42 replies to this topic

[zyx123]

RedRose, on 14 February 2013 - 12:21 PM, said:

5 £ for the Trafalgar Macbeth programme- seriously?!

Isn't Trafalgar Studios ATG? Their programmes are usually £4.

The biggest rip-off programme is the Menier. The one for Merrily was £4 and there was hardly anything in it.

[Pharaoh's number 2]

It is ATG, but it's £5 for this one apparently. Trafalgar Studio 2, which is also ATG, has programmes at a more reasonable £2.50.

[KevinUK]

BahHumbug, on 13 February 2013 - 09:40 AM, said:

I work for the UK's leading programme publisher. People complaining about the number of advertisements maybe don't realise that most theatres wouldn't be able to afford to order programmes without the subsidy they receive due to our ads sales. Without this, audience members would be paying considerably more for their programmes than at present.

I disagree actually. A west end show should be able to afford programmes with or without advertising revenue, as the cost per unit is ultimately lower than the sale value, and should be incorporated into the budget.

However the volume of adverts leads me to believe the revenue either meets or exceeds the production costs, and all money made from the sale is pure profit.

But what they seem not to recognise is that if they oped to include a few more pages of adverts then the revenue generated would cover their profit margin and allow theatre goers to have the programmes free - meaning you are able to guarantee the advertisers a larger audience (depending on ticket sales of course).

If programmes followed the same model as say The Evening Standard (once 50p a day, now free due to advertising revenue), we could accept all the adverts in the world - especially if they are adverts for new shows (who else better to advertise to than someone sat in a theatre waiting for a show to start?).