London’s theatres were bursting at the seams with audiences in 2014, box office figures released today show, with 14,744,887 theatregoers attending a performance last year.
The total, the highest ever recorded, was up 1.01% on 2013’s previous record.
The figures, released today by industry body the Society of London Theatre (SOLT), which also runs this website, also reported that 2014 saw gross sales rise to £623,616,401, contributing £103,936,067 in VAT for the Treasury.
The rise in attendance was achieved even with two of the West End’s largest theatres, the London Palladium and the Dominion, being dark for large portions of the year. This was countered by other theatres playing to a larger percentage of seating capacity filled (73.1%, up from 72.7%).
Speaking about the figures, SOLT President Caro Newling said: “These annual figures show a positive year for London theatre – albeit one with a minimal growth after those of past years. Increased future demand and a reduction in discounting for popular shows offer further encouragement for the long-term health of one of London’s leading cultural sectors.”
While overall attendance grew last year, this was driven in the most part by plays, which saw attendance rise by 4% to 4,425,220. Productions including Skylight, starring Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy, the Royal Shakespeare Company productions of Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies, the stage adaptation of Shakespeare In Love and the new hit comedy The Play That Goes Wrong, fuelled this rise.
Musical attendance remained stable at 8,158,040, with new shows including Memphis The Musical, and Sunny Afternoon joining with the revivals of Miss Saigon and Cats to replace the closing We Will Rock You, Stephen Ward and From Here To Eternity.
The SOLT figures relate to all the major theatres, both commercial and grant-aided, across London.