Camden Fringe follows suit with budget tier requiring audience members to sign liability waivers
New Safety-Optional Pricing Structure Announced
In response to London’s cost-of-living crisis, the Vault Festival has introduced tiered pricing based on potential death risk, with the new “Budget Experience” category offering tickets for just £8 if audiences accept they might need to evacuate through a window. The Camden Fringe immediately announced it would match the initiative, noting it “accidentally already operates this way.”
Insurance Companies Express Concern
The scheme categorises shows by hazard level: “Probably Safe” (£25), “Maybe Dangerous But In a Fun Way” (£15), and “You’ve Signed the Waiver So It’s Your Problem Now” (£8). Premium “Definitely Won’t Die” tickets start at £45 and include functional emergency exits. “We’re democratising the arts,” explained Festival Director Miranda Stephens, speaking from a venue with two functioning exit signs and one that’s “more decorative than functional.”
Performers Embrace New Creative Freedom
The changes have energised the fringe scene. “Now that audiences have pre-acknowledged the fire risk, I can finally do my show about pyromania in a room made entirely of paper,” celebrated performance artist Duncan Wright. “It’s liberating not having to pretend about health and safety.”
Early feedback suggests audiences appreciate the honesty. “I knew what I was getting into when I booked ‘Immersive Chaos Theory: A Study in Actual Flames,'” said attendee Rachel Morrison. “The £8 ticket price really helps when you factor in the cost of replacing singed clothing.”
The scheme has attracted criticism from traditional venues, particularly the National Theatre, whose representative pointed out they “waste valuable resources on boring things like functioning sprinkler systems and structural integrity.” The Festival responded by noting that “existential dread from genuine peril” enhances the theatrical experience in ways safe, boring theatres simply cannot replicate.
SOURCE: https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/vault-festival-fire-hazards
I am a Lagos-born poet and satirical journalist navigating West London’s contradictions. I survived lions at six, taught English by Irish nuns, now wielding words as weapons against absurdity. Illegal in London but undeniable. I write often for https://bohiney.com/author/junglepussy/.
As a young child, I was mostly influenced by the television show Moesha, starring singer and actress Brandy. Growing up, I would see Brandy on Moesha and see her keeping in her cornrows and her braids, but still flourish in her art and music, looking fly. I loved Moesha as a child, but now I take away something more special from it. Just because you’re a black girl, it doesn’t mean you need to only care about hair and makeup. Brandy cared about books, culture and where she was going — you can do both.
