Quarter of Brits have not visited the theatre

Almost one in four Brits have never been to the theatre, according to new research conducted by Norwich Theatre.

In a survey of more than 2,000 British adults, the theatre found only 1% of respondents go to the theatre once a week, while 4% said they go once a month.

Just over a quarter (28%) of respondents said they strongly agree or tend to agree that theatre tickets are reasonably priced, compared with 56% who said they tend to disagree or strongly disagree.

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When asked what would encourage them to go to the theatre more often, 55% cited lower ticket prices.

In response, Norwich Theatre is rolling out a three-part payment plan aimed at addressing concerns around ticket affordability.

“To ensure the magic of theatre remains accessible to all, it’s imperative that theatres embrace innovation to offer more affordable ticketing options,” said Stephen Crocker, Executive Director of Norwich Theatre.

Crocker added that the move will ensure much needed funds can be generated while making theatre accessible to as many people as possible. “Balancing the needs of audiences with the need and cost of creating great productions and fund charitable work in the local community is crucial, particularly for not-for-profit theatres like us who receive no public subsidy,” he said.

Norwich Theatre says 300 people have already applied to spread the costs of their tickets through the new scheme.

The theatre’s latest initative follows other efforts it has made to address ticket affordability. For many years, Norwich Theatre has made more than 50 tickets available for £10 for each of its main stage shows and more recently, began to reserve a portion of these seats for audience members with low income.

The theatre has also moved to putting performances on sale every month rather than seasonally, which it says has allowed audiences to spread the costs of booking tickets.

Impact on families

Norwich Theatre’s research also found many children are missing out on attending theatre performances.

Survey respondents with children were asked how often they take their children to the theatre, with more than half of families (54%) saying they go less than once a year, or not at all.

In comparison, 4% of families said they go once a week, 5% every two to three months and 14% said they attend once a year.

The research also found that respondents from London visit the theatre most often.

A total of 12% of respondents from the capital said they attend the theatre every two to three months, compared with 7% in Scotland, 6% in Wales and 5% in the West Midlands.