Latest news with #PatrickGracey
Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Theatregoers put off booking shows over long run times
Theatregoers are putting off booking shows in the West End over long run-times, a new report has suggested. A performance time of more than two-and-a-half hours has been cited in a survey of over 20,000 of London's theatre patrons as a factor that discourages them from booking again. Veteran West End producer Patrick Gracey said there are an increasing number of shorter plays on offer now with running times of 75 or 85 minutes instead of 150 minutes. 'I do think audiences enjoy that,' he told The Telegraph, but added that the length 'depends entirely on what is appropriate for that story'. Theatregoers were asked in the survey, conducted by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre, what factors discouraged them from booking again. More than 22 per cent said longer run times, 21 per cent cited a show without an interval and 24 per cent complained that a lack of public transport options in the evening was an issue. The results form part of SOLT and UK Theatre's 2025 State of British Theatre report, released on Thursday. Mr Gracey, who also serves as chair of SOLT's policy, research and advocacy committee, explained that typically musicals have a longer show time than plays. 'Not a huge number of shows have a run time over two-and-a-half hours, you tend to find more musicals do,' he said. However, he added: 'I don't think run times have changed that much…I think at the end of the day what producers and artists are driven by is what is the best version of this story. 'A night in the theatre can be the most extraordinary thing, no matter how long it is if the story is told well.' Discussing the public transport offering complaint cited in the survey, he blamed a bad 'perception' of the transport system. He explained: 'Over the past few years, we've seen various strikes and other issues with the rail network, and whether or not that is true for most people, it's that perception. 'So what we want to ensure is that moving forward, we hope that we have great transport links, because London does have great transport links that can ensure people feel comfortable coming to town and catching a show.' New figures also revealed that theatre attendance continued at a record high last year, with the West End alone surpassing 17.1 million attendees and generating more than £1billion in revenue for the first time in history. By comparison, the Premier League saw 2.5 million fewer attendees than the West End in the same timeframe. Discussing the positive findings, Mr Gracey said: 'The strength of theatre is that it's one of the few places where you go and sit in a room with a whole lot of other people where you can't be playing with your phone and you get to experience that emotion live. 'I think that's wonderful because cinema attendance hasn't returned to the same level as theatre after post-pandemic… so it says a lot about theatre that that is actually what people go for, that people are willing to spend their money and their time [on it].' The report found that cinema attendance was down by 28 per cent in the UK last year. Mr Gracey said: 'What makes theatre unique, and that difference with cinema, is that live element, being in the room with those actors and experiencing that emotion with a group of strangers is the best thing in the world, and which is why I produce theatre.' In the survey, 84 per cent of respondents said they were more likely to book a show if they had heard about it from friends and family, while 68 per cent said they valued familiarity with source material over recognisable celebrity names performing. Recent star-studded casts in the West End have included celebrities Rami Malek, Tom Holland, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. Elsewhere, the report found that West End ticket prices have fallen by 5.3 per cent in real terms since 2019, with more than a quarter priced under £35 and fewer than 4 per cent exceeding £150. 'I think that it's down to a combination of great shows and smart pricing,' Mr Gracey said of theatre's record numbers and revenue.
