Gandalf conjures tickets by mobile

Producers of The Lord of the Rings have teamed up with mobile operator O2 to launch the first commercial mobile ticketing service for a West End show.

The platform was developed with Trinity Mobile and See Tickets, and allows customers to buy and receive tickets, and gain access to the show, using only their mobile phone.

By cutting out paper tickets, the service aims to reduce administration costs, eliminate ticket touts and be more environmentally friendly.

O2 customers can purchase up to 10 tickets at £25 each, compared to normal price of £60, using a secure credit card transaction over O2's Active Portal.

The tickets then appear in the 'my tickets' section of The Lord of the Rings mobile box office accessed via a mobile phone.

Ticket information includes seat numbers, opening times and a unique barcode which can be scanned at a terminal at the theatre to allow access to the show.

"It has never been easier to get tickets to an event," said Nigel Dean, head of interactive product sales at O2 UK.

"For the first time you can do everything from your mobile phone, buying your tickets on the move and redeeming them straight off your device. We believe that mobile ticketing is the future, not just for the theatre, but for all ticketed events."

The service is currently available only for Tuesday evening performances of The Lord of the Rings, but customers can attend the event at short notice because tickets can be purchased up to 12pm on the day.

"We are extremely excited to be the first theatre production to sample this technology," said Kevin Wallace, producer of The Lord of the Rings.

"It is rather fitting that Middle-Earth should be the first place to use this kind of technology.

"Buying tickets on your mobile and scanning your phone to get into the show works like magic and is a trick I think even Gandalf himself would be proud of. "

Customers wishing to access the mobile box office need to text LOTR to 2020 or visit an O2 store or the O2 UK website.

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