LONDON ~ London theatre enjoyed its most successful year ever in 2007, with 13.6 million visits, according to a report out this week.

Attendances were up 10 percent on 2006, with musicals accounting for most of the growth, figures from The Society of London Theatre showed.

Popular television casting programs for lead roles benefited musicals such as Grease and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the society said.

Last year, 65 percent of attendances were at musicals, 22 percent at plays, six percent at dance, four percent at opera, and three percent for other entertainment or performance pieces.

Star actors appearing in the West End theatre district, including Sir Ian McKellen in William Shakespeare’s King Lear and Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe in Equus, helped boost ticket sales, the society found.

Ticket revenue in 2007 came to almost £470 million (US$925), smashing the previous record achieved in 2006 of £400 million.

“Musicals were occupying rather more theatres than usual,” said the report.

“But at the same time there were straight plays in abundance.”