West End show to celebrate solo theatregoing with new scheme

The West End production of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has introduced two new audience initiatives at the Ambassadors Theatre, aimed at enhancing the experience of its growing community of returning and solo theatregoers.

Data from ATG Entertainment Venues reveals that 33.3 per cent of audience members attending the musical are solo theatregoers, a figure that is 60 per cent higher than the average for West End musicals.

In response, the production has launched “The Curious Corner” at The Pickled Crab, the on-site pub adjacent to the theatre. The area is signposted as a designated meeting spot for solo attendees, encouraging informal conversation and connection before the performance.

In addition, the show has noted a significant number of repeat attendees, with 1,800 audience members having seen the production more than once, and over 100 returning at least five times. A new “Loyalty Card” is now available from the Ambassadors Theatre box office.

Attendees can collect one stamp per future visit, with rewards offered at five and ten stamps. These include a “letter in a bottle” from the production and a limited-edition poster signed by the full cast.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received three five-star reviews from WhatsOnStage, to go along with its three Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, Outstanding Musical Contribution for Darren Clark and Mark Aspinall, and Best Actor in a Musical for John Dagleish.

The original West End cast recording is available on streaming platforms, where it has so far reached over 310,000 streams.