The show that paid the customers

Bad-boy German actor Ben Becker claims that tickets for the Salzburg Festival's packed-out closing ball sold so poorly that management ended up hiring locals for 70 euros a pop, and clothing them from the costume department.

Becker himself was chucked out of the ball mid-way after publically flinging insults at festival director Alexander Pereira. A few days later it was announced that after four highly-acclaimed years, Becker won't be reprising the role of Death in Jedermann at the 2013 festival.