Cock - Ambassadors Theatre

[princeton]

I think I paid £10 to see it at the Royal Court, and around £25 to see it at Chichester's Minerva a couple of years ago (with the brilliant Luke Thallon in the Ben Whishaw role) - and whilst I know that both of those are subsidised and commercial theatre has to at least break even - these prices are still plain crazy.

It's an intimate play, in all ways, so you need to be close - but not £125 close. I'd have expected better from Marianne Elliott and Chris Harper who I thought had more integrity than most, but seem to have fallen into the take the awards - take the money - screw the audience mindset so beloved by other producers.

[Marwood]

I got a £20 stalls ticket before they all went so thanks to those who pointed it in my direction : it said restricted view but the money I saved not getting one of the other tickets can pay for a periscope to see around whatever is restricting it.

[Dave B]

Grabbed £20 tickets that the theatremonkey seems to think are okay. Fingers crossed.

[Rory]

I want to add my voice to the chorus of disapproval for the outrageous pricing for this. A new low for the West End. The 4th price band is £79.50 ffs.
The Ambassadors has the highest stage I've ever seen. Aside from getting a sprain in your neck, the idea of forking out £150 for a Stalls seat for a 90 minute show is an absolute pisstake.

I agree- disappointed in Elliot Harper. I got a great Stalls seat for Company for £80. This by contrast is a complete rip off, even by ATG standards.

[Jon]

Considering a lot of commercial theatre producers have had little to no income in the 18 months, I think they're entitled to charge whatever they like for their productions because the alternative is no theatre at all.

[Rory]

Sept 24, 2021 11:39:27 GMT Jon said:

Considering a lot of commercial theatre producers have had little to no income in the 18 months, I think they're entitled to charge whatever they like for their productions because the alternative is no theatre at all.

Strongly disagree with you here, Jon. Yes times have been the toughest ever but this pricing is grossly distorted. David Pugh by contrast has very reasonable pricing at the Criterion. So it can be done.

I was at a packed to the rafters Wyndham's yesterday afternoon for Leopoldstadt and the prices weren't in this league.

Anyway these conversations go on and on but are the prices just going to sky rocket until we can all just afford to sit behind a pillar? May as well not bother.

[londonpostie]

I suspect there are different business models in play. This one is another smash-and-grab a la Amy Adams, etc; limited 14-week run, top names, notable play, etc - set some bottom line prices and let the dynamic algorithm do the rest.

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

Sept 24, 2021 11:39:27 GMT Jon said:

Considering a lot of commercial theatre producers have had little to no income in the 18 months, I think they're entitled to charge whatever they like for their productions because the alternative is no theatre at all.

Plenty of other people have similarly been out of work though so most people can't afford it. The plan is obviously hope the names and limited time sells a bunch of tickets from people with fomo and then if that goes badly they can just have a bunch of deals to grab people's attention, but if they priced it appropriately it would no doubt sell in an instant much like Macbeth is doing.

[Jon]

Sept 24, 2021 12:26:11 GMT juicy_but_terribly_drab said:

Plenty of other people have similarly been out of work though so most people can't afford it. The plan is obviously hope the names and limited time sells a bunch of tickets from people with fomo and then if that goes badly they can just have a bunch of deals to grab people's attention, but if they priced it appropriately it would no doubt sell in an instant much like Macbeth is doing.

It was never going to be priced like Macbeth as the Almeida is a subsidised venue and this is a commercial production. This sort of thing has been going on in commercial theatre for years and it's clear prices aren't going to come down anytime soon.

[knowledge]

Short run. World class creative team. Big name actors. Small theatre. Commercial production. Surely they are within their rights to charge whatever they want for the tickets. Basic supply and demand. 7 out of every 10 shows dont recoup. Why not make some money if you can. Sometimes it’s exasperating reading this forum. Especially as a professional. Please-we all really appreciate the passion and indeed the great knowledge of the members and your insights but please remember theatre producing is unbelievably risky. It can take 12 months of work to pull off rights/creative team/casting/investment/venue etc and of course most producers are looking to try and get 4 or 5 shows ‘off the ground’ whilst being thrilled if one out of every 5 actually comes together. This is a really good play. World class creative team. Top notch cast. Maybe let the investors and producers actually make money for a change.

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

Sept 24, 2021 13:24:01 GMT knowledge said:

Short run. World class creative team. Big name actors. Small theatre. Commercial production. Surely they are within their rights to charge whatever they want for the tickets. Basic supply and demand. 7 out of every 10 shows dont recoup. Why not make some money if you can. Sometimes it’s exasperating reading this forum. Especially as a professional. Please-we all really appreciate the passion and indeed the great knowledge of the members and your insights but please remember theatre producing is unbelievably risky. It can take 12 months of work to pull off rights/creative team/casting/investment/venue etc and of course most producers are looking to try and get 4 or 5 shows ‘off the ground’ whilst being thrilled if one out of every 5 actually comes together. This is a really good play. World class creative team. Top notch cast. Maybe let the investors and producers actually make money for a change.

