South Bank BID, alongside key London business groups and bodies, including the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre, UK Hospitality and the Night Time Industries Association, has written to the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper MP, as well as rail and union leaders to highlight the concerning impact of transport strikes on the theatre sector, and urging cooperation.
Over 90% of theatres in London said that strikes had impacted them negatively, and with 75% of venues saying they experienced audience cancellations or no-shows. With falls in sales averaging £10,000 per performance in London on strike days, producers also face higher costs to pay for staff and performer travel and accommodation, with these additional costs amounting to an average of £9500 per performance, totalling combined average costs of just under £20,000 per performance to the producer.
Theatres also help generate additional spend for the surrounding area: for every £1 spent inside a theatre venue as part of a visit to a production, a corresponding £1.27 is spent in the local economy on food, drink, transport and other services. This adds up to theatre audiences delivering an additional £1.93bn to the UK economy each year.
Theatregoers and staff in London and other towns and cities, need reliable, affordable and accessible public transport. South Bank BID, alongside industry bodies, urge all parties to work together to avoid further strike action.
To download and read the letter, click here.
