'Les Mis' motorists ready to man the barricades

Performers in Westminster say "extortionate" night-time parking charges could have a devastating impact on West End shows.

Members of the cast of Les Misérables, at Queen's Theatre, said they could be forced to give up their cars or get second jobs, while audience numbers could fall and theatre ticket prices rise.

They spoke out as Westminster council plans to abolish free parking on single yellow lines and parking bays between 6.30pm and midnight Monday to Saturday and between 1pm and 6pm on Sundays.

Shaun Dalton, 35, who plays factory foreman and Brujon, drives in from Carshalton and usually parks outside the theatre. He said: "The cost of travel from where I live is more expensive than driving at the moment.

"I'm going to have to do some other job in the days, teaching or something, to subsidise the parking charges." He added: "It just seems like another way to raise revenue, another dig at the driver Unfortunately it's going to affect the standard of shows."

Alexia Khadime, 28, who plays Eponine, drives home to west London late at night. "I avoid the Tube because I've had problems on it before," she said. "Parking charges will mean I won't have the option to get home safely."

She added that restaurants and other businesses could lose out as theatre fans stay away.
Fra Free, 24, who plays Jean Provaire, said: "Lots of people drive to the theatre and it could deter people coming to see this show because theatre tickets are expensive as they are. We could see shows going bust.

Caroline Miller, director of Dance UK, said: "Dancers rely on employment generated by the major West End shows. Selling the hundreds of thousands of tickets needed to keep these shows in profit takes a huge amount of marketing and hard work. Introducing parking charges when audiences are already feeling the financial squeeze will only make it more difficult. Every show that fails means less jobs for dancers."