Exclusive:Edinburgh theatre warns of ticket fraud for sold-out Jodie Comer play
The play sold out almost immediately when tickets were released last year
An Edinburgh theatre has warned of a flood of fake tickets for its sold-out show starring award-winning Killing Eve actor Jodie Comer.
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh said customers had been scammed into buying counterfeit tickets for hit play Prima Facie on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace.
Meanwhile, tickets advertised on resale sites such as Stubhub are on offer for as much as £429 per seat - many times higher than the most expensive ticket sold by the theatre.
The one-woman play, by Susie Miller, which is at the Lyceum until Saturday, sold out within minutes after tickets went on sale last March.
It is currently on an eight-location tour, including the Edinburgh run.
The theatre said one customer had presented a screenshot of a ticket on opening night on Tuesday which they had bought online that had already been scanned by another customer. They were unable to enter the show.
On Stubhub, only two pairs of tickets are available - for the play’s Saturday night performance. The seats, all in the stalls, are on sale for £308 and £429 respectively for a single ticket.
Lyndsey Jackson, executive director at the Lyceum, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Prima Facie and Jodie Comer to the Lyceum this week which sold out in record breaking time.
“Pricing transparency and fans being able to connect with the work they want to see is important for us and our audiences, so we are disappointed to see predatory resellers and fake tickets on sale on third party sites and on social media. We encourage our audiences to always buy direct from the venue, and if you’re in any doubt, please contact our box office who are happy to help.”
It added that the theatre has a waiting list for any resale or return tickets.
Issuing a message on its social media pages, the theatre warned customers: “Ticket reminder for Prima Facie. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee entry for tickets not purchased directly from The Lyceum.”
When the tour was announced last year, Ms Comer said it was a “huge privilege” to return to Prima Facie “for one last time”.
She said: “The resonance of Suzie Miller’s writing, both in London and New York, exceeded anything we could have imagined. I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to get the team back together and take the production to theatres around the country.”
The play, a one-person court drama starring Ms Comer, who won both the Olivier and Tony Awards for best actress for her performance, has previously been performed on both Broadway and in the West End of London.
It is currently being adapted into a feature film by writer Ms Miller.
The lawyer-turned playwright began her writing career in 2004, with a successful play, Cross Sections, based on stories from the Kings Cross district of Sydney. In 2009, she was offered a playwright residency at the National Theatre in London.
Both Prima Facie and Ms Miller’s play Inter Alia, another law-based drama starring Rosamund Pike, have been featured on National Theatre Live, where audiences can watch recordings of plays in cinemas around the country.
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