According to SOLT, the results were down to the popularity of the shows on offer, with theatres reporting an improved percentage of tickets sold across the year. Average theatre capacity achieved was 72.7% in 2013, up from 69.21%.
Closing Number - Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical, Stephen Ward, will close in the West End following a run of less than four months. Stephen Ward, which had been booking until May at the Aldwych Theatre, will now close on 29 March 29. The show opened at the Aldwych on 19 December. The show has a book and lyrics by Christopher Hampton and Don Black, with music by Lloyd Webber. It is directed by Richard Eyre and is produced by Robert Fox Limited and the Really Useful Group.
Festival Update - Chic featuring super producer Nile Rodgers will close Bestival 2014 in the Sunday night slot. Organisers say they will play a special and exclusive set which will include hits from Chic, David Bowie and Madonna. "I'm so excited to be back at Bestival, this time in the prestigious Sunday night headliner slot," said Nile Rodgers. Bestival takes place from 4-7 September on the Isle of Wight.
Technical Issues - I Can't Sing!, the musical inspired by The X Factor, has cancelled its first two preview shows because of "technical issues caused by the ambitious staging" of the show. In a statement, producers Stage Entertainment and Syco Entertainment said previews scheduled for 27 and 28 February at the London Palladium had been cancelled. The first preview will now be 1 March.
Stage Entertainment producer Rebecca Quigley told The Stage, "After much careful thought and discussion we've decided that we need to take some more time to work on technical aspects of I Can't Sing!at the Palladium. As audiences will soon see the production is hugely ambitious, and the volume of installation and scale of the set means that technical work has taken slightly longer than could have been anticipated to make the show audience-ready."
(Jim Evans)
