Paul Mescal is making his long-awaited return to the West End stage, but his devoted fans appear to be paying the price.
The Irish actor, 28, will reprise his starring role in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire for a limited West End run in February 2025.
Paul walked away from the play with a prestigious Olivier Award in hand as critics praised him for bringing a new “swagger” to the role of Stanley Kowalski.
Now, fans of the Normal People star are left scrambling to get tickets to see the handsome actor before the acclaimed production moves to Broadway.
But many were horrified by the exorbitant ticket prices.
At the time of publication, providers such as TodayTix and Official London Theater were advertising seats in both the stalls and the royal circle at the Noël Coward Theater for up to £250.
“I want to go see Paul Mescal in A Streetcar Named Desire, but there’s no way I’ll pay those prices,” one fan wrote on X.
And he added: ‘We complain that concert tickets are exorbitant, but theater tickets are going the same way!’
Paul Mescal plays Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire alongside co-star Patsy Ferran
A second tweeted: “I love theater and support the arts where I can afford it, but I can no longer listen to them struggling to get funding or get people to shows when a three-week play with Paul Mescal is selling tickets.” For a minimum of £250 each! How is this justified?’
Another fan said they were in a “bad mood” after seeing the price tag on sought-after seats, while others compared the ticket-buying experience to Taylor Swift and Oasis.
TodayTix and the Official London Theater have been contacted for comment.
Directed by Rebecca Frecknell, the dark and uncompromising new production revolves around Blanche Dubois and her tough husband Stanley.
It opened to critical acclaim, with Paul citing it as his favorite work despite his initial hesitation about taking on the role made famous by Marlon Brando.
“Anxiety is definitely linked to it being done so well, but I think that will go away,” the Irish heartthrob said.
After completing a sold-out run of the play in early 2023, Paul admitted to having vanity fair who fell ill before his final shows of the weekend and had to receive a steroid injection to continue.
Paul said: ‘I lost my voice completely last weekend. I got sick on Thursday and it’s just… any illness that enters your body when you have to do that, I was devastated.
“So I had to get a steroid shot in my butt on Saturday to get through both shows. I made it by the skin of my teeth.
Fans have taken to X to express their outrage at eye-watering ticket prices.
Paul won the Olivier Award for Best Actor at the Royal Albert Hall in April 2023.
The ticket sales fiasco comes after Paul turned his new movie Gladiator II into a musical during his performance on Saturday Night Live this weekend.
The 28-year-old Irish actor stars in the blood-soaked new historical epic, with a cast including Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal.
However, in one of the Saturday Night Live sketches, Paul and Kenan Thompson, a long-time cast member of the show, put a ridiculous spin on the story.
The premise of the sketch was that Moana 2 and Wicked: Part One have proven to be such monster hits that Gladiator II could also get a publicity boost if it were a musical.
“After some rushed takes,” 50 minutes of songs were added to the film, a sly nod to the two-hour, 40-minute running time of the film Wicked.
Saturday’s skit allowed Paul to show off his singing skills to the fullest, and fans have gone wild over his impressive crooning and dancing.
The Irish hunk also decided to sell his Gladiator press tour wardrobe on Vinted, with all proceeds going to charity.
The award-winning actor sells his shoes, jeans, sweaters and caps. Prices start at £160 and will be available from December 16.
The carefully curated collection includes one-of-a-kind pieces custom-made for Paul, as well as everyday luxury pieces from brands such as Jimmy Choo, Av Vattev and BW Marks.
Paul Mescal will put his Gladiator press tour wardrobe on Vinted with all proceeds going to charity. The collection includes this cashmere crew neck jumper, which will retail for £575.
Also for sale is this custom hand-painted knit henley made by emerging designer BW Marks, which Paul wore in Sydney. It will go on sale for £250.
“Paul has always had a strong connection to vintage and second-hand fashion,” said Felicity Kay, his stylist. “He is often eager to re-wear items we have designed before or items from his own wardrobe.
“Partnering with Vinted for Paul’s Gladiator II promotional tour made a lot of sense, as it gave us the opportunity to delve into his love of second-hand clothing – in fact, I found a pair of Ben Davis work pants at Vinted, they fit Paul like a dream – no adjustments needed! They became one of his favorite pieces on tour.
“But we were both equally excited to find a way to give a second life to the clothes she wore during her tour, so selling them on Vinted seemed like the perfect option, especially with the added bonus of supporting a good cause.”