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Stars Lend Support to Mayor's Annual DiscountingDate: 15 January 2003
Ian McKellen, Alan Davies, Stephen Tompkinson, Michael Greco, Caprice, Leigh Zimmerman, Michael Praed, Owen Teale and other West End stars joined Ken Livingstone today at the Criterion Theatre to launch the mayor's new West End ticket promotion, aimed at enticing young audiences into theatres (See News, 10 Jan 2003).
The "Get into London Theatre" campaign follows last year's post-September 11th "Greatest Show on Earth" promotion, which generated 47,000 sales of subsidised tickets. This year, the mayor's London Development Agency is contribution £350,000 in order to lower ticket prices to £10, £15 and £20 for some 70 productions. In addition, £5 tickets will be made available for under-25s and over-60s at select performances.
Livingstone also promised to run the ticket scheme on an annual basis during the post-Christmas "downtime". By doing so, he hopes to encourage a theatregoing habit amongst Londoners. Speaking at today's event, he said: "What worries me is that an awful lot of Londoners that live in this city their whole lives never go to its theatre, opera or ballet.... To live in London and not experience its theatre is a tremendous loss of opportunity."
According to data from the Society of London Theatre (SOLT), the marketing body for West End theatres, which has created the scheme in partnership with the mayor's office, a third of the West End's 12 million-plus visits each year are made by theatregoers from the London boroughs.
McKellen (pictured) - who, along with Teale and Frances De La Tour, opens in Strindberg's Dance of Death at the Lyric on 4 March (previews 20 February) - offered his vocal support at today's launch, particularly praising the opportunity for providing "a chance for young people to change their lives". With tickets at just £5, he pointed out that under-25s could purchase the best seats for nine shows for the price of one normally top-price ticket. With prices that low, he said, they "can afford to risk not having a good time" and could "discover what their tastes might be".
The reductions apply for performances until 29 March 2003, though tickets must be purchased by 28 February. A number of restaurant and hotel special offers are also available in conjunction with the scheme. For further information, call 0870 840 2468.
- by Terri Paddock
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