Express Tribune
18-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
West End beats Broadway
London's West End theatres are enjoying record ticket sales and drawing millions of pounds of investment as a pandemic-era tax break that will become permanent next month persuades some producers to choose Britain over Broadway. A record 17.1 million people attended West End shows in 2023, and a similar number in 2024, according to the Society of London Theatre. That compares to 15.3 million in 2019, before COVID-19 shut entertainment venues globally. Audiences in New York are meanwhile down by nearly a fifth from pre-pandemic levels, figures from the Broadway League show. Producers cite lower costs in London than on Broadway, which has a comparable but less generous tax scheme, as well as the attraction of one of the world's richest theatre traditions. "I will absolutely say, and I say this both with knowledge and with love, the UK is the best place in the world to make and to see theatre," SOLT board member Patrick Gracey said. Gracey, who has produced West End and Broadway shows, led efforts to persuade Britain's Labour government to maintain the scheme introduced by its Conservative predecessor, which offers tax relief for touring shows of up to 45 per cent of production costs. Finance minister Rachel Reeves confirmed in October the tax break would stay rather than progressively decrease from April. "The costs themselves are lower (in London), but the tax incentive makes it a no-brainer," said New York-based accountant and theatre specialist Scott Bartolf, who works with producers in both cities. Greater variety Theatre industry bodies elsewhere are calling for similar initiatives, including in Gracey's native Australia. "(The tax scheme) has been widely recognised as a game-changer for the UK theatre industry," Live Performance Australia said in an emailed statement. "It has made the UK a much more compelling proposition for investors in theatre." Henny Finch, joint CEO of London's Donmar Warehouse, said the tax break was a lifeline without which the theatre would have to reduce the size and number of new productions. And because it applies to touring productions, theatres outside the British capital, many of which have seen their funding dwindle with public spending cuts, also get a boost. Steve Mannix of the Mercury Theatre in Colchester, southeast England, said the tax break helped provide "an essential source of income for regional theatres". New York's tax incentives, in place since 2021, allow Broadway theatre companies to claim tax credits for up to 25 per cent of production expenses, capped at $3 million per production. The scheme, worth a total $300 million, is due to expire in September, but under New York budget proposals could be extended for two years with a top-up of $100 million. Even so, producing a musical on Broadway costs three to five times as much as in the West End, according to an analysis by Gordon Cox, contributing theatre editor for Variety. The Broadway League has more than 700 members, including producers, theatre owners and operators. It estimates 12.3 million admissions in the 2023-2024 season, which ended in May last year, 16.8% less than the record hit in 2018-2019. That partly reflects the slower return of audiences from the outskirts of New York, said the League's president Jason Laks. Ticket prices are also far higher than in London. Laks also saw Britain's tax scheme as a lure. "Our Broadway theatres can't move, but the productions can, and I get that, and so a producer may choose to produce or open a show in the UK because of the favourable economic tax credits that they have over there," he said. Economic rationale Britain's creative industries are among those identified by Reeves as potential motors for economic growth, and the 126-billion-pound sector has shown a faster recovery from the pandemic compared to the wider economy. Research by SOLT has found that for every pound spent on a theatre ticket, 1.40 pounds is spent in the local area, including in bars and restaurants. Harder to measure is the West End's contribution to Britain's soft power: it attracts tens of thousands of visitors each day to its 39 theatres in the heart of London. Broadway has 41 theatres. Arts minister Chris Bryant told Reuters via email the tax relief would help to ensure "top quality productions" across the country and especially in London. "London is the world's premier destination for theatre-goers, drawing in hundreds of thousands of people every year, and making a significant contribution to the capital's economy," he said. Local versus national Data obtained by Reuters via a freedom of information request show London productions received 42 million pounds of 66 million paid in theatre tax relief in the financial year 2021-22. The rest of the southeast received 6 million pounds, and other regions between 1 million and 2 million pounds apiece. But provincial theatres have also benefited. Producer Jamie Wilson said the tax scheme had influenced his decision to trial musical The Devil Wears Prada on audiences in Plymouth, southwest England, before its London opening. Leeds Playhouse, whose In Dreams premiered in the northern English city then moved to Toronto, said the tax break "has enabled us to continue to co-produce shows which otherwise would have been threatened by the current economic pressures". Regional theatres nevertheless "desperately need more money to support the infrastructure", Wilson said. A SOLT report published in July 2024 found 40 per cent of 65 theatre venues surveyed across the UK would become too unsafe to use within five years without a capital injection. With producers saying there are not enough West End venues to meet demand, those theatres could get a boost if more Broadway productions head to Britain. "They won't be able to find a West End theatre, so they will be looking for a regional theatre to open those musicals, which is great for the regions," Wilson said. Reuters
Reuters
15-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Focus: West End beats Broadway in theatre revival. What's the secret?
