A THEATRICAL SLUMP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 982, 31 December 1908, Page 18

A THEATRICAL SLUMP.

The majority of the London theatres are experiencing at the moment (says an English paper of November 20) a very serious slump, which most managers ascribe to the reaction fol* lowing the closing of the White City. The theatres and music halls of the West End enjoyed splendid prosperity throughout the summer and during the autumn, while the White City was attracting vast numbers of people to London. This spell of prosperity has temporarily come to an end, and although some theatres and halls are now doing very well, not three of them, all told, have escaped feeling the slump that began about three weeks ago. One theatre has had a fall in its receipts of £lOOO a week, and several are down £3OO to £5OO as compared with the beginning of October. While one music hall has had a fall of £l6OO a week, and others admit some depression, it may be said that the variety theatres, as a rule, have escaped better that the regular houses. Managers of London theatres are always prepared for a falling off in December, but this sea-

son the slump came earlier. Las year also, curiously enough, there was a temporary drop in the receipts in November. There are twenty-six theatres open every evening in central London just now, and from about fourteen of these the plays that are now running will have passed out of the bills before Christmas.