66 replies to this topic

[peggs]

Matthew Winn, on 25 September 2012 - 05:01 AM, said:

It's easy to justify the various supplementary charges and fees: "We have an absolute monopoly and you have to play the game our way or not at all, so we'll charge whatever the hell we like and you'll suck it up". They may dress it up in fancy talk about administration costs and providing services, but that's what they're saying.

I'd respect them more if they said this rather than all the fancy tosh

[mrsherlockholmes]

I believe that theatres do a percentage split of the box office takings with the visiting company eg 70%/30%.  By imposing booking fees and restoration levies the theatre can gain extra income without sharing it with the visiting company.

[DanielWhit]

mrsherlockholmes, on 26 September 2012 - 04:12 PM, said:

I believe that theatres do a percentage split of the box office takings with the visiting company eg 70%/30%.  By imposing booking fees and restoration levies the theatre can gain extra income without sharing it with the visiting company.

I've never known a theatre work in that way. What is more standard is for a hire rate to be arranged, the box office to take a commission on sales and the balance to be settled between the theatre and company after the event. Booking fees etc tend to stick with the theatre itself, rather than the visiting company.

[bickypeg]

I was more than a little peeved recently when booking tickets for 3 shows (in person) at Bradford Alhambra with a £50 gift token to be charged an extra £1 per ticket!Surely it should be £1 per transaction?They all shot out of the machine together...

[FireFingers]

You guys would of had a fit if you'd been booking tickets for the Rolling Stones at the 02. Tickets were between £106 and £406, with a booking fee of £31 per ticket. Madness!

[Michael]

I'm stunned at some of the booking fees quoted on Theatremonkey for Twelfth Night at the Apollo: See Tickets charge a £15 per ticket fee (+ £2.75 per booking) for top price (£75) seats. Encore Tickets charge up to £20 fee per ticket (+ £2 if you want it posted).

[xanderl]

Seems fairly common that some of the agencies charge "premium prices" for scarce tickets and claim it's a booking fee.

[Lover]

DanielWhit, on 10 October 2012 - 10:07 PM, said:

I've never known a theatre work in that way. What is more standard is for a hire rate to be arranged, the box office to take a commission on sales and the balance to be settled between the theatre and company after the event. Booking fees etc tend to stick with the theatre itself, rather than the visiting company.

Actually both ways work. Depends on the show.

Amdram almost always do hire rates, because it guarentees the theatre will cover their fees (ok of course recharges still to be added)
Professional that will do "well" will quite often do  a split percentage on the sales.

Really depends on the product.

[musicals fan]

I have spotted that ENO are doing their best to recover their losses:


*Booking Fees

Online booking fee £1.75 per transaction. Telephone and postal booking fee £3.50 per transaction. No fee when booking in person at the Box Office.

[Backdrifter]

I'm always amused by the zero fee for booking in person. I suppose the phone and postal bookings go via external organisations who have to be paid whereas if you show up at the BO they don't need to charge you for using the other company's air.