London Theatre Report
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LONDON THEATRE REPORT by Alistair Smith commissioned by the Society of London Theatre and the National Theatre LONDON THEATRE REPORT © 2014 Printed on recycled paper by L&S Printing www.ls-printing.com Set in Bernur by Cuttlefish, and Reader Black and Archive Roman by Colophon Foundry www.colophon-foundry.org Designed by RULER www.thisisruler.net C,0 START CONTENTS CHAPTER PAG E 0 INTRODUCTION 6 1 MAPPING LONDON THEATRE 13 2 EMPLOYMENT 24 3 BOX OFFICE, ATTENDANCE AND AUDIENCES 34 A APPENDIX 43 6 LONDON THEATRE REPORT 0,0 London theatre is widely Both continue to work held to be enjoying a golden in London theatre. And, period. Both artistically and at beyond these high profile the box office, it is booming. names, there is a wealth of creative and technical talent, Shows like War Horse, Matilda whose expertise is in huge INTRODUCand Billy Elliot are popular demand across- the globe. hits both at home and abroad; new channels of distribution And yet, this report has been are being found for theatre borne out of frustration. via cinema screenings and Working in and around online broadcasts; inventive theatre there are a lot of companies like Punchdrunk things that we instinctively are pushing the boundaries know, that we take for granted. TION of what theatre is, while also making work that appeals We may be world-beaters at to large audiences; the making theatre in the UK, “THERE WAS West End has reported its and in London specifically, tenth consecutive year of but when it comes to collating NO LIST OF record box office takings; data to prove the health work originating in our and vibrancy of the sector, ALL LONDON not-for-profit theatres like we are lagging some way Shakespeare’s Globe is the behind the competition. THEATRES. IT toast of New York; audiences in London have an un- I recently gave a talk to a SIMPLY DID matched variety of theatre group of young entrepreneurs and theatres on offer - from who were studying on a cross- NOT EXIST” ambitious and experimental sector course covering the new writing in tiny backrooms creative industries. From one above pubs to large scale week to the next they were musicals in the commercial looking into areas as diverse West End and superb classical film, music, publishing, revivals in subsidised venues. online entertainment and, yes, theatre. They were Meanwhile, British theatre universally shocked (even talent leaves its mark across appalled) at the lack of the world. Performers like information available about Judi Dench, Daniel Day our industry, when compared Lewis and Helen Mirren, to these other sectors. who started their careers in theatre, have gone on to An example. When we started become Oscar winners and collating this report, there major international film stars. was no available, recognised Directors like Danny Boyle, list of all professional theatres whose career began with the in London. It simply did not Joint Stock Theatre Company, exist. That meant in turn recently created the awe- that no overall attendance inspiring Opening Ceremony or box office figures existed. for the London Olympics. Reliable employment estimates Sam Mendes has journeyed for theatre? Forget it. from Covent Garden’s Donmar Warehouse to James Bond. 0: INTRODUCTION 7 ... Historically, the reason for will also provide a baseline this is the fragmentation of against which developments in the sector. Despite the fact the sector can be measured. that artists and creatives move freely from fringe to The report does not set out to subsidised theatres to the measure quality, diversity of commercial West End, when it repertoire or innovation. It has come to any form of report is a commonly held view that on London theatre previously, the current ‘golden period’ these have tended to focus owes much to the breadth and on one area of the industry. diversity of working models So, while the Society of in both the commercial and London Theatre publishes an not-for-profit sectors and the annual guide to its members’ interplay between them. The box office and attendances, report also does not examine this only covers a portion who makes up the audiences of theatres in the capital – at London theatres or where certainly a large portion they have come from. (indeed this report reveals just how large a portion it is), but However we believe this to by no means all of it. Likewise, be the most comprehensive when Arts Council England report that has ever been talks about theatre (in London published on the size, number or elsewhere), it is talking and location of theatres in about the theatre it funds, not London. It is also the first all theatre, so you are again to make a serious attempt presented with a partial view. to estimate the overall box office and