I just think theatre should be accessible to everyone no matter how well-off you are and the fact that the second price band jumps up to £55 is actually ridiculous, commercial theatre or not. The theatre is small enough as it is and to have a measly 30 or so £20 seats and nothing else for less rich people is pricing people out of what should be an artform for everyone. I'm not gonna blame the producers entirely because they're doing what they have to do to make back the costs (although I still feel like surely there was some kind of middle ground to squeeze another price band in between £20 and £55), I guess I'm just more mad at how we've gotten to the point where this is necessary.

[Jon]

I love a good bargain but I have paid a fair whack for things like Ian McKellen and Fleabag because I knew those would be hot tickets and in the case of McKellen, he's a top talent worth paying for.

[knowledge]

Juicy
Surely the market will decide if it’s ridiculous or not? If it sells every ticket (which it will) will they be proven right? Surely commercial theatre doesn't have to be accessible to ‘everyone’ just like prime 30 day aged fillet steak isn’t, or SKY TV or fancy trainers-thats why we have subsidised theatre which tax payers pay for. And I guess you also understand that they could charge £39.50 for those £20 seats but chose to make them £20-basically subsidising those tickets themselves-at the expense of the authors, creative team, cast, theatre owner, investors and themselves in a clear effort to make it more accessible-every though they have no commercial reason to do so. It’s basically giving money away in a bid to be affordable for those that have £20 and no more.

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

Sept 24, 2021 14:09:14 GMT knowledge said:

Juicy
Surely the market will decide if it’s ridiculous or not? If it sells every ticket (which it will) will they be proven right? Surely commercial theatre doesn't have to be accessible to ‘everyone’ just like prime 30 day aged fillet steak isn’t, or SKY TV or fancy trainers-thats why we have subsidised theatre which tax payers pay for. And I guess you also understand that they could charge £39.50 for those £20 seats but chose to make them £20-basically subsidising those tickets themselves-at the expense of the authors, creative team, cast, theatre owner, investors and themselves in a clear effort to make it more accessible-every though they have no commercial reason to do so. It’s basically giving money away in a bid to be affordable for those that have £20 and no more.

Well I'm not such a fan of the market so I think we're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this one.

[orchidman]

The market will decide and I wouldn't be surprised if it decides this is over-priced, unless Taron Egerton is a bigger draw than I realise. Tickets for Amy Adams in one of the plays of the 20th century by one of the playwrights of the 20th century are hardly flying out the doors; this is Taron Egerton in a Mike Bartlett play at a similar pricing.

[BurlyBeaR]

Is ‘the market decides’ what led to prices for Broadway getting to the state they’re in now I wonder?

[Deleted]

I think Jonathan Bailey may almost be a bigger draw to be honest. Bridgerton is a phenomenon, with a pretty hard core following and the second season may well be out around the same time as this, or even before. Pretty sure it was due to be Christmas but I know there have been covid delays.

Plus casting two of the hottest up and coming actors will attract the gay crowd too.

[shambles]

Sept 24, 2021 15:18:40 GMT orchidman said:

The market will decide and I wouldn't be surprised if it decides this is over-priced, unless Taron Egerton is a bigger draw than I realise. Tickets for Amy Adams in one of the plays of the 20th century by one of the playwrights of the 20th century are hardly flying out the doors; this is Taron Egerton in a Mike Bartlett play at a similar pricing.

I am quite shocked at the rate at which the Glass Menagerie tickets are going ( or not going ) . Is it because it is still quite a ways off? The prices are steep, but that didn't quite stop Cabaret. Amy Adams is just as big a draw.

[marob]

Sept 24, 2021 18:35:36 GMT shambles said:

Sept 24, 2021 15:18:40 GMT orchidman said:

The market will decide and I wouldn't be surprised if it decides this is over-priced, unless Taron Egerton is a bigger draw than I realise. Tickets for Amy Adams in one of the plays of the 20th century by one of the playwrights of the 20th century are hardly flying out the doors; this is Taron Egerton in a Mike Bartlett play at a similar pricing.

I am quite shocked at the rate at which the Glass Menagerie tickets are going ( or not going ) . Is it because it is still quite a ways off? The prices are steep, but that didn't quite stop Cabaret. Amy Adams is just as big a draw.

