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SOLT Box Office Data Report 2009

The Society of London Theatre The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) is the trade association that represents the producers, theatre owners and managers of the major commercial and grant-aided theatres in central London, and offers affiliate membership to certain smaller theatres within and beyond central London. It provides its members with legal, general and industrial affairs advice and support. It makes representations to authorities, both national and local, facilitates concerted action when appropriate and promotes theatregoing to the widest possible audience. It is funded by its members and by its own commercial activities. SOLT encourages theatregoing with a variety of initiatives, including its popular ‘What’s On’ and theatre news website www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk, the fortnightly London Theatre Guide leaflet, the national Theatre Tokens gift scheme, the tkts ticket booths in Leicester Square and Brent Cross Shopping Centre, and the annual Laurence Olivier Awards. Since 1998, it has run ‘Kids Week in the West End’ in late August and early September to encourage theatregoing amongst 5-16 year olds. It has also received funding from the London Development Agency to work with the Mayor and the GLA to implement promotions to increase audiences in the midst of challenging economic conditions and to address outreach and access issues in the industry. SOLT shares a Chief Executive and several staff with the Theatrical Management Association (TMA), the national organisation for managers and producers active outside the traditional West End. Both SOLT and TMA are associated with other arts employers’ associations in Europe through Pearle (Performing Arts Employers Associations League Europe). SOLT has been collating box office data since 1980 and is also responsible for producing the West End Theatre Audience survey (which researches the West End’s customer base). Full details of all publications available from the Society can be found at www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/publications.

Introduction ~ Page i

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SOLT Box Office Data Report 2009

Contents The Society of London Theatre Introduction Overview of the Year 2009 Fig 1. Comparison of 2009 Key Figures with Previous Three Years Fig 2. Summary of Key Results for 2009 and Comparison with Previous Year Fig 3. 2009 Graph of Weekly Attendances Compared with 2008 and Previous Three Year Average Fig 4. 2009 Weekly Attendance, Seating Capacity and Percentage of Seats Filled Compared with 2008 Fig 5. 2009 Weekly Attendance and Seating Capacity – Graph Fig 6. 2009 Weekly Revenue and Revenue Capacity – Graph Fig 7. 2009 Weekly Revenue, Revenue Capacity, Percentage of Revenue Capacity Achieved and Number of Performances Compared with 2008 Fig 8. 2009 Weekly Revenue Compared with 2008 and Previous Three Year Average

i v vi vii viii ix x xi xii

xiii xiv Secti on I 1 Detailed Analysis of 2009 Box Office Data for London Theatres Represented in Full SOLT Membership 1 Fig 9. 2009 Attendances and Comparisons with 2008 2 1.1 Main Factors Affecting Attendances in 2009 2 1.1.1 External Factors 2 1.1.2 Terrorist Attacks 3 1.1.3 Swine Flu 3 1.1.4 Alternative World Attractions in 2009 3 1.1.5 World Economic Crisis 3 1.1.6 VAT Rate Reduction 3 1.1.7 Seasonal Openings 3 1.1.8 The Congestion Charge and Parking Policy 4 1.1.9 Tourism 4 Fig 10. 2009 – Number of Overseas Visitors to the United Kingdom (Thousands) (broken down by area of origin) Compared with Number of Theatre Attendances (Thousands) 5 Fig 11. 2009 Number of Overseas Visitors to the United Kingdom (Thousands) & Number of Attendances (Thousands) 6 Fig 12. 2009 Number of Overseas Visitors to the United Kingdom (Thousands) & Number of Attendances (Thousands) Compared with Previous Year 6 Fig 13. 2009 Weekly Attendances Ranked from Highest to Lowest 7 Fig 14. 2009 Weekly Attendances – Percentage Change on Previous Year 8 Fig 15. Changes in Annual Attendance Figures 1995-2009 9 1.1.10 Get Into London Theatre and TheatreFix 10 1.1.11 Kids Week in the West End 10 1.1.12 West End Family Fun Day 10 1.1.13 West End Live 10 1.1.14 Overall Annual Figures 10 Fig 16. 2009 Table of Weekly Attendances with Week on Week Percentage Change 11 2 – Theatres Open 12 2.1 Definition 12 2.2 High and Low Points 12 2.3 Comparison with Previous Years 12 2.4 The Relationship Between the Number of Dark Theatres and the Level of Attendances 12 Fig 17. 2009 Number of Open Theatres by Week Compared with Previous Year 13 3 – Performances 14 Fig 18. Number of Performances in 2009 with Comparisons to Previous Years 14 3.1 Comparison with Previous Years 14 3.2 High and Low points of 2009 14 Fig 19. 2009 Number of Performances Given Each Week Compared with Previous Year 15 Fig 20. 2009 Number of Weekly Performances Compared with Previous Year – Graph 16 4 – Seating Capacity 17 4.1 Percentage of Seating Capacity Filled 17 4.2 Long-Term Trends 17 4.3 How do Dark Theatres Affect Percentage of Seating Capacity Sold? 17 Fig 21. 2009 Percentage of Available Capacity Filled Ranked from Highest to Lowest 18 Fig 22. 2009 Percentage of Capacity Filled Each Week Compared with Previous Year 19 5 – Ticket Prices 20 5.1 Definitions 20 5.2 2009 Ticket Prices 20 Fig 23. Average Ticket Price Paid 21 5.3 The Gap Between Average Ticket Price Asked and Average Ticket Price Paid 21 Fig 24. Differences in Average Ticket Price Asked and Paid 21

