Draamateater boosts revenue as Estonian theatres diverge on prices

Estonia’s leading theatres are taking different approaches to ticket prices and income as the autumn season begins, ERR reports. Tallinn City Theatre and Vanemuine theatre in Tartu are keeping ticket prices at their previous levels, while Draamateater is relying on strong demand and higher self-generated revenue.

Ticket sales for Draamateater’s November and December performances, which began on Monday, exceeded expectations. Theatre director Rein Oja said most performances were effectively sold out, with only a few seats remaining for people who prefer attending alone.

“We thought it would go this way again. It has been like this for quite some time,” Oja said, adding that even tickets for occasional riskier productions were selling quickly.

Draamateater’s halls are relatively small. Its main auditorium has 400 seats, while the Nobeli hall at the Noblessner foundry, where the theatre stages “Rahamaa,” has nearly 600 seats. By comparison, Estonia Theatre and Vanemuine have auditoriums with 800 seats, Oja said.

Strong demand has enabled Draamateater to offer more expensive supporter tickets, which now cost up to 90 euros. Some theatre-goers were surprised that the best stalls seats were available only through the purchase of a supporter ticket, rather than allowing buyers to choose whether to support the theatre.

Oja rejected the suggestion that all Draamateater tickets had become more expensive this season. The price of supporter tickets was raised from 70 to 90 euros, he said, but only a limited number are available for each performance.

“Compared with spring, we have essentially not raised the regular ticket price,” Oja said. The standard ticket costs 45 euros without discounts or the supporter-ticket surcharge.

The theatre has also run campaigns offering youth tickets for selected performances at substantially lower prices, between 20 and 35 euros. Discounted tickets for pensioners remain available.

Draamateater’s record audience interest has pushed its self-generated revenue above 50 percent of total income. The theatre earned 4.5 million euros in ticket revenue last year, excluding value-added tax, and its financial report showed a profit of one million euros.

Oja said the theatre’s substantial self-generated income had allowed it to make essential investments during the summer.

“This summer, we used the additional money we earned last year to replace the entire stage floor in the main auditorium. The old one was completely worn out,” he said.

The theatre is also getting a new forklift for loading sets outdoors and has replaced its entire internal communications system. In total, it invested about 600,000 to 800,000 euros in its operations this summer, Oja said. The theatre’s financial success also enabled it to pay employees a substantial Christmas allowance.

Discussing actors’ basic salaries, Oja said they were above the minimum for cultural workers. Only a few newly graduated employees receive the minimum, while the others earn somewhat more, though not dramatically more, he said.

Vanemuine and City Theatre prioritise affordability

While Draamateater is relying on more exclusive tickets and exceptionally high demand by Estonian standards, other large theatres have chosen a different approach.