Fairytale for panto as millennials drive revival. Oh yes it is!
Tickets gross £60m as tradition keeps families coming back for more
PANTOS are smashing box office records, as millennials join their parents at the theatre this Christmas.
Ticket income from pantomime productions will gross over £60m, the highest on record, trade association UK Theatre has revealed.
The research, based on a new method for calculating the sales, revealed that in 2018-19, 97 productions and 4,192 performances are expected to gross £62,752,433.
Previous data showed that in 2012, 100 productions and 4,129 performances made £46,461,489.
Liam Evans Ford, executive director of Theatr Clwyd, in Mold, Wales, which this year is staging Jack & The Beanstalk, said that tradition was at the heart of the venue’s returning customer base.
“It’s crept up as a tradition for families over the last 20 years. We don’t have as many young families as we do older families, so [we get] children returning from university who have been going for 15 years and their parents always book.”
Mr Evans Ford added that he also sees larger family groups of up to 20 people booking up seats and as demand grows he “could do with double the size of auditorium”.
Panto has proved it’s no laughing matter, often driving enough revenue to secure other productions throughout the year.
At Theatr Clwyd’s, the festive production accounts for roughly 10 per cent of its annual turnover – and that’s before food and drink sales, said Mr Evans Ford.
“Without that income, there would be two productions less a year we’d be able to make,” he added.
Theatres have wised up to the popularity of pantos, with the hottest tickets for Goldilocks the Three Bears at the London Palladium, which this year stars Matt Baker, host of The One Show, costing up to £175.
Even Ian Mckellen took to the stage at The Old Vic as Widow Twankey in its 2004 production of Aladdin.
But whether it’s the allure of a big celebrity name or familiarity, pantos are a cash cow, as the industry rakes in more than just magic beans.
John Savournin, the director and co-creator of Charles Court Opera’s The Nativity Panto at King’s Head Theatre in London, said: “Pantomime is a mainstay for many venues due to the revenue it can command if successful, helping to secure income for work throughout the months in between.”
As ticket sales continue to rise, with most theatres offering up next year’s slots in January, Tinuke Craig, director of Cinderella at the Lyric Hammersmith, said a diverse audience is key to panto’s continued success.
“When you represent people properly you get a wider, more diverse audience coming to see your work. If you get a panto right it can genuinely engage and warm your heart.”
UK Theatre said that the latest figures show that pantomime, much like the magic beanstalk, continues to grow.