Introduction ~ Page ii

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SOLT Box Office Data Report 2009 5.4

Ticket Prices, Retail Prices and Average Earnings Fig 25. Rises in Indices of Ticket Prices, Retail Prices and Average Earning Index 100 = December 1995 Fig 26. Differences in Ticket Price Asked and Paid – Graph 6 – Revenue and VAT Fig 27. Revenue and VAT Comparisons Year by Year 6.1 Weekly Revenue – Highs and Lows 6.2 Revenue – Comparison with Previous Years 6.3 Revenue Capacity Fig 28. 2009 Weekly Revenue Ranked from Highest to Lowest 7 – Advance Booking Revenue 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Seasonal Variations in Advance Bookings 7.3 Musicals Fig 29. 2009 Advance Booking Revenue by Week Compared with Previous Year – Table Fig 30. 2009 Advance Booking Revenue by Week Compared with Previous Year – Graph Fig 31. 2009 Musical Advance as Percentage of Total – Table Fig 32. 2009 Musical Advance as a Proportion of Total Advance – Graph

Section II Analysis of Commercial and Subsidised Sectors 8 – Introduction Fig 33. Subsidised Theatres in Full SOLT Membership in 2009 Fig 34. Commercial Theatres in Full SOLT Membership in 2009 Summary of Commercial and Subsidised Results for 2009 Fig 35. Attendance, Revenues & Performances Fig 36. Ticket Prices, VAT and Advance Figures 9 – Attendances 9.1 Factors Affecting Attendances in Each Sector 9.1.1 Subsidised Sector 9.1.2 Commercial Sector 9.1.3 Ticket Promotions Fig 37. 2009 Weekly Attendances by Sector – Table Fig 38. 2009 Weekly Attendances by Sector – Graph Fig 39. Changes in Annual Attendance Figures 1995-2009: Subsidised and Commercial Sector Theatres Compared Fig 40. Commercial and Subsidised Sectors – Fifteen Year Trends in Attendances Fig 41. Number of Performances by Year in Subsidised and Commercial Sector Theatres – 1995-2009 10 – Theatres Open – Dark Fig 42. 2009 Number of Open Theatres by Week and by Sector – Table Fig 43. 2009 Number of Open Theatres by Week and by Sector – Graph Fig 44. 2009 Number of Performances by Sector 11 – Performances and Seating Capacity Sold 11.1 Subsidised Sector 11.2 Commercial Sector Fig 45. Percentage of Seating Capacity Filled by Sector – Graph Fig 46. Percentage of Revenue Capacity Filled by Sector – Graph 12 – Ticket Prices 12.1 Subsidised Sector Commercial Sector 12.3 Differences Between the Two Sectors Fig 47. Differences in Commercial and Subsidised Theatres Ticket Price Asked and Paid 12.4 Get Into London Theatre 12.5 Kids Week in the West End 12.6 tkts Ticket Booth 13 – Revenue 13.1 4 Box Office Receipts 13.1.1 The Subsidised Sector 13.1.2 The Commercial Sector 13.2 Percentage of Revenue and Attendance Capacity Achieved Fig 48. Revenue 1995-2009: Subsidised and Commercial Sector Compared Fig 49. 2009 Weekly Revenue by Sector Fig 50. 2009 Weekly Revenue by Sector – Graph

