Should West End productions post weekly grosses like Broadway?

Should West End productions post weekly grosses like Broadway? Rate Topic:

#1 Marius

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Posted 19 February 2007 - 12:07 PM

Simple really, do you think West End productions should post their weekly grosses, and are there any plus/or dowsides to doing this?

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#2 Marius

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Posted 19 February 2007 - 12:27 PM

QUOTE(Marius @ Feb 19 2007, 12:07 PM)

Simple really, do you think West End productions should post their weekly grosses, and are there any plus/or dowsides to doing this?

And another thought, if the response to this is overwhelming 'Yes' then could whatsonstage join the crusade to get producers to do it, or do an article on why they dont? just a thought.

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#3 Guest_Guest_*

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Posted 19 February 2007 - 12:42 PM

I don't really see why they should - though I do understand why a lot of people would like them to. Ultimately, it's information that is of sole direct relevance to those who have a direct financial involvement in the project - be it as an investor, or a creative - and no real practical purpose to anyone else. In a culture that likes nothing more than failure - and particularly failure on a grand scale - in reality, the figures would be nothing more than an opportunity to see which shows are failing, and a device for the press to generate copy that will hammer them into the ground.

More than anything though, I can't really see why anyone thinks should have a right to see them.

Just my opinion.

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#4 Marius

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Posted 19 February 2007 - 12:56 PM

I personally find it interesting, not coz I want to see how badly shows are doing, but it just interests me how shows do against eachother. Plus if a show is doing badly I would make that a priority to see it. It would also stop the amount of gossip and sniping that goes on with regards to how good/bad shows are doing.

If the producers dont like people seeing it, then why do they do it on broadway. There is less bitching about shows doing badly on broadway message boards for example as people can see the facts

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#5 Peter

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Posted 19 February 2007 - 01:06 PM

QUOTE(Marius @ Feb 19 2007, 12:56 PM)

It would also stop the amount of gossip and sniping that goes on with regards to how good/bad shows are doing.

If the producers dont like people seeing it, then why do they do it on broadway. There is less bitching about shows doing badly on broadway message boards for example as people can see the facts

I voted 'yes' purely on that basis - I get quite fed up with reading on the message boards that so-and-so show is failing and playing to empty houses, with only hearsay for backup (or worse, the 'I have a friend who's an usher' line). At least this way we'd have a fair idea of the status of a show regarding box office receipts and it would stop all the rumour-mongering...

"Don't you DARE use 'party' as a verb in my shop!"

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#6 Guest_Guest_*

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Posted 19 February 2007 - 01:35 PM

QUOTE(Marius @ Feb 19 2007, 12:56 PM)

I can understand that, but were I a producer I wouldn't want to lay open to the eyes of the world my financial performance, purely to satisfy the curiosity of a few punters.

I think that on Broadway it's become part of the way in which the industry operates - which is to say, the industry has grown and evolved with this being part of it.

I suppose the financial affairs of limited companies are in the public domain, and so surely if you really were curious enough, there would ways and means of finding out what the overall performance of these shows is like.

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#7 In the Know

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Posted 19 February 2007 - 01:42 PM

It would be nice ............. but should makes it sound so legal

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#8 M George

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Posted 19 February 2007 - 02:09 PM

I don't necessarily think the grosses SHOULD be released. Other organisations aren't required to publicise their financial status so why should producers? Whether it happens on Broadway or not is irrelevant.

However, it would be interesting to see how much the West End shows gross particularly in comparison to the Broadway grosses.

I won't be called a baggage!

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#9 David

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Posted 19 February 2007 - 05:26 PM

It's not something I'm particularly interested in- I might check it out for the first couple of weeks then get bored with them, however I don't see any reason why the grosses shouldn't be published for those theatregoers/economists, so I say yes, why not?