Comedy-goers: I’d like to hear what you think is a fair price for a touring standup show. Arts centre or smallish theatre. 90 mins with interval. It’s not just about me; you might not know I also help produce many other tours. Do share this around - it’s keenly debated, shall we say. Thank you!
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They don't have to be "famous" (though it does help). But the right promotion (short of TV, a well produced YouTube/TikTok works) makes a big difference to the figure.
But then I'm skint so I would say that ;)
We have a fab little venue in Colchester, https://colchesterartscentre.com/
Would I be wrong in saying that the venue reflects the price too. I would pay more for a more presentable building.
What other costs do you have to pay over that?
Can you fill a venue without pre-sale and avoid those fees altogether, what if you did 3 nights to gain wom?
For ref, my locals are:
- Norwich Theatre Royal, which is a 1,300 seater. Comedy goes for £25-£40.
- Its little sister the Norwich Playhouse, which is a 300-seater. £15 to £25. (And a much better bar, FYI.)
Also there should be fuck tons of ads all over the place. But not classy ones… the ones that are like “Doctor’s hate this one weird trick about Vaseline.”
Have paid more. Have paid less.
However, we're in Guernsey and I don't know if its the act or the venue which pays for transport and accommodation from UK, but higher prices to cover those costs are just part of the game.
If more than that then I’m really hoping there will also be a free buffet or similar incentive.
£10-30 depending on WIPiness for someone I know.
*can be adjusted depending on base cost of venue.
And then it depends how well know the comic is - not on TV then £15
If you trust your fans you could use the Los Campesinos! model, which puts 5% of tickets at £5 for those who are skint and couldn’t normally afford it. Relies on the honour system though!
Or thereabouts though shoving those in a spreadsheet is gonna make for some fun averaging out
🤷♂️ 😁
Did the music venue work for comedy?
or
what i can afford?
there is a vast gulf between the two
tho it would be super helpful if venues didn't have a 2 drink minimum or something similar
if i *am* able to scrape together enough for a ticket i can rarely afford anything other than tap water
Do you (the producer/act) pay to hire the venue... Or does the venue book you as an act and give you a cut of ticket price... Or something else?
Probably a mix of the above I'm guessing.
I’m trying a new system where I get paid ‘by the joke’.
Last night I made fourteen quid … best double up I’ve had in ages. ✌️
Longer answer: in this economy, I don’t think there is a price that’s fair to everyone. Charge enough that the comedian and venue get paid fairly, and you effectively exclude everyone below the higher rate tax bracket, which is most people.
For an established act - £15-£30
For someone I really like & know I will really enjoy the show (whether established or not) - Take that up to £50
But equally, Fringe shows need to price themselves accordingly. A lot of Fringe shows are now priced as touring shows.
I'd say £20-25 for WIP, £30-35 for the finely honed version
Not saying who it was, but there was no real stage, and he had just enough room for a small keyboard along with his notes.
Still funny seeing him for money (about €30) months later, delivering the same material polished.
Depends on the seating. From a Cornwall perspective:
Launceston, ghastly uncomfortable posh chairs, where anyone shorter than Osman can't see, and there's no decent opeshow meal within walking distance £10.
Falmouth (either) with tiered seating, £25.
Grampound (seats 150, raked) £20
And there should always be some pay-what-you-can-afford tickets.
About where most of the City Varieties shows end up
In comparison, Hamilton is costing me £80 when it comes to Bradford next year although appreciate they have more costs to cover