Section III Analysis of Genre 14 – Introduction 14.1 Classification System 14.1.1 Genre Definitions

22 22 23 24 24 24 25 25 26 27 27 27 27 28 29 30 31 33 34 34 34 34 35 35 36 37 37 37 37 37 38 39 40 40 41 41 42 43 44 45 45 45 46 47 48 48 48 49 49 49 49 50 50 50 50 51 52 53 55 55 55 56 56

Introduction ~ Page iii

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SOLT Box Office Data Report 2009 Fig 51. Summary of 2009 Key Results by Genre Fig 52. 2009 Graph of Attendances by Genre Fig 53. 2009 Graph of Revenue by Genre Fig 54. Key Figures by Genre Compared with Previous Year Fig 55. 2009 Share of Total Attendances by Genre 15 – Attendance by Genre 15.1 Plays 15.1.1 Plays by Period of Origin Fig 56. Play Attendances by Period of Origin – Comparison with Previous Year 15.1.2 Plays in the Commercial Sector Fig 57. 2009 Play Attendances by Period of Origin Compared with Previous Two Years Graph Fig 58. 2009 Weekly Capacity Comparison of Plays in Commercial Theatres 15.2 Musicals 15.3 Opera 15.4 Dance 15.5 Performance and Entertainment Fig 59. Attendances by Week for Musical, Plays and Other Productions Compared with Previous Year 16 – Performances by Genre 16.1 Plays Fig 60. Plays – Number of Performances by Period of Origin Fig 61. Plays – Number of performances by Period of Origin – Graph 16.2 Musicals 16.3 Opera and Dance 16.4 Performance and Entertainment 16.5 Productions Running and Productions Opening Fig 62. Total Number of Productions Running in SOLT Member Theatres in 2009 by Genre Fig 63. Number of New Productions that Opened in SOLT Member Theatres in 2009 by Genre Fig 64. 2009 Share of Total Performances by Genre – Pie Chart 17 – Seating Capacity Sold Fig 65. 2009 Plays: Attendances, Performances and Capacity Sold Fig 66. 2009 Musicals: Attendances, Performances and Capacity Sold Fig 67. 2009 Attendances by Week by Genre 18 – Ticket Prices 18.1 Average Ticket Prices Asked and Paid Fig 68. Differences in Ticket Price Asked and Paid Between Plays and Musicals 19 – Revenue 19.1 Box Office Receipts Fig 69. Revenue by Week for Musicals, Plays and Other Productions Compared with Previous Year Fig 70. 2009 Weekly Attendances by Genre – Graph Fig 71. 2009 Weekly Revenue by Genre 20 – Affiliate Members Fig 72. Affiliate Members of SOLT in 2009 20.1 Definition 20.2 Presentation of Figures 20.3 Seating Capacity and Revenue Fig 73. Summary of 2009 Key Figures for Affiliate Theatres Fig 74. 2009 Weekly Attendance and Seating Capacity for Affiliate Theatres Fig 75. 2009 Weekly Revenue and Revenue Capacity for Affiliate Theatres Fig 76. Attendances by Week for Musicals, Plays and Other Productions Compared with Previous Year for Affiliate Theatres Fig 77. Revenue by Week for Musical, Plays and Other Productions Compared with Previous Year for Affiliate Theatres 20.4 Comparison with Previous Years 20.5 Performances, Attendances and Revenue by Genre Fig 78. 2009 Attendances by Genre for Affiliate Theatres Fig 79. 2009 Revenue by Genre for Affiliate Theatres Fig 80. 2009 Play Performances by Period of Origin for Affiliate Theatres Fig 81. 2009 Play Attendances by Period of Origin for Affiliate Theatres Fig 82. 2009 Share of Total Attendances by Genre for Affiliate Theatres – Pie Chart Fig 83. 2009 Share of Total Performances by Genre for Affiliate Theatres – Pie Chart 21 – Theatre’s Contribution To The Economy Fig 84. Theatres Represented in Full SOLT Membership in 2009 Fig 85. Productions Running in 2009 – Full Members and Affiliate Members Appendix The Author of this Report & Acknowledgements Fig 86. 1986-2009 Table of Comparative Figures Fig 87. 1986-2009 Attendance & Revenue – Graph

