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The cost of taking your family to the panto is turning ugly … oh no it isn’t, oh yes it is The cost of taking your family to the panto is turning ugly … oh no it isn’t, oh yes it is
(about 17 hours later)
Pantomime was traditionally a modest but affordable affair at the local theatre, when a B-list actor took centre stage as Widow Twankey and the squeaky clean jokes were appropriate for all the family. But starting on Sunday night, in a production first for the UK, Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena hosts what is claimed to be “the world’s biggest pantomime”; it is also the most expensive.Pantomime was traditionally a modest but affordable affair at the local theatre, when a B-list actor took centre stage as Widow Twankey and the squeaky clean jokes were appropriate for all the family. But starting on Sunday night, in a production first for the UK, Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena hosts what is claimed to be “the world’s biggest pantomime”; it is also the most expensive.
Tickets for Cinderella start at £27.70, rising to £46, with no reductions for children.Tickets for Cinderella start at £27.70, rising to £46, with no reductions for children.
The production is an extravaganza on an unprecedented scale, featuring cutting-edge technology and special effects, and represents a move by some in the panto world towards an increasingly flamboyant approach.The production is an extravaganza on an unprecedented scale, featuring cutting-edge technology and special effects, and represents a move by some in the panto world towards an increasingly flamboyant approach.
Related: Five of the best pantomimes for Christmas 2015Related: Five of the best pantomimes for Christmas 2015
“Let’s face it, in the UK pantomime as a genre is seen as a bit naff,” says veteran pantomime writer and producer Jon Conway, who is behind the Birmingham production. “There is the saying: ‘If you’re doing pantomime, where’s your career? It’s behind you…’ The fact is that panto is competing with the likes of a $200m Star Wars film. You can’t go in with a few ropy special effects and expect the audience to be happy with that.”“Let’s face it, in the UK pantomime as a genre is seen as a bit naff,” says veteran pantomime writer and producer Jon Conway, who is behind the Birmingham production. “There is the saying: ‘If you’re doing pantomime, where’s your career? It’s behind you…’ The fact is that panto is competing with the likes of a $200m Star Wars film. You can’t go in with a few ropy special effects and expect the audience to be happy with that.”
Cinderella boasts a cast of more than 100, including headline celebrities Paul O’Grady and Bradley Walsh and children’s TV stars Dick and Dom.Cinderella boasts a cast of more than 100, including headline celebrities Paul O’Grady and Bradley Walsh and children’s TV stars Dick and Dom.
O’Grady, playing the Fairy Godfather, makes his entrance “flying” on to the stage in a 30-second scene using equipment costing £15,000. The stage itself is 350ft wide and 50ft high and a backdrop to aerial acrobatics and multiple 3D effects, gospel choirs and even local Bollywood dancers.O’Grady, playing the Fairy Godfather, makes his entrance “flying” on to the stage in a 30-second scene using equipment costing £15,000. The stage itself is 350ft wide and 50ft high and a backdrop to aerial acrobatics and multiple 3D effects, gospel choirs and even local Bollywood dancers.
In one scene the entire cast is on stage in an “imaginary circus” dreamed up by Walsh, as Buttons, and in another Cinderella is driven in her coach by real horses, Ben-Hur-style, through the 4,500-strong audience.In one scene the entire cast is on stage in an “imaginary circus” dreamed up by Walsh, as Buttons, and in another Cinderella is driven in her coach by real horses, Ben-Hur-style, through the 4,500-strong audience.
All this turns the production into the most expensive panto this year, exceeding even London prices, according to the price comparison website Idealo. Family tickets cost from £99, plus booking fees, for a family of four, while a hospitality package of between £78 and £90 guarantees car parking, pre-show and interval access to a private lounge, a two-course meal and a top seat.All this turns the production into the most expensive panto this year, exceeding even London prices, according to the price comparison website Idealo. Family tickets cost from £99, plus booking fees, for a family of four, while a hospitality package of between £78 and £90 guarantees car parking, pre-show and interval access to a private lounge, a two-course meal and a top seat.
“It’s a bit more expensive than your run-of-the-mill pantomime, which might cost £20 or £25, but it’s half the price of something like Cirque du Soleil,” said Conway. “And we have tried very hard to keep the cost of the merchandise down.”“It’s a bit more expensive than your run-of-the-mill pantomime, which might cost £20 or £25, but it’s half the price of something like Cirque du Soleil,” said Conway. “And we have tried very hard to keep the cost of the merchandise down.”
