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Mackintosh Adopts Off-Peak Pricing for Musicals

From the end of this month, producer Cameron Mackintosh will introduce a new two-tier pricing structure for his three longrunning, blockbuster musicals in the West End - Boublil and Schonberg's Les Miserables at the Palace, Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's and Trevor Nunn's revival of Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane - all of which have now extended booking by six months up to 20 December 2003.

The new pricing policy divides performance into either peak or off-peak, according to varying patterns of demand during the week and across the year. At off-peak performances - Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and midweek matinees except during school holidays and over the Christmas period - top-price tickets will drop by £10 to just £30 (as opposed to the current £40). At other, peak performances, the top price will be raised by £2.50 to £42.50.

Some other West End musicals have already adopted a peak performance policy, most notably Queen hit We Will Rock You, though, there, midweek performances remain capped at £40 while Friday evenings and Saturday matinees have been raised to £45 and Saturday evenings to £50.

In a press statement, Mackintosh explained the thinking behind the new pricing: "The concept of variable prices for the same seat at different times of the year has long been accepted as standard in other areas of the leisure industry, particularly airlines. In implementing this scheme, we are responding to public demand for a wider choice of prices."

- by Terri Paddock

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