During 2007, there were 13.6 million visits to the theatres in London’s West End, smashing records by a full 10%, according to the annual report of the Society of London Theatres (SOLT). Although some commentators have pointed to TV coverage of musicals as the main reason for growth, SOLT’s Chief Executive Richard Pulford said that ‘straight plays’ also enjoyed a record year. “Gross receipts were 18% up on 2006… and the amount of VAT paid by the industry reached a record of almost £70m,” the report asserts. Rosemary Squire, President of SOLT, writes in her introduction to the report that the theatre industry “is in fine shape, more resourceful and confident than it was three years ago”, but points to ongoing disappointments such as the lack of action on the Theatres Trust’s ‘Act Now!’ report on the renovation needs of theatre buildings in London. With the launch of English Heritage’s survey ‘Heritage at Risk’, the Theatres Trust has highlighted its own list of 68 theatre buildings at risk, which “remain empty, are under threat of demolition, neglect or… redevelopment”.
