Pay less for theatre tickets: London
How to find cheap seats to see a show in the capital. By Jill Starley-Grainger
Cheap theatre tickets
Often the only people who can get discounts on theatre tickets are those who qualify for concessions, such as the under-16s, over-65s and unemployed. But a number of theatres have special deals for everyone - if you know how to find them. Many aren't advertised well - or at all - on the theatre websites, so it's always worth just calling the box office (use www.saynoto0870.co.uk to avoid costly 0844 and 0870 numbers) to ask about day tickets (tickets held back for sale on the day of the performance), standbys, standing room and any other discounts available.
Below is a selection of some of London's best theatre-ticket deals. It's also worth checking with your local theatres as many offer great deals for local residents - sometimes even free tickets.
Click here for cheap theatre tickets nationwide
Barbican Centre
www.barbican.org.uk, 020 7638 8891
Families Up to three under 16s get half-price tickets to many shows with each full paying adult.
Membership Take out membership (from £20 a year), and get 20% off theatre, dance and selected music events for you plus one.
Discounttheatre.com
Get discounts, from £5 upwards, to a range of shows in London.
Donmar Warehouse
www.donmarwarehouse.com/p32.html
020 8544 7412; 0844 871 7624
Standing room For many performances (usually those that are sold out), a limited number of standing-room seats are sold on the day for £7.50. These can be bought online.
Gate Theatre
www.gatetheatre.co.uk, 020 7229 0706
Previews All tickets are only £8 for the first 3 performances of any show with the Gatecrasher logo at the Gate.†
Three for two Pick any three shows at the Gate and only pay for two - saving you a third on your ticket prices. Only available when booking three shows by phone at the same time.
Pay what you can On Monday nights, some pay-what-you-can tickets are available, sold on a first-come first-served basis, one per person from 6.30pm in the theatre foyer and cannot be booked in advance.
Gielgud Theatre - Hair
www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk 020 7812 7481, 0844 482 5130
Day tickets
20 tickets held back for sale every day at 10.30am at box office window. Tickets are £20 Monday to Friday, £25 Saturdays, best available seats. Max two per person. Tickets normally cost up to £66.75. Expect queues, especially at weekends, so arrive early.
Greenwich Theatre
www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk, 020 8858 7755
Standing room If all the seats to a show have been sold, standing room tickets are often available for just £7.
London Theatre Passport
www.viator.com/tours/London/London-Theater-Passport/d737-3517THEATREPASS
The London Theatre Passport offers the best-available tickets to a number of shows on the day the passport is used, for around £20. Check the list of shows likely to be included before buying the passport as it's valid only for one show, and the availability of that show cannot be guaranteed. However, if you're not fussy and you just want to see a big West End show, this could save you £20 to £30.
Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith
www.lyric.co.uk, 020 8741 2311; 0871 221 1729
£10 performances All tickets are £10 for certain performances and many midweek matinees.
Family tickets For many Saturday and Sunday shows, tickets are available for £25 for four people if at least one is under 16.
National Theatre
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk, 020 7452 3000
Day seats Many shows have £10 tickets available on the day of performance, in person only and subject to availability, from 9.30am on the day of performance (12noon on Sundays when there is a performance.They may be limited to two per person.
Standing room Once all tickets to a performance are sold, £5 standing room tickets are often available, either in person or by phone.
Standby Queue up 90 minutes before a performance to try to get discounted standby tickets: £15 off top three ticket prices in the Lyttelton; £5 off top two prices in the Cottesloe and Olivier Travelex £10 productions. All Preview performances £20. Available from 90 minutes before a performance.
£10 tickets For the past eight years, Travelex and the National Theatre have offered many tickets to certain shows at £10 each. The shows for 2010 are 'Women Beware Women', 'Welcome to Thebes', 'Danton's Death' and 'Hamlet'.
Official London Theatre Society
www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/buy_tickets/special_offers
Check the Official London Theatre special offers page for discounts on tickets, often £10 to £15 off top price.
Royal Court Theatre
www.royalcourttheatre.com, 020 7565 5000
£10 Mondays All tickets for all Monday performances are £10. These sell out quickly, but 20 of them are held back for sale on the day of performance, available from the box office at 10am.
Standing room On all days, around eight 10p standing tickets are usually available for performances Downstairs, available one hour in advance.
Pay what you can At Theatre Local, in Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, tickets are £8 in advance, but remaining tickets are Pay What You Like on the door from 4pm.
Royal Opera House
www.roh.org.uk, 020 7304 4000
Day tickets 67 sold on the day of most performances, with prices varying, but starting from about £6 for ballets and £10 for operas. It's strictly one per person, and queues for before 10am, when the box office opens.
Sadler's Wells Theatre
www.sadlerswells.com, 0844 412 4300
Multi-show discount Save 20% when you buy tickets for two or more specified shows.
Shakespeare's Globe
www.shakespeares-globe.org, 020 7401 9919
Standing room There are 700 £5 standing tickets for every performance. Standing offers the best view of the stage.
Theatre Royal Haymarket - Sweet Charity
www.trh.co.uk, 0845 481 1870
Day tickets Every day, 13 front-row stalls seats go on sale at 10am for that evening's performance; limited to two per person. Tickets are £24.50 on the phone, or £21 over the counter. Full-price seats in the stalls are £55.
TKTS theatre booth
Get discounts of up to 50% on the day for many big shows on the day of the performance at the official Society of London Theatre ticket booths at Brent Cross and in Leicester Square. (In Leicester Square, make sure to go to the TKTS building at the bottom of the grassy square, and do not be fooled by the many ticket agencies surrounding the square.) Discounts are usually on top-price tickets, with most costing £25-£45 after the discount. You can get an idea of what shows might be available every day from 11am, when the website is updated. Tickets must be purchased in person at one of the two official booths, which open at 10am, but new tickets are added all day, so there is no need to be first at the door.
Wyndhams - Avenue Q
http://www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk/Theatres/wyndhams_theatre.php, 020 7812 7447, 0844 482 5120
£10 tickets Around 30 tickets are usually available for £11.75 for weekday performances, and some for weekend performances. Buy in person at the Box Office or by calling 0844 482 5141.
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