Introduction ~ Page iv

57 58 58 59 60 61 61 61 61 61 62 63 64 64 64 65 65 66 66 66 66 67 67 67 67 68 68 68 69 70 71 72 73 73 73 74 74 75 76 78 79 79 79 79 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 85 86 86 87 87 88 88 89 90 91 100 100 101 102

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SOLT Box Office Data Report 2009

SOLT Box Office Data Report 2009

Introduction This report summarises and analyses the results of the year-round Box Office Data Survey conducted among the 51 theatres that were represented in full membership of the Society of London Theatre in 2009 and the key findings for 12 affiliate theatres (See Figure 73 Section III). All data is reported anonymously i.e. data for individual shows are not identified in the report. The report endeavours to provide information in a clear graphic form so that trends can be easily identified. It should be noted that conclusions and commentary in relation to any of the areas of analysis can only be based on the information provided and on known external factors. Additionally, because of the continuing evolution in the methods of attributing collated data, there may be some small variations between historical data given in this report and statistics already published in previous reports. The report consists of three sections: SECTION I

provides a detailed analysis of the key findings of the research programme for all SOLT theatres in 2009.

SECTION II

contrasts the results of the Subsidised and Commercial sectors of London theatre.

SECTION III

presents an analysis of the results according to the genre (e.g. musical or play), provides an analysis of the key findings of the research programme for Affiliate theatres in 2009, and examines the London theatre industry’s contribution to the economy.

The 53-week year: a note on the reporting period All member theatres make weekly returns on their attendance, revenue and advance figures for each production, which are usually analysed over a period of 52 weeks. However, because the calendar year is actually 52 weeks and 1 day (2 days in leap years) and the box office returns for this survey are in full weeks, i.e. not broken down into days, days are lost from the end of the reporting period each year. In order to keep the calendar and reporting years in line, a ‘53 rd’ or ‘leap’ week has to be added every so often. Since the Christmas and New Year period is the busiest of the year, losing one or two days or gaining a week at this time can have a significant effect on the revenue and attendance figures. This was the case in 2008, when a ‘53rd week’ needed to be included. The actual reporting period was therefore from Monday 30 December 2007 to Sunday 4 January 2009. This should be borne in mind when direct comparisons are made between year-end total figures for 2009, which was a ‘normal’ 52 week year, running from Monday 5 January 2009 to Sunday 3 January 2009.

Introduction ~ Page v

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SOLT Box Office Data Report 2009