Conway was the co-founder of Qdos Entertainment, the world’s largest pantomime producer, with which he has since parted company. Qdos, a sort of pantomime factory known for productions featuring extravagant scenery and special effects, is staging 24 pantomimes this year. Its VIP Experience tickets for rival Birmingham Hippodrome show, Aladdin, starring Marti Pellow and Julian Clary, are on sale for £103.50. Cheapest tickets are £21.Conway was the co-founder of Qdos Entertainment, the world’s largest pantomime producer, with which he has since parted company. Qdos, a sort of pantomime factory known for productions featuring extravagant scenery and special effects, is staging 24 pantomimes this year. Its VIP Experience tickets for rival Birmingham Hippodrome show, Aladdin, starring Marti Pellow and Julian Clary, are on sale for £103.50. Cheapest tickets are £21.
At the other end of the spectrum, the cheapest panto in the country is in Norwich, according to Idealo. Tickets are on sale for Snow White at the city’s Theatre Royal for as little as £7. The traditional-style panto, starring ex-Brookside actress Jennifer Ellison as the wicked Queen, eschews pyrotechnics and live horses for “songsheets, comedy routines, beautiful costumes, and lots of opportunities to hiss and boo”.At the other end of the spectrum, the cheapest panto in the country is in Norwich, according to Idealo. Tickets are on sale for Snow White at the city’s Theatre Royal for as little as £7. The traditional-style panto, starring ex-Brookside actress Jennifer Ellison as the wicked Queen, eschews pyrotechnics and live horses for “songsheets, comedy routines, beautiful costumes, and lots of opportunities to hiss and boo”.
In Ipswich, Ivan Tucker, artistic director of Eastern Angles, a touring company that performs to audiences in small venues, is in the middle of a run of an “alternative” Christmas panto, Holy Mackerel! In Ipswich, Ivan Cutting, artistic director of Eastern Angles, a touring company that performs to audiences in small venues, is in the middle of a run of an “alternative” Christmas panto, Holy Mackerel!
His £18-a-seat show is about as far removed from the likes of Birmingham’s Cinderella as you can get and he says fans of his production company love that. “The actors get a buzz from being so close to the audience and vice versa. The show is low-budget but fun, with a cast of five playing multiple roles and imaginative use of props. Our fans definitely don’t want the corporate commercialised approach with big stars.”His £18-a-seat show is about as far removed from the likes of Birmingham’s Cinderella as you can get and he says fans of his production company love that. “The actors get a buzz from being so close to the audience and vice versa. The show is low-budget but fun, with a cast of five playing multiple roles and imaginative use of props. Our fans definitely don’t want the corporate commercialised approach with big stars.”
The Family Arts Campaign, a partnership initiative funded by Arts Council England, is urging venues and arts organisations to consider how they make their events accessible to as wide a range of families as possible. “In our recent research, 61% of responding families cited affordability as being a key factor in their decision to attend the arts,” said its co-director David Brownlee. “But we know how cuts in local and national funding are putting immense pressure on theatres and other arts organisations to increase revenue from ticket sales.”The Family Arts Campaign, a partnership initiative funded by Arts Council England, is urging venues and arts organisations to consider how they make their events accessible to as wide a range of families as possible. “In our recent research, 61% of responding families cited affordability as being a key factor in their decision to attend the arts,” said its co-director David Brownlee. “But we know how cuts in local and national funding are putting immense pressure on theatres and other arts organisations to increase revenue from ticket sales.”
Both UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre say demand for pantomime remains strong, and their figures for 2014 show that with an average capacity of 73% panto ranks alongside comedy as the genre that fills the highest proportion of seats.Both UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre say demand for pantomime remains strong, and their figures for 2014 show that with an average capacity of 73% panto ranks alongside comedy as the genre that fills the highest proportion of seats.
A survey commissioned by ticketing platform Eventbrite found that many consumers were happy to pay between £21 and £35 for a theatre ticket, while fewer than 6% of respondents would shell out more than £50.A survey commissioned by ticketing platform Eventbrite found that many consumers were happy to pay between £21 and £35 for a theatre ticket, while fewer than 6% of respondents would shell out more than £50.
Despite the high costs of Birmingham’s Cinderella, the first show is already sold out and only a few tickets are available for the other performances.Despite the high costs of Birmingham’s Cinderella, the first show is already sold out and only a few tickets are available for the other performances.
“While a Christmas price hike is probably to be expected, the figures suggest that if prices don’t stray too far north of £21 to £35, more people might be minded to go,” said Eventbrite’s Katie McPhee.“While a Christmas price hike is probably to be expected, the figures suggest that if prices don’t stray too far north of £21 to £35, more people might be minded to go,” said Eventbrite’s Katie McPhee.