Tickets for the Estonian Drama Theater's January and February performances went on sale Monday morning, with the most popular shows selling out within minutes. Despite the chill and wet weather, hopeful buyers had lined up outside the theater as early as 4 a.m.  

Estonian Theater Union (ETL) chief and Drama Theater actor Gert Raudsep said he had mixed feelings about the frenzy. While full houses are welcome, he said, the scramble for tickets also takes away some of the spontaneity of going to the theater.

"We remember those days at the Tallinn City Theater too, and I remember from my younger days when there were plenty of productions at Ugala [Theater in Viljandi] that were hard to get tickets for," Raudsep said, adding that this tends to come and go in cycles.

But limited availability isn't the biggest concern, he continued. A recent Culture Ministry study found that 44 percent of respondents would like to attend the theater more often but are held back by the cost.

"Some 58 percent said the reason they don't go to the theater more often is because ticket prices are too high," Raudsep said. "Difficulty scoring tickets ranked fourth, with 31 percent."

'We're all taxpayers contributing to it'

He explained that ticket prices are closely tied to how the state funds theaters.

"We make theater with public money, just like public funds pay for the public broadcaster, which should be accessible to everyone," the union chief noted. "Theater should be accessible to everyone too. We're all taxpayers and we're all contributing to it. Ticket prices should be lower."

Monday's sale also saw the introduction of a four-ticket limit for the first time, with buyers allowed to purchase no more than four tickets to any one performance. Raudsep said the measure seemed to have helped.

"Most of the people who stood in line in person were able to get tickets," he said, noting that tickets had been set aside for them. "As far as I know, they got their tickets — and I apologize if anyone missed out."

No way to stretch further

Raudsep said the theater has no secret way to accommodate more of the demand, pointing out that actors and staff are already working at full capacity to put on performances.

Suggestions on social media that the theater move popular productions to larger venues, he added, miss the point.

"A production is tailored to specific venues," Raudsep said. "There's no point in taking it to a stadium."

Drama Theater communications chief Tanel Tomson said Monday's ticket sales followed a familiar pattern, with popular shows selling out within minutes while tickets to other performances remained available into the afternoon.

Online sales accounted for the bulk of tickets.

Alongside the new four-ticket limit, the theater also barred group bookings for popular productions and has been working to identify and block ticket-buying bots, Tomson added.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!