Recent cancellations of major musical theatre productions, including Waitress and Beetlejuice, have raised an obvious question: has Australian theatre become too expensive?
It’s tempting to blame the audience. As people contend with higher mortgages, rent and bills, a night at the theatre seems easy to cut. But that doesn’t mean everyone has.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2025 General Social Survey found 22.8 percent of Australians aged 15 and over had attended a theatre performance in the 12 months prior. That’s more than five million people.
So if people are still going to the theatre, why is it getting harder to make the numbers work?
Eddie Perfect and Noni McCallum in Beetlejuice the Musical. Photo © Michelle Grace Hunter
Growing audiences aren’t enough
We reviewed the 2024 and 2025 financial statements of major theatre companies, and found a striking pattern. Even though more money is coming through the door, companies are still struggling to break even.
Queensland Theatre grew its mainstage audience by 5.6 percent in 2025 and box-office revenue by 42%, compared with 2024 figures – yet recorded a A$989,000 deficit in 2025.
Bell Shakespeare increased its income from $10.96 million...
Continue reading
Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month
Already a subscriber?
Log in
“For instance, automation has dramatically reduced the labour required to manufacture a car, without changing what a car does. Theatre can’t replicate this,” the writers claim.
Hang on! When I go to see the splendid David Wenham acting solo at the STC, I can’t help noticing a couple of pages of backroom staff at the back of the program. A little productivity here might well have the same value as automation.