Study names London, not New York, the world’s theatre capital
Study names London, not New York, the world’s theatre capital
A recent study shows that London is at the top of the theatre world.
According to the London Theatre Report, authored by Alistair Smith and commissioned by the Society of London Theatre and the National Theatre, the London theatre scene is in its golden period — the city boasts 241 theatres and 110,000 seats, and 22 million theatre goers saw productions in 2012-2013.
These numbers have pulled in some dramatic comparisons. According to several news sources, London theatre has more attendees than Premier League football. In addition, London’s theatres brought in £618.5 million in revenue in 2012-2013 — far more than its cinemas had made in the same year.
Ultimately, the London press has been quick to emphasize that the West End beat out Broadway, thereby displacing New York as the world’s theatre capital.
Although these results undoubtedly show the success of West End theatre, Los Angeles might also be a contender for the title of “theatre capital of the world.” The city boasted over 1,000 performing arts venues, and one in every six L.A. residents is estimated to work in a creative industry.