Patrick Swayze To Make British Stage Debut In "Guys and Dolls" In London

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2006

PATRICK SWAYZE TO MAKE BRITISH STAGE DEBUT IN
“GUYS AND DOLLS” IN LONDON
Expert Provides Tips For Finding Best “West End” Theatre Tickets

LONDON, ENGLAND – Theatre fans heading to London this summer can catch actor Patrick Swayze in his British stage debut in “Guys and Dolls.” The musical is one of several shows playing in London’s renowned “West End” theatre district, including Judi Dench in “Hay Fever” and “Billy Elliot The Musical,” expected to draw record crowds over the coming

months.

“The way advance sales are going, we expect this summer to be the busiest of the past five years,” said Mat Costick, Director of ConciergeDesk.co.uk, a leading London-based concierge ticketing service. “For theatre goers that plan ahead, however, there are still plenty of good seats remaining,” he added.

Guys and Dolls
Patrick Swayze, who is best known for his starring role in the 1987 hit movie “Dirty Dancing,” will open a limited run on July 10th starring as gambler “Nathan Detroit” in “Guys and Dolls.” Claire Sweeney will play his fiancé “Miss Adelaide” in the show running till September 2 at the Piccadilly Theatre.

The chemistry between the stars was apparent on their meeting at a recent London press conference.

“As soon as I looked in her eyes I thought ‘This is going to work, this is going to be fun,’” said Swayze.

Sweeney laughed when she told London’s Daily Mirror newspaper (June 23) about the stars’ rapport, “We were doing the “Time of My Life” dance and it came to the lift, but he couldn’t do it because my a**e was too heavy.”

Hay Fever
York, England native Judi Dench is starring in the classic Noel Coward comedy “Hay Fever” running now through August 5th at the Haymarket Theatre Royal. Dench stars as “Judith Bliss,” a London stage star who has retired to the country, whose family’s terribly bad manners torment visitors. Peter Boyles stars as her husband “David Bliss.”

Billy Elliot
Now in its 15th month, the smash hit musical “Billy Elliot” continues to wow audiences. Featuring music by Elton John and adapted from the British film of the same name, Billy Elliot tells the story of a miner’s son from a troubled background who surprisingly rises above it all to become a star ballet dancer.

Other Hot Shows
London’s West End theatres are teaming with many other hot shows, including “The Lion King,” “Mamma Mia,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Dirty Dancing,” “We Will Rock You” and several more.

Tips For Best Seats
Costick of Concierge Desk offers these tips for London visitors seeking good theatre tickets with ease:

-Unlike in North America, London theatres sell tickets through approved ticket agencies – including Concierge Desk – as well as their box offices. Prices are fairly priced at these locations.
-Some shows sell out well in advance so always buy tickets with as much notice as possible
-Monday and Tuesday night shows typically have the smallest crowds, so they can be good times to find seats.
-There are discounted, two-for-one ticket specials for select shows. Check the www.ConciergeDesk.co.uk website for details.
-While cast lists are usually provided free at theatres, programs are not included in the ticket price. Programs costs about 3 British pounds (US$5) each.

Through Concierge Desk, there’s no extra charge to have a ticket held at the Box Office for pick up on show day, or, if preferred, it can be delivered to a London address so it’s awaiting visitors’ arrival.

Ticket prices generally run from about £23 to £60 for premier seats (US$42 to $109) each. To learn more or reserve London theatre tickets, visit www.conciergedesk.co.uk or call them toll free (from the U.S. and Canada) 1-800-971-4491. At Concierge Desk, customers can view ticket availability “live” and book tickets using the largest ticket inventory of any Internet ticket seller, and choose from various seating options including “best seats,” “standard seats,” “discount seats,” and “special offers.”

The Society of London Theatre reported that 12.3 million people attended its productions citywide in 2005, a record high, and there were a record 17,416 performances.

About Concierge Desk
A member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR), Concierge Desk sells more than 20,000 tickets annually to leading London theatre performances, sightseeing tours and major tourist attractions in and around the capital city, making it one of London’s largest concierge services. Established in July 2000, Concierge Desk has served thousands of consumer and corporate customers from the UK, Europe, United States, Australia and Canada.

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Media Contact:
Michael Pirages, Pirages Communications (Chicago),
773-769-1616, email: mpirages@piragescom.com

(To interview Mat Costick of Concierge Desk by phone, please contact Michael Pirages.)