#1
Posted: 9/9/23 at 6:50pm
I recently saw Book of Mormon in London and a program was 5 pounds. Is this the norm?
Updated On: 9/9/23 at 06:50 PM
Paying For Programs London
#2
Posted: 9/9/23 at 6:57pm
Yup. Programs usually cost £4-£6 but I have seen them up to £12 for some shows.
#3
Posted: 9/9/23 at 7:11pm
Yeah. The ones I got were between £5 and £15 depending on the show and the quality. Some were like the souvenir programs we get over on Broadway.
The breakdown of mine:
Operation Mincemeat - £5
Cabaret - £15
Oklahoma - £5
A Strange Loop - £8
Guys & Dolls - £5
Brokeback Mountain - £5
The Choir of Man - £6
Heathers - £10
La Cage Aux Folles - £5
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#4
Posted: 9/9/23 at 7:13pm
I can also confirm that this is normal. London programs are more like the program books at Broadway shows. Frankly, they are worth purchasing. Especially if you're visiting London. It's a great thing to keep to remind you of your time in the West End.
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#5
Posted: 9/9/23 at 7:31pm
Wasn’t there some story back from when Miss Saigon opened in London about Cameron printing handbills in his office and handing them out to the audience because the theatre wouldn’t do it?
I may be off on those details but hopefully someone will know the specifics.
He basically thought London theatres should provide basic cast info, the way Broadway theatres do via Playbills. Obviously those are paid for by adverting. Maybe that wasn’t/still isn’t a viable item to produce in London.
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Updated On: 9/9/23 at 07:31 PM
#6
Posted: 9/9/23 at 7:41pm
Oh I forgot Cabaret is £15 - and they change them for every cast. But those are REALLY nice.
#7
Posted: 9/9/23 at 10:17pm
Jordan Catalano said: "Oh I forgot Cabaret is £15 - and they change them for every cast. But those are REALLY nice."
Indeed they are! I do like that they have programs from previous casts available on their online shop. I got one of the OG cast online and, of course, the one of the current (soon to be leaving) cast.
The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince
#8
Posted: 9/10/23 at 12:38am
Jordan Catalano said: "Oh I forgot Cabaret is £15 - and they change them for every cast. But those are REALLY nice."
Oh most definitely! Before I framed it, I was in awe about how much the quality was better than many Broadway programs I had. It felt like a soft cover coffee table book.
FWIW, if you plan to get it signed though, you should have a metallic-colored marker on hand because the exterior covers are PITCH BLACK
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#9
Posted: 9/10/23 at 1:57am
I never pay for a program when I'm seeing shows in London. I think I just resent the idea. Wherever you go to the theater in the US, whether it be professional, regional, or high school, you always get a free program...
I do at least appreciate the National Theater printing out cast lists. And since the advent of the internet, you can always look up the castand creatives online.
#10
Posted: 9/10/23 at 12:23pm
Idea for Broadway producers: charge for the playbills and lower the ticket prices?
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#11
Posted: 9/10/23 at 1:15pm
muscle23ftl said: "Idea for Broadway producers: charge for the playbills and lower the ticket prices?"
I don’t think that would honestly do that much. They’re going to spend money on Playbills regardless of who would buy them. Plus, with the amount of Playbills you see on the ground as your leave, that usually means to me that many audience members don’t care to keep them
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#12
Posted: 9/10/23 at 1:16pm
Why would anyone pay for a Playbill when it is primarily filled with ads and generic articles?
#13
Posted: 9/11/23 at 9:36am
muscle23ftl said: "Idea for Broadway producers: charge for the playbills and lower the ticket prices?"
This is illogical since the productions don't pay for them anyway, unless they exceed the standard number of pages or want a color cover.
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#14
Posted: 9/11/23 at 9:41am
You do get what you pay for with London programs- they contain writings about the production, production photos, and more. It’s very different from a Playbill, which is essentially an ad-heavy fluff magazine with artist bios in the middle. They range from the premium production programs that LCT has that contain essays about themes and concepts in the production to the souvenir programs many larger musical productions sell.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
Updated On: 9/11/23 at 09:41 AM
#15
Posted: 9/11/23 at 9:56am
muscle23ftl said: "Idea for Broadway producers: charge for the playbills and lower the ticket prices?"
Idea: No.
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