Brian Stanley, the chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), has said the commercial risks involved in putting on Toy Show The Musical “appear to be too high”. The Sinn Féin TD told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland that the PAC will be asking Director General Dee Forbes what market research was done in advance of the production.
There is a crowded marketplace when it comes to family entertainment at this time of year, he said. There was also a cost of living crisis so people might not have the same disposable income. “These are questions that need to be examined”.
Mr Stanley said there appeared to have been an expectation by RTÉ that the event would sell itself because of its association with the very popular annual Late Late Toy Show television programme.
“On the face of it, it appears that proper market research was not done. There were empty seats, shows being cancelled.”
He said this was happening at a time when RTÉ’s finances were not healthy. “We want to make sure that RTÉ is successful. The risks in this scenario appear to be too high.”
Due to illness, a number of shows were cancelled at the weekend, but Toy Show the Musical will go ahead on Tuesday with a sensory-friendly performance 12:30pm.
However, a reduced number of shows are planned for the coming week. A 12.30pm show on Wednesday December 21st and a 7.30pm show on Thursday December 22nd have both been cancelled.
RTÉ has said the show, which runs until December 31st in Dublin’s Convention Centre, was forced to cancel due to illness in the cast. “While there is a significant degree of resilience in the cast, where roles can be covered by understudies, given illness persists among a cast of predominantly children, it is necessary to make further adjustments to the schedule this week,” it said.
Those affected will be contacted by Ticketsolve regarding rescheduling or a refund. RTÉ has also said that anyone whose show was cancelled would get a 25 per cent discount on new tickets in the next fortnight.
The statement said the The Toy Show the Musical team was aware of “disappointment and upset” on social media at the recent cancellations.
“The team tried its very best to make the shows happen, but ran out of time and options and had to cancel. The adjustments we are making to the schedule this week are to minimise the risk of that happening again,” it said.
At the weekend Dee Forbes, the Director General of RTÉ, defended the musical following negative reviews and cancellations, saying “the audience reaction so far has been fantastic”. Ms Forbes said “families and children are really loving the show”, saying it was “always going to be a show led by children for children, in keeping with Toy Show itself”.
A review of the musical in The Irish Times concluded that “despite the talent evident on the stage and behind it, it is difficult not to feel cynical about the artistic intention of what is essentially a spectacular, self-congratulatory marketing ploy”.
Alan Hughes, a Virgin Media presenter who is producing his own pantomime in the National Stadium in Dublin, has also accused RTÉ of having a commercial advantage over its competitors.
In a statement published on the RTÉ website, Ms Forbes said “attempts by some to pit Toy Show the Musical against other productions is at odds with the broad support we have received from the theatre world”.
This whole thing has reeling in the years written all over it
Who did they think was the person who enjoyed the Billy Barry stuff the most though?
Have they made a loss on it?
The only people who deserve any sympathy here are the poor fucking performers who probably thought this was their shot at getting noticed.
Is this where the RTE licence fee went?
The last time I saw as despicable a vanity project FIFA released United passions
Why is this such a big deal
Because they’re trying to push it to make it an almost strictly type affair/talent show contest… it’s just poorly thought out and misses the point of the original toy show by a mile!
I would say that I’m in the target audience for this show – I watch the toy show every year, love musicals and have a small amount of disposable income. But even I took one look at it and said “no way” and booked tickets to a pantomime. I really can’t see who would want to watch it, unless it was a school production and your own child was in it.
Didn’t make a bit of sense. Already plenty of established pantos who are struggling to get back on their feet after lockdowns. Wasn’t fair for RTE with their free marketing to try compete for that market.
On top of that there’s the cost of living crisis. I know most people wouldn’t have the disposable income to afford what’s a fairly expensive outing compared to pantos
This kind of shit is exactly why RTE don’t deserve the license money they already get, never mind pushing for more.
Suddenly a PAC guy has the showbiz answers which is comedy itself.
“We didn’t sell enough tickets so were blaming covid as the reason to cancel the show then claiming insurance money to cover our cost”
Fixed that for them.
The worst thing about this whole debacle is that it has given Alan Hughes a reason to give a sound bite. I don’t really know what his issue is 1. It flopped and 2. The panto got loads of exposure this year. I heard him on Newstalk and other radio stations. And I would expect it was plugged on tv3?
