British transfers: money makers or myth?

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 9:30am

Keep hearing about the British model being better financially.  How many of the Brit transfers have recouped?

Top of mind Stranger Things, Sunset Blvd, Back to the Future, Cabaret, Patriots, Shark is Broken,Old Friends and Hills of California did not recoup. Mincemeat probably won't either.  

Does Merrily count as a transfer or was that an American production - they worked on it off Broadway with those three actors?

Was Dorian Grey an Aussie production or Brit? It recouped. 

 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 10:07am

I don't really have any data to provide, but my impression is that costs are simply lower in London, so successful productions can recoup much more quickly (as with the limited run of Evita). I don't think anyone's claiming that they've found an inherently superior financial model that can be copied in New York without huge pay cuts for cast, crew, and/or creatives.

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 10:20am

kdogg36 said: "I don't really have any data to provide, but my impression is that costs are simply lower in London, so successfulproductions can recoup much more quickly (as with the limited run ofEvita). I don't think anyone's claiming that they've found an inherently superior financial model that can be copied in New York without huge pay cuts for cast, crew, and/or creatives."

Yeah I keep getting pitched that the Brit transfers are better financial models than the home grown US shows...I don't think that's accurate.  They make money in London but it's proportional-  very few massive run away hits there.  The shows that are hits in both places make way more here. Ticket prices are so much lower there it kind of evens out. I do wish they would pay their actors WAY more. 

Updated On: 10/4/25 at 10:20 AM

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 11:57am

Ensemble1711444445 said: "Keep hearing about the British model being better financially. How many of the Brit transfers have recouped?

Top of mind Stranger Things, Sunset Blvd, Back to the Future, Cabaret, Patriots, Shark is Broken,Old Friends and Hills of Californiadid not recoup. Mincemeat probably won't either.

Does Merrily count as a transfer or was that an American production - they worked on it off Broadway with those three actors?

Was Dorian Grey an Aussie production or Brit? Itrecouped.

Mincemeat will recoup.  

 

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 12:18pm

Stating the obvious, but once a British production transfer, some of its costs then rise to American standards do they not?  Theatre rental and staffing immediately come to mind.  

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 12:19pm

CoffeeBreak said: "Ensemble1711444445 said: "Keep hearing about the British model being better financially. How many of the Brit transfers have recouped?

Top of mind Stranger Things, Sunset Blvd, Back to the Future, Cabaret, Patriots, Shark is Broken,Old Friends and Hills of Californiadid not recoup. Mincemeat probably won't either.

Does Merrily count as a transfer or was that an American production - they worked on it off Broadway with those three actors?

Was Dorian Grey an Aussie production or Brit? Itrecouped.

Mincemeat will recoup.

 

Mincemeat is not even close to recouping. Never going to happen. But I really like the show! 

"

 

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 12:45pm

Ensemble1711444445 said:  They make money in London but it's proportional- very few massive run away hits there. The shows that are hits in both places make way more here. Ticket prices are so much lower there it kind of evens out. I do wish they would pay their actors WAY more."

Can't speak to actor pay - but ticket prices have increased dramatically in London. And it wasn't just Evita. There are few massive runaway hits in either place. Both have the same longrunners - Lion King, Wicked, Book of Mormon.  Mamma Mia started in London before the US transfer and has not closed. Then, of course, Les Miserables and Phantom in London have outlived their US versions (with some allowance for the Les Miserables variations and even the Phantom "restaging") [then there are two special cases: The Woman in Black (now closed) and some mystery show by Agatha Christie) Somehow, Thriller ran and ran and ran. And just like some British transfers don't recoup on Broadway, the West End is filled with US 'hits" and even "long runners" that failed dramatically in London.

 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 1:30pm

There isn’t a separate modal. The modal is that things are cheaper. That’s the big difference, not some differing financial model. 

[Ensemble1711444445]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 1:36pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "There isn’t a separate modal. The modal is that things are cheaper. That’s the big difference, not some differing financial model."

yeah. just a myth that the Brit shows on Broadway are a better investment. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 2:00pm

“yeah. just a myth that the Brit shows on Broadway are a better investment.”

 

I would say that’s an immersive oversimplification of the issue, nor is this “myth” really a thing. I doubt anybody would ever call the listed shows as a better investment, they were just cheaper to put on in London. The buck ends there. 

[DaveyG]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 2:20pm

kdogg36 said: "I don't really have any data to provide, but my impression is that costs are simply lower in London, so successful productions can recoup much more quickly (as with the limited run of Evita).

My understanding is that producing a new musical in London costs approximately 1/3rd of what it would cost to mount on Broadway. So a 12 million dollar show (in USD) on Broadway would cost around 3 million GBP/4 million USD. 

[Phillypinto2]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 2:27pm

Broadway is a bigger money maker for the directors and the actors.  Not sure about producers unless you got a big hit