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The ability to sell “seating bubbles” has been implemented across all box office system integrations on LTD’s bespoke seating plans and also supplied to distribution partners via the LTD API. This newly developed functionality is already been utilised by productions playing to socially distanced audiences including Sleepless at The Troubadour on the London Theatre Direct website and partner apps.

Further new features include the recently announced industry-first launch of Apple Wallet and Google Wallet mobile barcode e-tickets for contactless venue access, pre-show customer safety guidance communication and the ability to facilitate Government track and trace requirements.

The Mousetrap at the St Martins Theatre will be one of the first major West End productions to re-open in October with a socially distanced audience. Additionally, Nimax recently announced their plan to reopen all 6 theatres in October with social distancing measures in place.

“It feels very symbolic that The Mousetrap will be amongst the first West End shows to open its doors again. As well as being the longest running play in the world, Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist this country has ever produced. She had already left a legacy for us to take great pride in. Her name being back up in lights in the West End, heralding the beginning of the end of a very dark time in the history of the theatre, means she will rightly remain one of the most celebrated figures in our cultural life.” – Adam Spiegel Productions

Emmanuel Ciolfi, joint-CEO of London Theatre Direct added, “Right back from when theatres went dark back in March, the team at London Theatre Direct has been working on new tools to ensure that the moment a theatre or producer wants to go back on sale, LTD provides a means for them to be able to reach a wide audience of ticket buyers who can buy tickets with reassured confidence. These updates are a prelude to a brand new LTD website which we are excited to launch in a few weeks.”

ABOUT LONDON THEATRE DIRECT

Established in 1999, London Theatre Direct is one of the UK’s leading ticket retailers and distributors. As one of the first companies to sell theatre tickets online in the UK, through to displaying interactive seating plans, connecting to multiple API systems and becoming the first ticket seller in the world to accept Bitcoin, London Theatre Direct continues to innovate using new technologies. London Theatre Direct is a fully bonded official ticket retailer for all of London’s major theatres and is a full member of S.T.A.R. (Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers).

Sensational photographic book captures London from the air

Bird’s Eye London, the first title from Graffeg photographic imprint Bird Eye Books, showcases stunning aerial images by photographer, Paul Campbell.

More than 150 photographs give the viewer a totally fresh perspective on some of London’s most famous landmarks, as well as giving us an insight into corners of the capital that are hidden from the usual street level view – such as the Rooftop Secrets section.

The book is separated into chapters that document the city’s iconic attractions and architectural landmarks. For example, Royal London features not only Buckingham Palace and Hampton Court, but the Royal Chelsea Hospital and the Tower of London. A City within the City captures Smithfield Meat Market, the Bank of England and Exchange Square, while other chapters feature landmarks such as Charing Cross station, The Oval, Tooting Bec Lido, and the famous Thames barges – some 10,000 people live on London’s waterways.

Other subjects to receive this spectacular aerial treatment include parks, national museums and galleries, cathedrals and places of worship, the bridges spanning the busy waters of the Thames, railway stations, elite sporting venues, and the striking modern designs of The Shard and other more recent additions that constantly alter the London skyline, such as The Pinnacle, now the tallest building in the City of London.

“I have always been mesmerised by the landscapes as a passenger flying into London from the east which takes you over the capital and finally on to Heathrow,” says Paul Campbell. “The book for me was a labour of love, and I felt privileged to see so much of the capital from this angle – a view most people only see fleetingly, if at all. It was a fascinating process, as everything that is familiar from the ground takes on a new persona from the air.”

The book took five years to shoot, and during the course of those years, Campbell frequently had to deal with air sickness, which is something akin to sea sickness. The fumes from the plane were another factor to contend with.

Campbell also chose to use a helicopter for his photoshoots, rather than use a drone. He points out that drones have a height limit of 400 feet,and The Shard stands at 900 feet! Also, despite technological advances, a drone cannot yet compete with a top-of-the-range camera manned by a top- of-the-range photographer.

Bird’s Eye London
Author: Paul Campbell
Publisher: Bird Eye Books Publication: 15 October 2020
Format: HB, 270 x 270mm, 216 pages ISBN: 9781913134532
Price £35.00

https://amzn.to/3mkwogf

London Theatre Direct launches a multitude of new features to ensure producers can continue to market and distribute their inventory in a covid-secure way.

Brit Book Alert: Bird’s Eye London