The UK National Theatre’s £15 cheap ticket scheme could be in jeopardy after Travelex announced it is ending its sponsorship with the performing arts venue in London.
According to The Stage, NT director Rufus Norris said he was “ very confident” that the theatre would find a way to continue the cheapest ticket programme.
Norris reportedly noted that the partnership with the currency exchange firm would end in 2019 after 15 years of sponsorship.
Former National Theatre boss Nicholas Hytner introduced the scheme, which initially saw Travelex offer seats for £10, later increasing to £15 through the commercial partnership.
The cheap tickets will remain in place for fans into the National Theatre’s newly announced 2019 season, including shows such as Small Island, Tartuffe and Three Sisters. Following the close of these shows, Travelex’s association with the venue will remain in a lower band of sponsorship as a “corporate member”.
Norris said the scheme had inspired a “really profound” impact on theatre culture, with three million people accessing tickets to more than 70 productions, The Stage reports. However, due to the changing nature of Travelex’s business, Norris said “this kind of consumer partnership is no longer the right fit for them”.
Norris added: “All I can say is that this is a huge priority for us and many other things will go before we give up on this… In one way or another we will maintain this. Quite how we manage that remains to be seen.
“The corporate partners that we’re working with now are being more and more far-reaching in the way they think about how working with us reflects on them. We’ve got to find the right partner for this and try to improve on the offer, not just replace it.”
Image: David Samuel
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