Veteran actor, awarded Olivier for lifetime achievement, says cost must not prohibit putting 'bums on seats'
He had initially resisted the idea of playing Mercutio, he said: “But after the first couple of minutes, age doesn’t matter.” “And if the money is prohibitive to bums on seats then we’re up shit creek without a paddle.” In 2016 he played Romeo’s contemporary Mercutio in a West End production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Kenneth Branagh. Research by the Stage newspaper in 2017 revealed that the most expensive tickets for more than half of West End shows were above £100. When he first became a passionate theatregoer, “it was much easier” to see plays cheaply, he said. Theatre, he argued, should be open to all and “part of our blood and bones” instead.
The star, who picked up an Olivier honour on Sunday, says he's "shocked" by some West End tickets.
He explained: "Out of the 30, five glow sticks glow green when snapped. He added: "I'm not an economist - I don't know the basics of how a theatre survives without money but it certainly can't survive without bums on seats either." The lucky five can head to the box office and buy a pair of front row £10 tickets. And if tickets get to a certain price that only a very, very small number of people can have access to, it gets to be problematic." [according to the Society of London Theatre](https://solt.co.uk/about-london-theatre/press-office/box-office-2022-data/). Send in the clowns.
Derek Jacobi children-English actor, Derek George Jacobi was born on October 22nd, 1938 in in Leytonstone, Essex, England.
For his performance as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, he also received the 1985 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. They have been together for over 43 years but raising kids of their own was never in their plans, although they enjoy being around other people’s offspring. He received two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for The Tenth Man (1988), and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Frasier (2001). He received the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1976 for his role in the BBC television series I, Claudius. Although coming from a working-class household, Jacobi recalls a joyful upbringing. In addition, Jacobi has been in a number of television shows, most notably the BBC series I, Claudius (1976), for which he received the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.
Derek Jacobi partner-English actor, Derek George Jacobi was born on October 22nd, 1938 in in Leytonstone, Essex, England.
For his performance as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, he also received the 1985 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He is also known for his roles in the medieval drama series Cadfael (1994–1998), the HBO film The Gathering Storm (2002), the ITV sitcom Vicious (2013-2016), and in BBC’s Last Tango in Halifax (2012–2020). He received two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for The Tenth Man (1988), and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Frasier (2001). He received the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1976 for his role in the BBC television series I, Claudius. Although coming from a working-class household, Jacobi recalls a joyful upbringing. In addition, Jacobi has been in a number of television shows, most notably the BBC series I, Claudius (1976), for which he received the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.
Sir Derek Jacobi shares a rich past with Birmingham's theatres and still holds those memories close to him.
Sir Derek - who has acted in movies like Gladiator, The King’s Speech, and many others - laments the loss of repertory theatre. The first job he gave me was playing Laertes to Peter O’Toole’s Hamlet, and I stayed with him for the next seven years.” The award-winning actor, who was born in Essex, has wowed audiences with his incredible performances through decades.
Veteran actor says he is shocked by charges of hundreds of pounds for some seats after winning lifetime achievement honour at Olivier Awards.
Theatres have long argued that the majority of their prices remain under £100. Mescal recently raised concerns about the pricing of tickets, saying: “I think theatre should be accessible. The top price was eventually reduced to £175. Mescal, another television star, was named best actor. Sir Derek said that if the cost is so great that it becomes “prohibitive to bums on seats”, then the UK theatre industry will be left up a “creek without a paddle” - particularly at a time when many people are “thinking more than twice about using your hard-earned money to go and enjoy yourself”. Sir Derek has argued that high prices will be “prohibitive” for many and result in theatre becoming the preserve of a wealthy elite.
The price of tickets is making the theatre elitist, Sir Derek Jacobi has claimed, putting the industry in danger of being left up a certain “creek without a ...
MARC BRENNER
The star, who picked up an Olivier honour on Sunday, says he's "shocked" by some West End tickets.