“Saturated Christmas market” wouldn’t have been a problem if it was a good idea executed well. It doesn’t seem that it was…
16 comments
Brian Stanley, the chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), has said the commercial risks involved in putting on Toy Show The Musical “appear to be too high”. The Sinn Féin TD told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland that the PAC will be asking Director General Dee Forbes what market research was done in advance of the production.
There is a crowded marketplace when it comes to family entertainment at this time of year, he said. There was also a cost of living crisis so people might not have the same disposable income. “These are questions that need to be examined”.
Mr Stanley said there appeared to have been an expectation by RTÉ that the event would sell itself because of its association with the very popular annual Late Late Toy Show television programme.
“On the face of it, it appears that proper market research was not done. There were empty seats, shows being cancelled.”
He said this was happening at a time when RTÉ’s finances were not healthy. “We want to make sure that RTÉ is successful. The risks in this scenario appear to be too high.”
Due to illness, a number of shows were cancelled at the weekend, but Toy Show the Musical will go ahead on Tuesday with a sensory-friendly performance 12:30pm.
However, a reduced number of shows are planned for the coming week. A 12.30pm show on Wednesday December 21st and a 7.30pm show on Thursday December 22nd have both been cancelled.
RTÉ has said the show, which runs until December 31st in Dublin’s Convention Centre, was forced to cancel due to illness in the cast. “While there is a significant degree of resilience in the cast, where roles can be covered by understudies, given illness persists among a cast of predominantly children, it is necessary to make further adjustments to the schedule this week,” it said.
Those affected will be contacted by Ticketsolve regarding rescheduling or a refund. RTÉ has also said that anyone whose show was cancelled would get a 25 per cent discount on new tickets in the next fortnight.
The statement said the The Toy Show the Musical team was aware of “disappointment and upset” on social media at the recent cancellations.
“The team tried its very best to make the shows happen, but ran out of time and options and had to cancel. The adjustments we are making to the schedule this week are to minimise the risk of that happening again,” it said.
At the weekend Dee Forbes, the Director General of RTÉ, defended the musical following negative reviews and cancellations, saying “the audience reaction so far has been fantastic”. Ms Forbes said “families and children are really loving the show”, saying it was “always going to be a show led by children for children, in keeping with Toy Show itself”.
A review of the musical in The Irish Times concluded that “despite the talent evident on the stage and behind it, it is difficult not to feel cynical about the artistic intention of what is essentially a spectacular, self-congratulatory marketing ploy”.
Alan Hughes, a Virgin Media presenter who is producing his own pantomime in the National Stadium in Dublin, has also accused RTÉ of having a commercial advantage over its competitors.
In a statement published on the RTÉ website, Ms Forbes said “attempts by some to pit Toy Show the Musical against other productions is at odds with the broad support we have received from the theatre world”.
This whole thing has reeling in the years written all over it
Who did they think was the person who enjoyed the Billy Barry stuff the most though?
Have they made a loss on it?
The only people who deserve any sympathy here are the poor fucking performers who probably thought this was their shot at getting noticed.
Is this where the RTE licence fee went?
The last time I saw as despicable a vanity project FIFA released United passions
Why is this such a big deal
Because they’re trying to push it to make it an almost strictly type affair/talent show contest… it’s just poorly thought out and misses the point of the original toy show by a mile!
I would say that I’m in the target audience for this show – I watch the toy show every year, love musicals and have a small amount of disposable income. But even I took one look at it and said “no way” and booked tickets to a pantomime. I really can’t see who would want to watch it, unless it was a school production and your own child was in it.
Didn’t make a bit of sense. Already plenty of established pantos who are struggling to get back on their feet after lockdowns. Wasn’t fair for RTE with their free marketing to try compete for that market.
On top of that there’s the cost of living crisis. I know most people wouldn’t have the disposable income to afford what’s a fairly expensive outing compared to pantos
This kind of shit is exactly why RTE don’t deserve the license money they already get, never mind pushing for more.
Suddenly a PAC guy has the showbiz answers which is comedy itself.
“We didn’t sell enough tickets so were blaming covid as the reason to cancel the show then claiming insurance money to cover our cost”
Fixed that for them.
The worst thing about this whole debacle is that it has given Alan Hughes a reason to give a sound bite. I don’t really know what his issue is 1. It flopped and 2. The panto got loads of exposure this year. I heard him on Newstalk and other radio stations. And I would expect it was plugged on tv3?
“Saturated Christmas market” wouldn’t have been a problem if it was a good idea executed well. It doesn’t seem that it was…