When the economy was at its worst during the recent recession, it may surprise people to find out that theatre was enjoying some of its highest attendance figures in decades. With the cost of theatre tickets London has to offer being quite high in comparison with many other leisure pursuits, it may seem strange that, just when people had the least amount of expendable income, they apparently were spending more.
However, this is not quite the case. Instead, many people were finding that they were unable to go abroad as often, and so were instead treating themselves to more exuberant small entertainment pursuits instead. In fact, during any recession, the amount of money spent on entertainment will almost certainly rise, and with the number of cheaper theatre tickets London shows have available online, it was no surprise that people would look for such escapism to take their minds of such major economic issues.
Yet, it is not just the cheap London theatre tickets that have ensured theatre’s renaissance, but also simply the great range of different shows that we now see. Mainstream theatre has managed to diversify itself, meaning that there is almost certainly something for everyone, from those who enjoy nothing but frivolity through to those who seek something more creatively and intellectually edifying.
On top of this, as reality TV continues to dumb down television more and more everyday, many people simply are looking for good quality entertainment that ironically often feels in short supply now that we have so many channels to choose from. With the cheap London theatre tickets on offer online, it is now therefore both more affordable and more appealing to head to the theatre, and in turn the growth that, somewhat ironically, started with the recession seems likely to carry on for a long time to come.