No train, no gain – the crisis on our public transport network is amplifying theatre’s woes

At the end of the pandemic, I made the choice to relocate out of London – a mixture of health, dog and family-related reasons all involved. Now at the mercy of South Western Railway for getting home, needless to say it has remarkably shifted my perspective on both theatregoing and travelling to and from the capital or beyond.

With regional theatres facing precarious times, the lack of transport provision for audiences is becoming increasingly problematic. Heading up to Manchester to catch A Taste of Honey at the Royal Exchange comes with eye-watering costs – two advanced single tickets from London to Manchester Piccadilly and back would come in over £80 if booking now for two weeks’ time, with an off-peak return now over £100. That’s before you’ve even factored in accommodation expenses.

Both cost and timetabling are hurdles for audiences to overcome. Over the Easter holidays, the last trains to Leicestershire leave London at 10.30pm – anyone wanting to hop into London for a show longer than two and a half hours will have to sprint from their venue to King’s Cross in order to make it (if the king’s cross, imagine how the passengers feel). Looks like any commuting Mamma Mia! audiences won’t be able to get that man after midnight from the comfort of their own home.

What this does is stifles the ability for work to gain a national foothold – if critics or audiences are unable to justify the travel or hotels involved in trekking across the nation, shows outside of major cities or the West End bubble won’t get the same look-in. There doesn’t seem to be a natural solution (beyond a nationalisation of the rail system, and an understanding of the vital role) while rail companies continue to hike up prices without considering the consequences for local, or national economies.

Perhaps there are imaginative solutions – the National Theatre’s decision to trial select earlier show start times is an excellent thing that will hopefully prompt more London venues to do the same. Having venues or organisations partner with rail companies in order to provide discounts and incentives may help, but this will only chisle away at a much more widespread problem. Your only chance of catching a fast train this summer may be at the new revival of Starlight Express.