attendance, as well In this report, we want to employment levels. It includes present a complete picture 50-seat backroom theatres of the size and shape of above pubs, local authority London theatre, or certainly a run theatres in outer London, picture that is more complete major national institutions than anything that has gone like the National Theatre and before. Undoubtedly, it can be large commercial receiving improved upon and expanded. houses like the Lyceum or But we hope to do this in the London Palladium. future years when the results 8 LONDON THEATRE REPORT KEY 0,1 STATISTICS LONDON HAS 241 IN 2012/13, LONDON WESTMINSTER ALONE THE LARGEST THEATRES PROFESSIONAL THEATRES THEATRE TOOK £618.5M ACCOUNTS FOR MORE THAN ARE BY FAR THE BIGGEST WITH A SEATING CAPACITY OF AT THE BOX OFFICE, MORE A THIRD OF LONDON’S EMPLOYERS OF PERFORMERS. MORE THAN 110,000. THAN WAS TAKEN BY THEATRE CAPACITY. LONDON’S CINEMAS. ONLY 1 IN 5 ACTORS ON IN 2012/13, MORE THAN AT ANY ONE TIME, LONDON’S THE FRINGE ARE BEING 22 MILLION PEOPLE LONDON THEATRE IS GROWING THEATRES ENGAGE MORE PAID NATIONAL MINIMUM ATTENDED LONDON THEATRE – BOTH ADMISSIONS AND THAN 3,000 PERFORMERS. WAGE OR ABOVE. PERFORMANCES. WE BELIEVE BOX OFFICE WERE UP IN ON TOP OF THIS, THERE ARE THIS MAKES LONDON 2012/13 ON 2011/12. MORE THAN 6,500 FULL TIME IN 2012/13, THE AVERAGE THE BIGGEST THEATRE NON-PERFORMING STAFF TICKET PRICE PAID IN LONDON CITY IN THE WORLD. THEATRES RANGE IN SIZE ENGAGED AT ANY ONE TIME. WAS £27.76. THIS WAS FROM THE 30-SEAT LORD DOWN ON 2011/12. STANLEY PUB TO THE 3,600- SEAT HAMMERSMITH APOLLO. 0: INTRODUCTION 9 0,2 HOW? When deciding that we wanted The main three were: What is to report on professional London? What is theatre? And London theatre, we first had to what is professional theatre? answer a number of questions. WHAT IS 0,3 LONDON? We took as our definition of boroughs. We take the London, the administrative statutory definition of Inner area of Greater London, London and Outer London consisting of the city of and class the City of London London and the 32 London as an Inner London borough. what IS 0,4 THEATRE? This is a thorny issue and be regarded as theatre. “THIS IS was a subject of some debate Music concerts and comedy, among the panel. We have for example, have not been A DEEPLY taken theatre in a reasonably classed as theatre. Where a broad sense, including venue regularly (although THORNY IS- dance, opera and musical perhaps only occasionally) theatre alongside what many hosts theatre, we have classed SUE AND WAS might traditionally regard as it as a theatre. However, ‘straight’ theatre or plays. We when we have come to A SUBJECT OF have also made a distinction include data about audiences between theatre and a theatre. or box office, we have only SOME DEBATE So, while we might class the included figures from full- Royal Festival Hall as a theatre time theatre venues so that AMONG THE because it plays host to some there is no chance of over- of the activities that we class estimating London theatre PANEL” as theatre, not everything attendance or box office. that goes on within the Royal Festival Hall could (or should) 10 LONDON THEATRE REPORT ... Meanwhile, we have classed included, but music concerts a theatre as being one and stand-up comedy are not. theatre auditorium, so the National Theatre counts as By now, I suspect you’re three theatres (the Olivier, wondering why this is all so Cottesloe and Lyttelton). building-based. In truth, the reasons are mainly practical. It should be said that there When monitoring activity were various places where we within a given geographical could have drawn the lines area (London), the easiest around our definition, but way of doing this is to look the list of theatres included at the permanent structures in this report reflected to the within that area hosting the panel definition we were all activity. This, it should be happy with. Fundamentally noted, is not exhaustive, but – and on a basic level – we it does cover the vast majority felt that theatre featured of theatre activity in London people on stage performing and, where possible, we have to an audience and (generally) attempted to include available pretending (acting) to be data from non-building based someone they are not. Hence activity in the capital. why opera and dance are WHAT IS ‘PROFESSIONAL’ 0,5 THEATRE? Another thorny issue. One ecology (nor is it seeking to might be tempted to say be), so was not deemed to be that a professional theatre within the report’s remit. is somewhere that employs performers. However, by Our definition of a doing this one would rule out professional theatre, then, a large chunk of the fringe was somewhere that self- sector, which often doesn’t defined itself as professional ‘employ’ anyone in any real and was reviewed as such.