Musicals in London

[diana]

Hi,

I am planning to see one a show in London and was wondering how can I get tickets for them. Would I be able to buy them when I get to london or I should pre-order them when I am still in Canada?

Also, would it be cheaper to buy in online or in person at the ticket booths in london?

Thanks!

[MuvverRussia]

Cheapest way to get tickets is to buy them on the door at the last minute. It's not good if you've got a strict schedule and/or really want to see a particular show though.

Otherwise, you can buy them online from a number of different ticket agencies, or you can get them when you get here. That said, most ticket agencies do charge a surcharge, although it's not normally a huge amount.

[WillTravel]

There's the official half-priced booth TKTS:
www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/tkts/leicestersquare

Don't be fooled by the many other ticket brokers around there, as you are likely to be ripped off.

However, I found that even TKTS was more than I wanted to pay because it's usually the best seats they sell at half-price (and half of say 75 pounds is still 38.50 pounds). I went to the theatre (or you can phone) and asked for the cheapest seats, some of which have an "obstructed view". The obstruction can be very slight or it can be annoying, depending on the theatre and position of the seat. If you really want to see a show properly, no doubt you should shell out for the half-price tickets at TKTS.

[Meghan]

Definitly try out the last minute website. I've bought tickets to a couple of shows from the 'ticket for a tenner' (10pounds) section, and their theatre section is generally pretty good, especially if you're flexible. The only thing with musicals is that their pretty expensive, as they know that tourists will pay to see them. If you're open to maybe seeing a play instead, you'll probably find cheaper tickets, but if you want to see a musical just shop around... personally I stalk the lastminute site for deals, but that's mainly because I'm a cheap student

[diana]

Thanks for your help!

For the last mintue site, do they actually mail the tickets over or do I have to pick it up at the booth the day of?

[WillTravel]

You go to the theatre, show your voucher at the box office, and get your ticket.

[patrickt]

Which show are you looking to see,... out of curiosity??

[diana]

Patrickt: I was thinking either The Producers or Chicago. Do you have any good recommendations?

[Meghan]

My sister and I saw the Producers in London and it was really well done. The cast was hysterical. On the other hand, I've read some rave reviews about Chicago in the paper here and have some friends who really enjoyed it. However, the prices for both shows are high, and there aren't usually tickets for either one at the TKTS booth in Leicester., but no matter where you see a big show like one of those its gonna be expensive and IMO london's theatre is as good if not better than NYC.

[Lyra]

If you like plays as well, that can be a cheaper option. The National Theatre had some reasonable price shows on (around 15 pounds) when I was in London last June.

Buy a TimeOut magazine (I think it's called that), which has comprehensive listings of everything (music, arts, etc.) going on, I thought it was well worth buying.

Musical recommendations - I haven't seen a lot, but I liked The Producers (hilarious), Chicago, Les Miserables, Lion King, and 42nd Street.

[WillTravel]

I've been to lots of plays and musicals in London, and never spent more than 12 pounds. Needless to say I haven't gotten the best seats at the most popular shows, but I've enjoyed all of them.

Get a Time Out magazine when you go to London. You'll note that plays list a range of prices. You can then go to the theatres and ask about the possibility of buying the cheapest tickets. If you can accept a bit of an obstructed view, you can often get a ticket for as little as 5 pounds. If you are a student, you get cheaper prices as well. Standing tickets are sometimes available for 5 pounds or so also.

I also keep an eye out here:
www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/

I've also gotten good theatre deals here:
www.lastminute.com
Some people say that if a deal is listed there, you'll always be able to equal it by going through the theatre, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I got some deals I was very happy with.

[WillTravel]

The official half-price booth at Leicester Square is good if you know you want the best seats at a reduced price. I admit the deals are good if you are willing to pay that much, but so far I haven't been willing to do so. So far as I can tell, they only offer discounts for the best seats. But take a look:
www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/tkts

Don't be fooled by imitators around Leicester Square, as those are shady outfits. If you want to do this, only go to the official TKTS booth.