London's West End meets the American rear end

British lawmakers consider renovating the theaters of London's West End, at least in part because many Americans need wider seats.

©Associated Press
February 9, 2003

LONDON -- London's West End theaters survived the post-Sept. 11 tourism slump but now face another problem -- their skinny Victorian seats are too narrow for many Americans.

That's the opinion of British lawmaker Chris Bryant, who told the House of Commons this month that London's "wonderful shows" were being let down by woeful buildings.

"The seats were built for backsides of a Victorian era, not of a modern era -- or indeed an American size -- and many of the bars are dingy and overpriced and haven't seen a lick of paint since Oscar Wilde was last there," said Bryant, a member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's governing Labor Party.

"Isn't it time we bashed some heads together to make sure that more investment went into these theaters so that everybody enjoyed going to a West End show?"

Culture Minister Kim Howells replied: "As long as it's only heads I've got to bash together, I don't mind."

Most of London's major theaters were built in the 19th century. The Old Vic, built in 1818, said its seats were a "standard size" of about 18 inches. A stagehand at the Theater Royal Haymarket, which dates from 1821, estimated seat width at 20 inches.

By comparison, economy-class seats on Delta Airlines are generally 17 inches wide, and business seats range from 18.5 to 21 inches, depending on the type of plane and seat configuration.

The number of U.S. tourists visiting Britain declined following the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States but has since recovered to about 5-million a year.

London theater attendance has remained stable, according to figures from the Society of London Theater, with more than 11.7-million people attending West End plays in 2001, up slightly from the year before.

Howells said the government wanted to help theaters modernize and is awaiting a detailed report on the cost -- estimated at $330-million -- of renovating old buildings and installing access for disabled theatergoers.

ON THE INTERNET: London Theater Guide, www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk

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