- Written by Charlotte Gallagher
- Culture correspondent
Image source, Oliver Rosser
Ralph Fiennes will star alongside Indira Varma in Macbeth
Actors Ralph Fiennes and Andrew Scott have warned of “alarmingly high” ticket prices in the West End.
Tickets for The Plaza Suite, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, are on sale for up to £300 each.
He also called for removing warnings in theaters warning of disturbing content.
The 61-year-old Voldermort actor said: “Ticket prices are alarmingly high at the moment, especially in the West End.”
“We can do it (lower prices).”
He added that 20% of tickets for his new production of Macbeth were priced between 15 and 20 pounds.
Irish actor Scott – best known for his roles in Sherlock and Fleabag and this month will star in Anton Chekhov's play, Vanya – spoke to Radio 4 about ticket prices. The 47-year-old said he thought the issue was a “problem”.
Andrew Scott says the high ticket prices are frustrating
He said it was “frustrating” that “no matter what the zeitgeist is or how new your play is, if you have to spend £150, no one aged 16 to 25 or over will be able to afford it”. .
Scott suggested that the production could sell tickets at a cheaper price for some shows, and added that it was important that theater did not remain an “elitist art form”.
Elsewhere, Fiennes called for an end to warnings in theatres, and said plays should “shock and disturb”.
Watch: The masses have become “soft” – Ralph Fiennes
“I don't think you have to be prepared for these things, and when I was young, we didn't have any warnings about shows,” the Oscar-nominated actor added.
But he said health warnings should still be given for issues such as strong impacts.
Speaking about Macbeth, Fiennes added: “Shakespeare's plays are full of murder, full of horror… It's the shock, it's the unexpected, and that's what makes theatrical work so exciting.”
British actor Simon Callow had previously called for an end to warnings after a theater told an audience that The Sound of Music included “threatening Nazi Germany and annexing Austria”.
