West End Theatre Ticket Sales At Record High For Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
But the show is nearly up for ticketing websites which fail to display their compulsory charges which can add 40% onto prices.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Book of Mormon helped London’s West End enjoy a record year for ticket sales.
Box office figures released by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) showed overall attendances were up 4% from the previous year 14,587,276, while sales rose 11% to £585,506,455.
It comes as seven of the largest ticketing companies have agreed to display their compulsory charges on their websites.
Over 37,000 people have signed a Which? petition for all fees to be shown at the start of the booking process.
The company said ATG Tickets, Ticketmaster, See Tickets, BH Live Tickets, Stargreen, Ticket Soup and Ticket Web will put the changes into practice in the next weeks and months.
The campaign was launched after event-goers complained that they were paying up to 40% of the ticket’s face value in extra fees and charges.
Many people said the charges had put them off booking tickets online.
But it seems thousands of people are still flocking to theatre in the capital.
More than half a million people have been to see Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, which stars Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka.
SOLT president Mark Rubinstein said: “I am delighted that we can announce a record year for London theatre attendances as well as a tenth year running of year-on-year growth in ticket income.
“These figures pay testament to the quality, vibrancy and enduring popularity of the London stage, which, despite a difficult economic climate, continues to pull in the crowds thanks to the world-class entertainment on offer and inclusive pricing structures.
“With the combined box office advance sales also reaching new heights in December, we are looking forward to another year of success stories for our theatres in 2014.”
The society represents 52 major theatres in central London
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