Likewise, there’s still tickets available for Henry V starring Kit Harington. Considering how small the Donmar is I’d have thought that would sell out almost immediately, but obviously not.

[couldileaveyou]

Sept 24, 2021 18:50:02 GMT marob said:

Sept 24, 2021 18:35:36 GMT shambles said:

I am quite shocked at the rate at which the Glass Menagerie tickets are going ( or not going ) . Is it because it is still quite a ways off? The prices are steep, but that didn't quite stop Cabaret. Amy Adams is just as big a draw.

Likewise, there’s still tickets available for Henry V starring Kit Harington. Considering how small the Donmar is I’d have thought that would sell out almost immediately, but obviously not.

Kit is a weird one. Dr Faustus was selling well while GoT was being aired, but when he did True West during the two year hiatus of Game of Thrones it did not sell well at all. I'm sure that closer to the date the theatre will be fuller, but they were probably expecting him to be a bigger draw. 

[Deleted]

Game of Thrones legacy was pretty much destroyed by its final season, and Kit hasn't had the exposure since that Richard Madden has for example.

Star casting is interesting, just because someone is in a high profile show or movie doesn't always translate to people wanting to see them in person. I wouldn't say Amy Adams is as big a deal amongst the wider UK public that will drive people to fork out the cash to see her. If it had been Kate Winslet it would probably be a different story

[alece10]

I was following this thread yesterday and saw the comments about the high prices.
It's not something that would interest me but thought I'd just look at the seating plan and just chose a random date. I saw lots of £20 and £50 seats available. Yes there are more expensive ones but every show now has a large amount of premium seats at well over £100. So not really sure what the fuss is about as there seems to be prices to suit all pockets.
Also comments about Amy Adams. I'm going to show my age now as I had to Google her and I'm afraid I am none the wiser after reading about her. Haven't seen a single film she has been in and most I've never heard of.

[viserys]

Sept 24, 2021 19:30:11 GMT couldileaveyou said:

Sept 24, 2021 18:50:02 GMT marob said:

Kit is a weird one. Dr Faustus was selling well while GoT was being aired, but when he did True West during the two year hiatus of Game of Thrones it did not sell well at all. I'm sure that closer to the date the theatre will be fuller, but they were probably expecting him to be a bigger draw. 

I think when it comes to people "off the telly" (or movies), for many people it's just wanting to see them in the flesh once. I never liked Kit much in GoT, but wasn't sure whether it was him as an actor or the role. So I was very pleased to see him live on stage in Dr Faustus. But once I had seen him, I didn't feel much desire to see him again. I still went to see True West, because it was him AND Johnny Flynn (who I also like) - if it had been either of them with a partner I don't care for, I hadn't bothered. I definitely don't feel any need to see Kit once more though, especially not in a done-to-death Shakespeare.

Taron Egerton is a similar case, I've liked him in three very different movies (Eddie the Eagle, King's Men and Rocketman) and I am very keen on seeing him in the flesh on stage and am willing to shell out for it to a certain extent. He's definitely A-League enough for me to justify these prices and I think by making some seats available at £20, the producers have done enough to make it accessible.

I wouldn't overestimate the appeal of Bridgerton. Did it really appeal to anyone above woke Gen Z'ers? I hated it with a passion - and before you jump me, no, not for the colourblind casting, but for the rubbish trite predictable Mills & Boon plot. The only one of that lot who I could see shift tickets on stage would be Regé-Jean Page who also had the good sense to jump ship after the first season. But if we go with the premise that the show has plenty of fans who'd want to shell out to see Jonathan Bailey, then this adds even more to justifying the price. 

There are literally dozens of plays available all over London, many for very low prices and/or at steep discounts. If you don't want to spend a lot on one out of all those, then it's your decision. And the people who moan here about prices seem to be in the theatre virtually every week, so that adds up a lot, too. Personally, I often don't see a theatre from inside for two or three months, so I do have money available for the occasional treat like this or Cabaret from good seats. So that's my choice - rather see fewer carefully picked things for more money than gobble something every week.

This isn't meant to be judgy, btw, it's your choice, too, of course, but that's what I mean - it's about choices... see @kevin and Bonnie & Clyde, something you couldn't PAY me to sit through. 

[Jon]

Taron is more the draw for me as this is his first play in over a decade.

In terms of pricing, it's a tricky balance. We all love a bargain but if all seats were sold at rock bottom pricing, we would't get the likes of Moulin Rouge and Anything Goes and I don't think the West End or theatre in general would survive with one man shows with limited sets.

[Deleted]

Yes bridgerton had a pretty wide appeal, mainly female but it appealed to a lot of age groups. I believe it is also Netflixs biggest ever shows in terms of viewership.