West End Letters: power cut | edf | blackouts | God of Carnage | Les Miserables

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 27 November 2009

Paying the price when the Theatreland lights
go out

• LAST week part of the West End was plunged into darkness following a power cut, and once again it was local businesses which paid the price for the failings of the energy supplier EDF.
Once would be unfortunate, and could be attributed to events beyond EDF’s control.
But this is not the first time the West End has been affected by power blackouts.
It happens with monotonous regularity, so far this year including on the press night of God of Carnage, and again earlier this year at Les Misérables and Avenue Q.
It is hardly fitting for a world city of the stature of London to be blighted by regular power blackouts.
Notwithstanding the fact the West End is the economic powerhouse of the UK and makes a significant contribution to the country’s gross domestic product, these power cuts impact on businesses already fighting the longest recession for decades.
This latest black-out brought disruption to a swathe of Shaftesbury Avenue and stopped some of the West End’s major shows, including Les Misérables.
On top of the financial impact, and we must remember the theatre industry alone contributes more than £1billion a year to the economy, there are also 40,000 residents in the West End and a multitude of other businesses which lose out every time the lights go out.
We will be taking this matter up with the EDF as this simply cannot continue.
We also think that an apology, explanation and an assurance it will not happen again is owed to all those affected, including the 500 pensioners who were kindly given free tickets to Les Misérables, but whose day was ruined due to EDF’s failure to provide a vital and necessary service.
cllr Danny Chalkley
Cabinet Member for City Management

Nicholas Allott
Managing Director
Cameron Mackintosh Ltd
Producer of Les Misérables

Sarah Porter
Chief Executive
Heart of London Business Alliance

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld.
Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: