did it to highlight the fact you think my thread is unnecessary yet can’t seem to stop posting on it. I found it quite funny. I have no intention of engaging with you regarding the subject of the thread again.

Even £235 is outrageous. And I have never heard of the so-called "star".

The last time I went to the theatre I took DS to the local panto which had Alf from Home and Away and Jet from Gladiators in it and the tickets were £20 or something like that. How can there be such a difference?

I mean, durr...

But some people will always value what you want at a higher value than you are willing to pay.

Welcome to capitalism.

Because no-one will pay 500 quid to watch Alf out of Home and Away in Aladdin at the Preston Guildhall and enough people will pay 500 quid to watch a bloke you've never heard of in Hamilton in the West End.

That "so called" star was one of the origins cast members, is a Tony award winner and is massive news for fans of the show. Just because you haven't heard of him...

And if it was that cast then it was about 30 years ago so you're a little out of touch. Costs have gone up - cast, staff, utility prices, stock prices.... but you can also still get £20 tickets to some shows, it just depends on the location and cast

This is a troll post, surely?

I honestly can’t think of anything I would want to see enough to pay that much 😲. Maybe a full ballet staging of The Rite of Spring with full orchestra 🤔.

I mean, Hamilton is ok, I’ve seen it, but £500 ok?!!! Nah. How good is this fella, will he make the production worth £425 more to me? I really can’t see that! And what is the charity that the £250 is for? Is it optional or mandatory?

I agree OP, it’s an obscene amount. And quite a lot of deprivation in that bit of London if you scratch behind the glass facades of Vic St sky scrapers. Smacks a bit ‘let them eat cake’ to my mind.

The issue with West End musicals also is that there are endless tourists prepared to see a show as part of their ‘London experience’ — musicals are easy because they don’t require much English, they’re as much spectacle as anything. Whereas they’re far less likely to attend a Carly Churchill play at the NT or Peer Gynt at the Almeida.

That "so called" star was one of the origins cast members, is a Tony award winner and is massive news for fans of the show. Just because you haven't heard of him...

He has also won an Emmy for his performance, and a Grammy for participating in the Hamilton album. Some of the most acclaimed performers of all time haven’t won three of the most prestigious entertainment awards. He won’t be working for the Equity minimum wage of a paltry £630 per week.

He's one away from the full EGOT, didn't realise that

But further adds he's not some nobody

It's called capitalism. If people are willing to pay, then clearly the price is not "outrageous". People pay similar prices for some football matches, or pop concers, so why not the theatre?
And let's not forget, this is an exception.....most theatre tickets are very reasonably priced.

Again nearly half of that money is for charity. So the people who can afford it and paying £500 are actually subsiding future tickets for people who can't afford to go.

You all say it's "obscene". Again, if you were selling your services and your business would you not want to be able to charge what you see fit?

The charity is mandatory as part of the £500 ticket. The cheaper tickets (which OP bought) are sold out.