(REUTERS) — Harry Potter fans hoping to see the franchise’s new West End play could be refused admission if they buy their tickets on re-sale websites.
In a statement, the producers of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” called the second-ticket market an “industry-wide plague” and said they were taking the matter “very seriously.”
“Our priority is to protect all our customers and are doing all we can to combat this issue. From the outset accessible pricing has been of paramount importance to us. We have already been able to identify and refuse entry to a significant number of people who purchased tickets through resale sites and will continue to track down touts and refuse entry to anyone who has knowingly bought a ticket from a tout through the secondary market,” they added.
Approximately 60 bookings so far have been refused entry to the Palace Theatre based on invalid tickets.
Theatre goers for Sunday’s (August 14) performance reacted to news that one site had apparently listed a ticket for sale at £6,200.
“Why should a punter buy it for £100 or whatever and then make that much profit on it when there’s people who are prepared to queue up and buy properly,” said a woman waiting in queue with her family.
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” broke box office records when tickets were originally made available to the public in October 2015.
The play, a marathon affair running over five hours and split into two parts, is sold out through until May 2017, but there is an online lottery every Friday in which 40 tickets are released for the following week.