Overview of the Year 2009 2009 was again a record breaking year for London theatre, for the fifth successive year, even though 2008 had included a 53rd ‘leap’ week. The year saw the highest number of attendances since this survey began in 1986 at 14,257,922, with ticket receipts reaching £504,765,690, contributing £75,177,869 to government coffers in VAT. The number of performances was marginally down at 17,899, giving a seating capacity of 19,666,766, but resulting in a seating capacity filled of 73% – the best ever. The figures were particularly impressive for plays, which achieved a record attendance total of 3,637,714, a huge 26% up on 2008. The number of visitors to Britain from abroad fell by 7% in 2009, although the number of holiday visits grew by 3%, while the number of visitors from the rest of Great Britain was down by 4.6%. Visitors to London represent a significant proportion of theatregoers. Roughly two fifths of tickets are purchased by residents of Greater London, two fifths by visitors from the rest of the UK, and one fifth by visitors from around the world. After January, when attendances were below both the previous year and the three year average, and a dip in April during the week of the G20 Summit Conference, business from Easter onwards throughout 2009 was consistently up on the previous year, particularly so during the third quarter. As in previous recessions, it seems that the Great British public showed a ‘determination to be entertained’, with domestic ‘staycations’, and foreign visitors encouraged by the fall in the Pound, taking attendances way beyond anything ever achieved in previous summers. The record breaking figures of 2007 and 2008, which saw average advances double the previous norm, were driven by a raft of major musicals, either Broadway imports or ‘reality television’ cast revivals. This came to an end in 2009. While all these shows continued to run, unsurprisingly their business cooled slightly, and only Priscilla Queen Of The Desert and Sister Act joined them, with public interest in Spring Awakening failing to measure up to its award-winning reputation. The big driver behind the business in 2009 was plays, often featuring major name actors. The Donmar West End Season, with Derek Jacobi in Twelfth Night, Judi Dench in Madame De Sade and Jude Law in Hamlet (which subsequently transferred to Broadway) played to 98% business. The National Theatre’s production of War Horse transferred to the West End, while on the South Bank, American import August: Osage County and Alan Bennett’s new play The Habit Of Art, with Richard Griffiths, also sold out. The Royal Court produced back to back hits in Enron and Jerusalem, both of which announced West End transfers in 2010. The Old Vic offered the Bridge Project’s The Cherry Orchard and The Winter’s Tale, plus Kevin Spacey in Inherit The Wind. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in Waiting For Godot must surely be the most (only?) commercially successful production of the play ever produced. So much so, that having given way for Breakfast At Tiffany’s with Anna Friel, it returned. Calendar Girls, with an ever-changing array of names young and old, brought the film to the stage, while The Misanthrope with Kiera Knightley and Damien Lewis brought film glamour to the West End. The success of Stand Up Comedy in 2008, seemingly the perfect answer to the recession for both audiences – who wanted a laugh – and producers – who appreciated reduced bills for scenery and costumes – failed to repeat itself. Seasons by Ross Noble, Dylan Moran and Ed Byrne, often competing with each other, failed to find the same audience numbers. The year had a rousing finale, with shows doing extra performances in the Christmas/New Year week, resulting in ‘best week ever’ figures by The Lion King and We Will Rock You, so that business topped £16 million for the week – £2 million above the previous record. The good news for ticket buyers was that, unlike in the previous two years, prices rose by slightly less than the rate of inflation rather than outstripping it, thanks in part to the temporary reduction in VAT. The opinions expressed in this section are entirely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or policies of the Society Of London Theatre.

Introduction ~ Page vi

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SOLT Box Office Data Report 2009

Figure 1 Comparison of 2009 Key Figures with Previous Three Years

















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Introduction ~ Page vii

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SOLT Box Office Data Report 2009

Figure 2 Summary of Key Results for 2009 and Comparison with Previous Year

2009

Attendances 2009

Attendances: Up

14,257,922

2008 13,892,460

2009 achieved the highest attendance since records started

Revenue: Up

%

+365,462

+2.6%

Revenue 2009

2008

Difference

%

£504,765,690

£483,349,423

+£21,416,267

+4.4%

2009 was the first time revenue was

Theatres Open

over £500,000,000

Average Number of Theatres Open: Up

Difference

2009

2008

Difference

%

45

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0

0%

Number of Performances

Number of Performances: Down

2009

2008

Difference

%

17,899

18,275

-376

-2.1%

Number of Seats on Sale

Seating Capacity: Down

2009

2008

Difference

%

19,666,766

19,738,414

-71,648

-0.4%

Capacity Sold

Capacity Sold: Up – the best figure ever recorded

2009

2008

Difference

72.0%

70.0%

+2.0%

%

Ticket Prices 2009

2008

Difference

%

Average ticket price asked

£43.07

£42.18

+£0.89

+ 2.1%

Average ticket price paid

£35.40

£34.79

+£0.61

+ 1.8%

Percentage gap

21.7%

21.2%

+ 0.5%

VAT Paid VAT Paid: Down – due to reduced 15% VAT rate

2009

2008

Difference

%

£65,839,003

£71,988,212

-£6,149,209

-9.0%

Advance Bookings

Advance Bookings (weekly average): Down

Introduction ~ Page viii

2009

2008

Difference

%

£50,791,201

£55,840,919

-£5,049,718

-9.0%

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SOLT Box Office Data Report 2009

Figure 3


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