Why so many limited runs in London?

Limited theatres in London?

BroadMagTech said: "There are actually more theatres in London than on Broadway"

Aren't there more long running shows? Which includes plays, such as the MOUSETRAP and THE WOMAN IN BLACK or WAR HORSE which will be closing.

It may be because theater is government subsidized and they don't need to rely on long runs to pay their investors back.

Uhm, London is not as West End-centred as New York is Broadway-centred, many renowed playhouses are not West End (Barbican, National Theatre, Donmar Playhouse, Menier, etc...) and I might be wrong but I think I read that London is the city with most theatres in the world. But yes, they tend to have a more strict limited run policy. The new musical Mrs. Henderson Presents has a limited run, Bend it like Beckham was an open run; Guys and Dolls at the Savoy was limited, now that it's trasferring to the Phoenix I think it's a open run. To be fair, several limited seasons have been extended, like Funny Girl or Gypsy at the Savoy, Candide at the Menier, In the Heights, last year revival of Sweeney Todd set in a pie shop, etc.

Audiences in London are different. They'll fall all over a big Hollywood star just like us Americans, but they'll also spend top dollar to see a new play starring stage actors if it's supposed to be good. You could hardly say the same for Broadway. There are only one or two straight plays per year not starring TV or movie people.

The costs of putting on a show are lower as well. A show doesn't have to play as long to earn money. The market is less driven by awards, so there's less pressure to stuff a bunch of openings into one month like every April in New York. There are also, as has been pointed out above, more venues. Those venues need shows, and not everything is meant to run forever.

One thing I am consistently surprised by is how short the turnover is between shows. I am not sure about how London unions work, but well respected non-profits like the Donmar Warehouse or the Old Vic can close one production, tear down the set, load another set in, tech the show, and open for previews in less than two weeks. That'd never happen at the Atlantic or Second Stage.