| Theatre-going
in London doesn't have to be expensive.
Journeywoman
Online
teams up with Time
Out London to let
you in on the money-saving secrets
that up until now only British women
knew about. Have fun!
- The
Half-Price Ticket Booth in
Leicester Square has a number of
cheap tickets for most West End
shows. These are sold on a first-come,
first-serve basis (cash only).(Leicester
Square underground)
- Matinee
performances are much cheaper than
evenings but in some instances understudies
replace the stars. Seats for Mon.
- Thurs. evening performances in
the West End are uniformly cheaper
than Friday or Saturday nights.
- Pay
for a restricted-view seat in the
stalls (not all theatres have them),
then move to a better seat when
the lights go down. This is only
possible when the show isn't sold
out.
- The
cheapest seats are usually in the
'gods' at the top of the theatre,
but you'll need a pair of binoculars
to see the show.
- Buy
tickets direct from the box office
to save on credit card charges,
telephone booking fees (usually
10%) and agency commissions.
- Go
to previews of West End and Off-West
End shows. The tickets are considerably
cheaper if the critics haven't had
a chance to pan the show yet.
- The
National Theatre sells a number
of tickets for shows on the day
from 10am at the box office: 40
for the Olivier; 40 for the
Lyttelton; 20 for the Cottesloe.
Queues start at 8am for the popular
shows.
- Some
theatres have reduced-price ticket
nights: at BAC there's a
'pay what you want night' on Tuesdays;
at the Royal Court all tickets
are �5 on Monday nights; and the
Theatre Royal Stratford East
has the lowest concessionary rates
for students, seniors and the unemployed.
There's also a Student Standby
Theatre Line (0171 379 8900),
open after 2 pm, which advises on
ticket availability.
- Many
theatres, like the RSC, the
Donmar and the National
, sell standing room tickets
at vastly reduced prices. It's well
worth enquiring about these if the
show is either sold out or you're
extremely broke.
- Look
out for special offers in the back
of Time Out Magazine, a weekly
magazine, brimming with info on
how to enjoy the city and sold everywhere
in London
We
thank the folks at Time Out Magazine
for providing JW with this information.
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