In the West End, business goes south

LONDON â€”  “We Happy Fewâ€� is closing early -- unhappily. A critically praised “Hamletâ€� has plenty of empty seats. And there are even spare tickets for the smash hit “Jerry Springer -- The Opera.â€�

London’s theater land is enduring a summer of ennui. But is it a seasonal slump or a sign of long-term decline?

In the last couple of months, a slew of West End shows has closed early, many within weeks -- or even days -- of opening.

Producers recently announced that “We Happy Few,� a slice of World War II nostalgia directed by Trevor Nunn and written by his actress wife, Imogen Stubbs, would close at the end of July, after a six-week run. With a high-profile cast that includes Jessica Stevenson, it had been due to run until November. Critics, however, were mostly unhappy, and audiences were few.

A similar fate hit “Fuddy Meers,� the highly anticipated debut from director Sam Mendes’ Scamp production company. It opened in late May to mixed reviews and closed after two weeks. Several other shows -- Simon Gray’s “The Holy Terror,� Neil La Bute’s “The Shape of Things,� Michael Hastings’ “Calico� -- also faded fast.

“You always have a clear-out as the summer months come, but these closed very quickly,� said Terri Paddock, editor of the website www.whatsonstage.com. “It used to be a surprise if a show closed early, but now it’s almost a surprise if a show lasts a month.�

Paul James, commercial manager of the Society of London Theatre, acknowledged that “many West End shows found May and June even tougher than is normal for that time of year.�

The society, which represents theater owners and producers, declined to provide exact figures, but the Observer newspaper reported last month that box office in May was down 3% from 2003.

Some blame the decline on the mediocrity of many shows in London’s 40 or so commercial theaters.

“What people are staging isn’t necessarily the right thing to be staging, and it’s a vicious circle,� said producer Phil Cameron.