Summary Tax break becomes permanent from April Cost is much more to stage a musical on Broadway versus London Theatres benefit local economies As London fills up, producers look to the provinces LONDON, March 15 (Reuters) - London's West End theatres are enjoying record ticket sales and drawing millions of pounds of investment as a pandemic-era tax break that will become permanent next month persuades some producers to choose Britain over Broadway. A record 17.1 million people attended West End shows in 2023, and a similar number in 2024, according to the Society of London Theatre (SOLT). That compares to 15.3 million in 2019, before COVID-19 shut entertainment venues globally. Audiences in New York are meanwhile down by nearly a fifth from pre-pandemic levels, figures from the Broadway League show. Producers cite lower costs in London than on Broadway, which has a comparable but less generous tax scheme, as well as the attraction of one of the world's richest theatre traditions. "I will absolutely say, and I say this both with knowledge and with love, the UK is the best place in the world to make and to see theatre," SOLT board member Patrick Gracey said. Gracey, who has produced West End and Broadway shows, led efforts to persuade Britain's Labour government to maintain the scheme introduced by its Conservative predecessor, which offers tax relief for touring shows of up to 45% of production costs. Finance minister Rachel Reeves confirmed in October the tax break would stay rather than progressively decrease from April. "The costs themselves are lower (in London), but the tax incentive makes it a no-brainer," said New York-based accountant and theatre specialist Scott Bartolf, who works with producers in both cities. GREATER VARIETY AND BIGGER PRODUCTIONS Theatre industry bodies elsewhere are calling for similar initiatives, including in Gracey's native Australia. "(The tax scheme) has been widely recognised as a game-changer for the UK theatre industry," Live Performance Australia said in an emailed statement. "It has made the UK a much more compelling proposition for investors in theatre." Henny Finch, joint CEO of London's Donmar Warehouse, said the tax break was a lifeline without which the theatre would have to reduce the size and number of new productions. And because it applies to touring productions, theatres outside the British capital, many of which have seen their funding dwindle with public spending cuts, also get a boost. Steve Mannix of the Mercury Theatre in Colchester, southeast England, said the tax break helped provide "an essential source of income for regional theatres". New York's tax incentives, in place since 2021, allow Broadway theatre companies to claim tax credits for up to 25% of production expenses, capped at $3 million per production. The scheme, worth a total $300 million, is due to expire in September, but under New York budget proposals could be extended for two years with a top-up of $100 million. Even so, producing a musical on Broadway costs 3-5 times as much as in the West End, according to an analysis by Gordon Cox, contributing theatre editor for Variety. The Broadway League has more than 700 members, including producers, theatre owners and operators. It estimates 12.3 million admissions in the 2023-2024 season, which ended in May last year, 16.8% less than the record hit in 2018-2019. That partly reflects the slower return of audiences from the outskirts of New York, said the League's president Jason Laks. Ticket prices are also far higher than in London. Laks also saw Britain's tax scheme as a lure. "Our Broadway theatres can't move, but the productions can, and I get that, and so a producer may choose to produce or open a show in the UK because of the favourable economic tax credits that they have over there," he said. ECONOMIC RATIONALE Britain's creative industries are among those identified by Reeves as potential motors for economic growth, and the 126-billion-pound sector has shown a faster recovery from the pandemic compared to the wider economy. Research by SOLT has found that for every pound spent on a theatre ticket, 1.40 pounds is spent in the local area, including in bars and restaurants. Harder to measure is the West End's contribution to Britain's soft power: it attracts tens of thousands of visitors each day to its 39 theatres in the heart of London. Broadway has 41 theatres. Arts minister Chris Bryant told Reuters via email the tax relief would help to ensure "top quality productions" across the country and especially in London. "London is the world's premier destination for theatre-goers, drawing in hundreds of thousands of people every year, and making a significant contribution to the capital's economy," he said. LOCAL VERSUS NATIONAL Data obtained by Reuters via a freedom of information request show London productions received 42 million pounds of 66 million paid in theatre tax relief in the financial year 2021-22. The rest of the southeast received 6 million pounds, and other regions between 1 million and 2 million pounds apiece. But provincial theatres have also benefited. Producer Jamie Wilson said the tax scheme had influenced his decision to trial musical " The Devil Wears Prada" on audiences in Plymouth, southwest England, before its London opening. Leeds Playhouse, whose "In Dreams" premiered in the northern English city then moved to Toronto, said the tax break "has enabled us to continue to co-produce shows ... which otherwise would have been threatened by the current economic pressures". Regional theatres nevertheless "desperately need more money to support the infrastructure", Wilson said. A SOLT report published in July 2024 found 40% of 65 theatre venues surveyed across the UK would become too unsafe to use within five years without a capital injection. With producers saying there are not enough West End venues to meet demand, those theatres could get a boost if more Broadway productions head to Britain. "They won't be able to find a West End theatre, so they will be looking for a regional theatre to open those musicals, which is great ... for the regions," Wilson said. ($1 = 0.7788 pounds)
