Save Your Pennies And See a Play for Less

London is a theatre capital at its best. We have the world famous West End, but there are also hundreds of plays running in the smaller theatres around the town. Here are my tips on how to catch a play in London without breaking the bank.

Buy tickets on the day. There are countless “half price tickets booths” around Leicester Square, but the official is the white one in the middle of the square called TKTS. They sell half price tickets for the same day shows. Do keep in mind though that the cheapest ticket gets you the cheapest seat in the often huge West End theatre. Get there early for as the best tickets sell out fast.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert is the funniest musical
in London but you don't have to break the bank to see it. 

See previews. You will quickly learn which theatres are your favourites. Sign up for their newsletters to find out about the new shows. The preview tickets are sold at reduced price as the play may still be tweaked. Or browse for a preview show in www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk. I've recently been to see the previews of Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales (easy & good fun) at Hammersmith Lyric and Vernon God Little (fantastic) at Young Vic. 

Book through lastminute.com. The famous website offers deals, but to be fair, the value & quality of the offers varies. They often sell tickets based on “best available seats” and that can really be anything from a top price seat to something on the balcony. It’s still worth checking what’s on offer. Shop around online for best deals.

National Theatre – the National Theatre in partnership with Travelex is offering £10 tickets to most of its shows. Book early.

Book as a group. Make a night out of it with a group of friends. Put together a group of 10+ and save up to 50%. The bigger the group, the lower the price and if not, negotiate.

Opt for a non-commercial and off West End theatres instead of the biggest productions in central London. Often with more demanding and / or edgy plays with an affordable ticket price, these are a good option for a West End production.