Time for Restoration Levy on All Tickets???

An extra charge could be placed on all West End theatre tickets in future to help raise money to refurbish commercial Theatreland’s crumbling venues, many of them listed buildings. A restoration levy is one of the suggestions under consideration by a London Assembly team. Bob Blackman, a member of the team, told the Observer newspaper: “There is definitely potential for a ticket levy to be introduced because there has clearly been under-investment for many years”.

Impresario Cameron Mackintosh, who has invested over £35 million of his own money into work on his West End theatres, has been imposing a small (75p) restoration levy on ticket sales for the past several years (See The Goss, 5 Dec 2003).

This is not the first time that a more widespread maintenance levy has been tabled. Four years ago a report by the Theatres Trust claimed London theatres were in need of an estimated £250 million refurbishment in order to make them comfortable and accessible for a modern audience. Talk of a levy has come at a profitable time for West End theatre. Last year saw an unprecedented rise in attendance and box office takings.

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