How to See More Theatre Without Going Broke
Spending less on tickets to see more shows
Theatre is expensive and ticket prices are only getting higher. There’s nothing worse than wanting to see a show but not being able to justify the ticket cost. My philosophy has always been to sacrifice comfort and a perfect view to spend as little as I can for any given show. I don’t want to spend more than I have to when there’s no guarantee I will enjoy what I see. I don’t want to bankrupt the theatres, but I’m not about to bankrupt myself either.
Below are eight methods I use to get the maximum number of tickets from my disposable income.
Do Your Research
By far the most universal advice I can give is to spend a little time looking into the theatre you’re planning to visit. Seats will vary wildly in price, and not all seats are created equal. For most shows I consult Theatre Monkey as I book - flicking between the theatre’s box office site and its seating plan on Theatre Monkey. The monkey has mapped out all the London theatres, highlighting overpriced seats and, more importantly, those considered good value.
If it is a theatre I am less familiar with I might double down and check the seats on SeatPlan so I can verify the view. This is especially useful when buying a restricted view ticket and I need to see how restricted it is. SeatPlan also has maps of London theatres and for most seats contains user-uploaded photos of the view, along with short reviews. The site recently got slightly less useful as they re-focussed on selling tickets now, so you might need to pretend to be browsing tickets to unlock the seat photos.
DISCLAIMER: Both of these sites sell tickets but I would avoid buying through them. Instead take the information you need and then…
Book Direct
There are dozens of websites that specialise in selling tickets on behalf of theatres. The benefit they offer is that they don’t have a limited list of shows to choose from, but aggregate ticket sales from across the capital. The downside is that these tickets are often sold with a hefty mark-up compare to buying direct.
This is not to say that discounts can’t be found on these sites, but it is always worth checking back with the theatre’s own website as often the exact same seat, on the exact same night, will be available for less as there is no middleman to pay.
That said, there are times when the aggregators can be cheaper, in those moments you need to…
Be Spontaneous
Download TodayTix, find all the West End shows you can’t afford to see, and sign up for lotteries and rush ticket alerts. Lots of shows will run a system where a handful of unsold tickets are listed at specific times for as little as £10. You have less choice in both show and seat, and certainly won’t have time to cross-reference with other websites, but are almost certainly getting a bargain.
You might find that some theatres run their lottery/rush ticket systems themselves so it is always worth checking with the theatre directly if TodayTix is letting you down.
Using these systems relies on you being flexible and spontaneous. If you are more of an advanced planner you might prefer to…
See it in Previews
Whenever a new show opens the first week or so of shows will be classed as previews. At this stage the play is technically ready and rehearsed, but the cast and creatives want a few nights to put the show through its paces before the Press Night, when critics are given a free ticket to see and review the show.
Previews can be imperfect, a little experimental, and might include scenes that don’t make the final version of the show. But for all intents and purposes, the show you see in previews is the show. What makes previews so appealing is not just seeing a production before anyone else, before reviews have prejudiced your opinion, but because tickets are almost always cheaper than they are after the official opening night.
Tickets are cheaper because you are taking the risk of seeing a show before it is 100% complete, and before anyone knows if it is any good or not. Sure, the show might not be its smoothest, but you’re helping them fine-tune the production just by being in the audience.
If you’ve left it too late for previews and need to find a cheap ticket for the hit new show you might need to…
Go Off-Peak
Central London on a weekend is another world compared to mid-week as day-trippers, tourists, and locals try to make the most of their free time. As a result tickets for Friday and Saturday performances tend to be more expensive than earlier in the week. For this reason, my regular theatre nights are Monday to Thursday, with Saturdays reserved for matinees in awkward locations I can’t easily get home from.
A mid-week theatre trip can be a great way to save money without compromising on the other elements. Yes, it will leave you tired at work the next day, but it will afford you better seats, better-behaved audiences, and leave your weekend free for other pursuits.
If a late night before a day’s work is impossible for you then maybe you simply need to…
Avoid the West End
It is where all the biggest shows are to be found, with the most impressive budgets, and the starriest names, but a zone 1 venue often means top tier prices. If you can drag yourself away from the glitz and the glamour then London’s fringe theatres have so much to offer you, at a fraction of the cost.
Why sit at the back row of the upper, upper circle in the West End when for less money you could be front row of something much fresher but less conveniently located. Venues like Southwark Playhouse, Bush Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith, Stratford East, and Arcola often have tickets in the £10-£25 range. The writing will be more daring, the actors much closer, and you’ll no doubt have more affordable food in the area too.
What these theatres will often also allow you to do is to…
Become a Member
If there is a theatre you find yourself returning to for show after show, it might be worth paying to join their membership scheme. These schemes cost money up-front but can allow you to reap discounts every time you book. This could mean discounted tickets, no booking fees, or early priority booking. In my time I have been a member of the National Theatre, Barbican, Hampstead Theatre, Young Vic, and Royal Court.
The Royal Court is my personal favourite as their membership unlocks early access to Monday tickets which are priced at just £15 throughout their auditorium, and covers 90% of my advice in one fell swoop. The savings I make from seeing a few shows a year more than pays for the membership itself.
These are economies of scale for the theatre-goer who wants to see as much as they can. I regret not seeing more theatre when I was first in London as there is a real benefit to simply…
Being Young
Sadly I have aged out of all of these schemes but lots of venues offer discounted tickets for those aged 25 and under. For anyone not yet facing the wearier side of their 30s it is always worth checking the concessions page of a theatre’s website to see what discounts are available. The National, Almeida, Donmar Warehouse, and Young Vic, all make incredible theatre and offer impressive discounts to tempt in young people. The Donmar even stretches up to age 35 - sadly, not quite far enough for me…
Theatre should be for everyone but can often be prohibitively expensive. With a bit of strategic thinking you can see more, spend less, and become the smug friend who always finds the best seats for the right price.
See you in the cheap seats.
100%. I agree with every piece of advice. I would underline that while the theatres themselves nearly always offer the best value for tickets, it is worth checking sites like TodayTix and StageDoor for special offers.
A valuable service