Current state of West End musicals

Theatre isn't dying nor is the West End. People didn't find Aspects of Love appealing nor have any interest in Ain't Too Proud.

There's been success in theatreland, the National is having a hot streak at the moment as is the Almeida.

For me (and I know other friends and family) the west end doesn't stand for that pinnacle of quality it used to.

Physical productions are cheaper, casts aren't always top tier. The difference between what you'd pay a premium for in London and what you get on tour is very minimal to non existent these days.

The cost of getting into London is just more and more expensive, and also unreliable.

You can spend on a day trip to see a show the same amount as a weekend away in Europe.

Exactly. No one said its dying but both here, and on broadway, there has been a shift.

It's very simplistic to say 'people just didn't want to see....'. But if companies didn't analyse why a product or service didn't succeed then they would never progress. That's all that's happening here.

The difference with places like the national is it has a larger built in (and local) audience. The commercial west end relies more on UK day trippers and tourists.

Yes cost definitely.

Not London but when I went to Chichester to see assassins the trains had gone up 50% since before covid (first post pandemic visit). Parking at station was now a tenner. Add in food and the day cost almost £100, plus theatre tickets. Definitely more than pre covid and did make me realise I'll have to consider all costs before racing to book.

As a long-time theatergoer in both London and NYC, I find myself post-pandemic as a more discerning arts consumer, primarily because of the rising ticket prices. I think the pandemic changed many people's habits in a lot of ways that some producers and the leadership of arts organizations haven't fully incorporated into their offerings.

I still attend a lot of shows, but I'm less likely to see something it if wasn't strongly reviewed, has decent word of mouth, or includes cast members or creative team members whom I've found generally are worth supporting. In addition, I'm a bit more choosy on subject matter.

One other more recent influence on my attendance has been the seeming rise in audience behavior that I find less than desirable. Of course this is very subjective, but I don't want to pay top dollar for a musical only to have audience members singing or dancing along during the performance. Many of the musicals drawing on pop tunes seem to either encourage or enable such behavior. Curtain calls are an exception and I'm fine with that.

It’s probably worth me re-stating what I said in the Ain’t Too Proud thread - surely cost is a huge factor for people at the moment? To book in advance for reasonable seats with a family or group of friends is expensive, there’s no getting away from that, and people simply don’t have as much disposable income at the moment. I’m lucky that I often go on my own so can use rush tickets or offers to pick up a cheap ticket and see things that way, but for larger groups wanting to book ahead that’s not usually possible.

For that reason I’ve not booked for Lyonesse yet - as much as I want to see it, anything at an ok price currently is either behind one of the Pinter’s many pillars or squeezed into a very tight corner, but I’m hoping that despite the star casting there’ll still be some offers nearer the time.

And when people do decide to spend their money and go see a show, they’re more likely to pick something ‘tried and tested’ that’s a known quantity and book for a well known show rather than taking a risk on something new like Ain’t Too Proud or Crazy For You.

That's a great point. I've stopped going to cinemas for that reason. It's just a nicer experience at home.

And theatre, for some shows has definitely started to head in that direction with behaviour.

I also used to be someone who tried to see everything, but that's just not feasible anymore. Quality over quantity

Again, no one is saying things are doomed.

I just don't see many shows as I would like to nowdays compared to a couple years ago. Everything is more expensive, £10 programmes and tiny £5 ice creams

I suspect no producer would ever go for that approach, the cost would be too much. 

AS mentioned above cost is probably the primary concern together with the reduced tourist numbers in London compared to pre covid. I think it will take a few years to get back to anything like it was as with the cost of living implications/ mortgage rates etc , Theatre is one element that can be cut out.

I'm another one who has pared back their theatregoing due to cost. I keep an ever changing list of shows I would like to see, and usually take great delight in crossing one off once booked. However, more than one show has been pushed down the order or even dropped once I've seen the cost of tickets. I like to sit near the front as I like to feel involved in a show, but the price of these tickets is prohibitive in most cases. I'm fortunate in that I'm close enough to London not to need to plan too far ahead (and equally fortunate that I still have some trains even on strike days) and can take advantage of offers if and when they come up (I'm retired), but frequently such offers don't include matinees or weekends. I'm equally fortunate in that I'm usually a solo theatregoer, so don't have to worry about pre- or post-show meals with companions (I just grab a sandwich somewhere), and am also old enough to have a senior railcard. I agree, though, that theatregoing is one of the first things to go when money is tight. I recall once becoming embroiled in the comments section of the Daily Fail (don't judge me!), when I said something about theatre tickets and was accused of flaunting my privileged existence!!!

I definitely have reduced my theatre visits. This is mainly due to the unreliability of the trains, can't remember the last time I returned home after a theatre visit and a train hasn't been delayed or more often cancelled completely. With strikes I am reluctant to book anything too much in advance and then with all the travel hassle, do I want to risk not enjoying a new production when I know i will enjoy older shows. All in all, by far fewer theatre trips.

As someone who loves to travel to London to see shows, but needs to book flights, hotel, trains... My main issue with the West End is its prices. I can´t rely on rush tickets/lotteries and need to book in advance. Not only it´s become incredibly expensive to stay in London, but also the ticket prices are atrocious and don´t always represent the quality of the productions. And then, I find there are less and less "intermediate" seats. It´s either the Premium seats at more than 120, the regular Stalls and DC at 65-100, or the cheaper seats with limited view in the nosebleed (usually 25 and then jump to 39,5). Les Mis is the biggest example of this.