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Entertainment News Desk
Rising ticket prices at West End theatres are threatening one of London's showpiece sectors with more young people prefering to spend their money on other activities, the actor and director Kevin Spacey has warned. Going to the theatre for a West End play can cost £50 on average and £60 for a musical, around £20 more than a decade ago. The introduction of premium seats has raised the price up to £95.
Kevin Spacey, the artistic director at the Old Vic, a theatre located close to Waterloo Station, has harshly criticised high ticket prices. The Oscar-winning Hollywood star considers that going to the theatre has become unaffordable, especially for young people, who “are going to buy iPads, save the money or do something else”, he said.
The rise of ticket prices at West End theatres is threatening the industry as theatres are becoming “exclusive clubs”, with young people preferring to spend their money on cheaper interests. Mr. Spacey has described the situation as “the most embarrassing thing” and has warned that it was driving the younger audience away from theatres.
“Who is going to replace them [young people]? If we don’t reach out to make theatre affordable to the young generation we will lose them all. I am embarrassed by the fact that there is such short-sightedness on the heads of producers and theatre directors”, Spacey said.
Representatives inside the industry claimed that theatres would not be able to stage plays for lower prices due to the rise in VAT, the royalty fees or the huge operational costs, according to an article published by The Daily Telegraph.
Related to benefits of West End theatres, the box office collected more than £528 million last year.
Reporting by Paula Planelles Manzanaro
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