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Post by Phantom of London on Aug 4, 2022 21:59:11 GMT
Post Covid and I’m recovering from it!!!
However if does seem to be one of a slew of shows closing unfortunately and not opening. Thursday night was a night anticipated for big show gossip, not anymore, it just seems to merge to the next day now.
This is compounded with no new shows at the Menier/Other Palace.Then with poor quality tour shows hitting the West End, thinking Grease and Dirty Dancing.
Not many new plays, the National has cut back its output, Young Vic/Almeida have recently done musicals. The Bridge shows are running for longer.
So with a noticeable absence of tourists still, working from home, interest rates going up and fuel along with everything else going up post Brexit.
Is theatre suffering?
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Post by Jon on Aug 4, 2022 22:08:53 GMT
I don't think shows closing are a sign that theatre is doomed but I think the recovery is going to take a bit longer. We still have new shows opening as well as a new theatre coming in the Autumn in the form of @sohoplace.
Don't think the Young Vic and Almeida doing musicals means anything given both have done musicals in the past.
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5,062 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Aug 4, 2022 22:36:15 GMT
Not saying it is doomed. I have always said during Covid that getting theatre back is going to be a heavy lift, it seems to be a very heavy lift, especially with the economy not in great shape. People do not have the disposable income they once did.
Almeida has only ever done one musical before.
We have had two West End show announce this week. There will always be shows, quality is a different matter?
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5,062 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Aug 5, 2022 23:53:39 GMT
3 musicals, 2 of which are quite recent. Brighton Rock I never heard of and it seems a good reason for that, I googled it and it played over a decade ago and died on its feet. Just saying there is not much Rick pickings around and plays have seemed to have suffered, besides the next Prime Minister Liz Truss has said we are already going into recession. With interest rates and energy bills going up, people are going to tighten their belts somewhere? Even the excellent Life of Pi is taking up a long run, where the Wyndham would of ordinarily had 3 shows in that time. I don’t need to tighten my belt though, but I am not going to theatre as much as I did pre pandemic, as not much really appeals and nothing really to look forward to apart from The Crucible. Look at Mark’s 2023 Olivier thread and you can see not much around. theatreboard.co.uk/thread/9439/oliviers-2023 |
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Post by orchidman on Aug 6, 2022 21:23:58 GMT
The standard of new plays since the re-opening has been dreadful. The poor audiences are largely deserved.
Cabaret is a top quality show now Eddie Redmayne isn't in it but what else has there been? Disappointing plays from James Graham, Peter Morgan and Florian Zeller who are top tier on track record. It's not a good sign that the best production of a play has been Jerusalem which is an unfrozen production from over a decade ago.
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Post by Rory on Aug 6, 2022 22:42:44 GMT
The standard of new plays since the re-opening has been dreadful. The poor audiences are largely deserved. Cabaret is a top quality show now Eddie Redmayne isn't in it but what else has there been? Disappointing plays from James Graham, Peter Morgan and Florian Zeller who are top tier on track record. It's not a good sign that the best production of a play has been Jerusalem which is an unfrozen production from over a decade ago. London theatre is a bit in the doldrums unfortunately, post covid. New play announcements or indeed any new show announcements in the West End are very thin on the ground these days. Producers are taking a hammering and the economic outlook is bleak. The tide will turn eventually. |
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Post by Mark on Aug 7, 2022 11:24:38 GMT
The standard of new plays since the re-opening has been dreadful. The poor audiences are largely deserved. Cabaret is a top quality show now Eddie Redmayne isn't in it but what else has there been? Disappointing plays from James Graham, Peter Morgan and Florian Zeller who are top tier on track record. It's not a good sign that the best production of a play has been Jerusalem which is an unfrozen production from over a decade ago. London theatre is a bit in the doldrums unfortunately, post covid. New play announcements or indeed any new show announcements in the West End are very thin on the ground these days. Producers are taking a hammering and the economic outlook is bleak. The tide will turn eventually. Hmm I'm inclined to disagree here. The reason there's been a lack of new West End show announcements is that a lot of shows were open-ended runs so there was next to no opportunity for shows to come in. Look how quickly the Gillian Lynne got filled after Cinderella posted a closing notice. Same can be said for the Noel Coward with Best of Enemies going in after, and the rumoured Oklahoma following Life of Pi at Wyndham's. I'm sure there will be announcements for the Garrick, Phoenix and Prince Edward before long too. |
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