The return of theatre audiences in London has exceeded expectations following the pandemic, as reported by the British Theatre Consortium, an industry body.
The report, titled The British Theatre: Before and after Covid, analyzed box office data from the UK, including ticket sales, performances, and audience figures collected by the Society of London Theatres, comparing the years 2019 and 2023.
Attendance Increases Amid Fewer New Productions
Co-author Dan Rebellato stated, „The number of shows has definitely gone down, but attendances are up in 2023 compared to 2019; there’s a lot of new work, but most of it is new musicals.“ He noted a significant decline in new plays being produced, revealing that the number of plays opening in 2023 is 30 percent fewer than in 2019.
According to the data, the number of shows decreased by 9.9 percent, and performances fell by 11.6 percent in 2023 compared to 2019, while audience attendance grew by 6.1 percent.
Challenges in Selling New Plays
Rebellato mentioned the challenges in marketing new plays, stating, „There has been a slight sense of cautiousness, that has moved some away from the new play.“ The report highlighted the successes of theatres in 2023 post-lockdown, particularly in the musical theatre sector.
The analysis indicated a shift in production focus, revealing that adaptations are becoming more prevalent, and fewer dramas are being commissioned. In 2019, musical theatre represented one-third of all performances, while in 2023, that figure increased to 40 percent. Furthermore, the share of box office income from musical theatre jumped from nearly 60 percent to almost 66 percent.
The Rise of New Musicals
Drama productions decreased from 57 percent to 51 percent between 2019 and 2023. The report also observed a rise in new musicals, with the proportion escalating from 37 percent in 2019 to over 50 percent in 2023. Following the lockdown, new musicals accounted for 56 percent of all box office earnings for new productions.
Kate Packenham, who produced the West End version of Punch, a play that transitioned from the Nottingham Playhouse to the Young Vic in London, emphasized the need to support playwrights. She remarked, „Producers can be concerned about the commercial reality of putting on a new play because there is a sense that audiences are attracted to what they know.“
Industry Support for New Plays
Packenham added, „Our job is to find new ways of producing them. Whether that’s in partnership with a not-for-profit theatre (NFP), or to take them on a journey like Punch which went from a regional theatre to a NFP before transferring into the West End.“ She advocates for a continued commitment within the sector to support the creation of new plays.
She concluded, „There’s a huge pipeline or ecology in the industry supporting new plays, and that’s what we have to continue understanding and investing in.“
Bildquelle: Bildquelle: Peter Herrmann auf Unsplash
