Raudsep says theatre tickets should cost less

High ticket prices, rather than difficulty getting seats, are the main barrier keeping people from going to the theatre more often, Estonian Theatre Association chairman and Draamateater actor Gert Raudsep told ERR’s Ringvaade programme.

Tickets for Draamateater’s January and February performances went on sale Monday morning. The most popular shows sold out within minutes, and the first people seeking tickets began queuing outside the theatre at 4 a.m.

Raudsep said the rush left him with mixed feelings: full houses were welcome, but the difficulty of getting tickets took away the spontaneity of going to the theatre. He said ticket demand fluctuates, recalling periods when shows at Tallinn City Theatre and Ugala Theatre were also hard to get into.

But Raudsep said quickly sold-out performances were not the main concern. A Ministry of Culture study on non-attendance found that 44 percent of respondents wanted to go to the theatre more often but could not because ticket prices were too high. Overall, 58 percent said the price was a reason they did not attend more, while difficulty getting tickets ranked fourth, cited by 31 percent.

Raudsep said ticket prices depend on how the state funds theatres. Since theatres use public money, he argued, they should be accessible to everyone and tickets should cost less.

A four-ticket limit was introduced for the first time on Monday, allowing each buyer to purchase no more than four tickets to one performance. Raudsep said the measure provided some relief. He added that, as far as he knew, tickets were reserved for most people waiting in the physical queue, though he apologised to anyone who had missed out.

Raudsep said the theatre had no special way to meet the demand, with staff already working at full capacity to stage performances. He said productions were created for specific auditoriums, so moving them to larger venues such as stadiums was not a practical solution.