‘Book of Mormon’ Breaks Sales Records on West End

The West End production of “The Book of Mormon” wasted no time smashing box office records after opening on Thursday, March 21.

The following day was the biggest single day of sales in the history of both West End and Broadway. The West End booking at the Price of Wales Theatre was extended to January 11, 2014, and an additional 150,000 tickets were made available for sale. The box office quickly took in £2,107,972 ($3,210,019) according to Playbill.com.

A new top ticket price of £72.50 was introduced for bookings beginning July 1, while premium tickets were raised to a £125 starting price, from £95 on opening day. These prices are currently the highest of any show on West End.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the gross sales are more than double the day-after sales at the Broadway opening of the show.

“It’s an unbelievable result” producer Scott Rudin told the Journal. “To be literally twice what we did the day after opening in New York is just unheard of.”

Cameron Mackintosh, owner of the Prince of Wales Theatre, also issued a statement about the new record.

“After a phenomenal opening night I am delighted to see a phenomenal record-breaking post opening box office of over £2 m,” he said in a release. “The Mormons have truly delivered a Heavenly hit!”

Rudin also said he has been surprised and pleased with the reaction of the London audiences to the show.

“My experience of West End audiences and having produced shows there before is that they tend to be slightly more reserved. But this has not been that,” he said. “It’s really become in a way slightly more than a show, and more like a cultural event.”

Rudin also said part of the reaction may be in part because of the irreverent humor of the show which has British roots.