West End theatre prices max out at £460 a ticket for performances of Cock
The play features ‘Bridgerton’ star Jonathan Bailey
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Tickets for the West End revival of Cock are selling for as much as £400, plus an additional £60 in processing fees.
West End prices have been steadily rising for its marquee shows, like the long-running musical Les Miserables and breakout hits such as Hamilton. As recently as 2019, the average West End ticket price was £52, according to a study by the Society of London Theatre, but it’s increasingly common for individual seats to sell for more than six times that amount.
Most shows in the West End, as opposed to subsidised theatres like the National, use dynamic pricing models. The more popular the show, the fewer tickets available, the higher the prices.
That’s how two fourth row seats to see Cock, starring Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey and Joel Harper-Jackson, on the final day of its run, ended up costing one Twitter user £920. “Did these put the decimal in the wrong place?” they quipped.
The show was originally slated to star Taron Egerton, who collapsed on stage during the first preview performance on 5 March. The Rocketman actor eventually pulled out of the production for good on 2 April, citing “personal reasons”.
As exorbitant as Cock’s prices seem, the West End remains less expensive than its New York counterpart. There, according to CNBC, the price of an individual ticket maxed out at $697 (£566.70) for a Broadway revival of The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster in March.
In a comment to Time Out, a spokesperson for Cock defended the highest ticket prices as the result of “supply and demand” as the production concludes its 12-week limited run.
“Since the production went on sale last year, 15 per cent of all tickets sold have been at £2,” they said.
“There is a daily lottery for every performance where more tickets are also priced at £20. As the show nears the end of its run, the remaining premium ticket seats are based on supply and demand.”
Cock is playing at the Ambassadors theatre, London, until 4 June. You can read The Independent’s review of the show here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments