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Sadler's Wells is taking scissors to its prices
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent2 Dec 2008
Sadler's Wells is sparking a theatre price war by slashing its Christmas show prices by 15 per cent.
Top price tickets for Edward Scissorhands - by the choreographer Matthew Bourne, who created the male Swan Lake - have been cut from £50 to £42.50. Cheapest seats are £8.50, down from £10 for all tickets booked by 25 December for the run.
The move was made by chief executive Alistair Spalding in response to the Chancellor's desire for an immediate stimulus to the economy.
He said audiences had suggested that a 2.5 per cent reduction in VAT was not large enough to make a significant difference at this time of year for most families.
He added: "For Sadler's Wells, which has a commitment to providing affordable tickets, it makes much more sense to give a substantial reduction on our biggest show of the year, rather than an insignificant one over a season.
"The underlying intention we got from the Chancellor's statement was he was interested in stimulating the economy right now, which was why we chose to focus on our Christmas show.
"When people come to Sadler's Wells, our local economy is boosted.
"Local restaurants are more busy. They look at our schedule and some restaurants don't open when we don't have a show on."
After Christmas, prices will be kept at the rate as advertised in the new season brochure, which had been printed just before the pre-Budget report.
Mr Spalding said that revised rates would be introduced when that ran out in September as it would have been too costly and complicated to have changed them now.
Theatreland has made a mixed response to the VAT cut. All theatres owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group are passing on the reduction to the nearest 50p. For example, a £55 ticket costs £53.82 after the reduction but will now sell for £53.50.
Shows which have reduced ticket prices this week include Grease, Mamma Mia!, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and The Sound Of Music.
