⭐ THE ESSENTIAL THEATRE FAN GUIDE FOR CHEAP WEST END TICKETS AND OTHER TIPS & TRICKS ⭐
Now I’ve noticed a lot of posts of late are about How to get cheap tickets? What seat is good for shows? Looking for general stagey help Etc etc.
Now I only started visiting the West End regularly after falling in love with it after experiencing Miss Saigon a couple of years ago But since then I’ve amassed a lot more experience & knowledge about these questions I see asked a lot. So I thought I’d share this with you all.
⭐ CHEAPER TICKETS ⭐
Now this one is obviously constantly asked by many people. It is extremely rare for me to pay full price for a ticket, I only do when absolutely necessary lol Now the easiest way to get cheaper tickets is from
⭐ TODAYTIX ⭐
They do regular discounts and offers and are generally a must for any theatre fan.
DOWNLOAD THE TODAYTIX APP from Google Play or the App store for iPhone users.
Now again, even then, I don’t use the general discounts. We come to the best part of TodayTix which are the Rush Tickets & Ticket Lotteries.
The concept with Rush Tickets is that you wait until the time they are released (Usually 10 am) and it’s first-come-first-serve. You can choose between 1-2 tickets and you can get some amazing seats for just £20-£25 each. If I use TodayTix this is what I use the most. I’ve saved SOOOOOOOO MUCH money by using this. You just gotta get in there super fast.
Ticket lotteries are also a great way of getting super affordable tickets for shows. TodayTix also does them for numerous shows but of course, you are not guaranteed to win. I always find this good if you are not too bothered about what show you want to see but wouldn’t get the chance to see a show because of the price. I’ve gotten to see Harry Potter and The Cursed Child twice by winning their Friday Forty lottery they have (Getting a great ticket for £25 per each part). Hamilton also has its own ticket lottery app if you are wanting to try for a chance at getting cheap seats for it.
⭐ DAY SEATS ⭐
Now we come to the next best thing to getting cheap tickets, this one requires more effort and does not always guarantee you a ticket, dependent on demand. Day seats are available when you go to the theatre box office directly when it opens, on the day of the performance you are wanting to see the show. Day seats are not available for all shows but all the information about day seats is available at –
http://www.theatremonkey.com/dayseatfinder.htm#
Theatremonkey.com is one of the best theatre-related websites out there. It gives you up to date information on day seats, ticket offers, seating information and lots of other helpful stagey info.
DEFINITELY, RECOMMEND YOU CHECK IT OUT
This is how I was able to see Funny Girl (Front row £15), Miss Saigon (Front row £25), Wicked (Front row £25), The Lion King (Front row £25), The Phantom of the Opera (Second row, centre under the chandelier ? £25). It is achievable to see these shows for these prices but it requires the effort of waiting for an hour or 2 before the box office opens depending on the show. You gotta want it! ! ! Lol but also you could rock up an hour before a show and some shows will still have day seats available, just gotta ask 🙂 And as always check Theatremonkey.com for the latest info on the show you want to see.
Quick ticket buying tips to live by;
⭐ DON’T use those ticket vendors dotted around London, they aren’t great. They are selling you tickets at basically the same box office prices. You are best off going directly to the box office of the show you want to see, to see what they can offer you i.e Day seats or other discounts. The box office will always want to sell you a ticket rather than see you walk away.
⭐ When booking online ALWAYS SHOP AROUND. Most discount ticket sites are the same prices or they are actually 2/3 quid more expensive than getting directly from the shows’ tickets page but it’s always worth a look because there are deals and offers out there.
⭐ 9 times out of 10 tickets are cheaper by getting them directly from the shows’ website. ALSO, some shows have “Dynamic pricing” which means they are cheaper/more expensive, depending on demand. So always check a shows’ ticket page directly on the day you want to see a show because I guarantee you they get cheaper closer to the shows performance time. I managed to get a £75 stalls ticket for 9 to 5 for £35 by waiting until an hour before the show, waiting for it to get reduced further.
⭐ FOR YOU YOUNG UN’S OUT THERE ⭐ A lot of theatres & shows do heavily discounted tickets or ticket schemes for people under 25. Tickets as low as £5 and even in some cases for FREE for certain performances. Check out Theatremonkey.com or the shows’ ticket page for more info.
⭐ SEATING VIEWS ⭐
This is one I see a lot about too, people wanting to know what seats are the best value for money, with the best views. Now some theatres have pages on their websites that show you seating views but it’s not common, unfortunately.
This is where SEATPLAN comes in.
⭐ SEATPLAN ⭐
Seatplan is a website dedicated to giving you information on the best seats available for each major West End theatre. Normal theatregoers can submit reviews and pictures about their seat at a certain theatre & show. So you can see exactly the view from a seat you are looking at purchasing and see if it’s worth it. It’s been a lifesaver for me when looking for a bargain and knowing what seats to avoid.
ANYTIME YOU WANT TO KNOW IF A SEAT HAS A GOOD VIEW OR HAS GOOD LEG ROOM ETC. CHECK OUT –
⭐ GETTING AROUND LONDON ⭐
Now I’m terrible with geography lol My sense of direction is not great and also I don’t live in London like many of you also, so I’m always discovering new parts of London lol
Now if you are like me and do a regular 2 show day in London, you need to plan your journey.
DOWNLOAD THE CITYMAPPER APP from Google Play or the App store for iPhone users.
Citymapper is an amazing app for helping you navigate London and I swear by it.
You can search for the theatre you want to get to and it will give you every mode of transportation on how to get there. It gives you the timescale of how long it will take you to get there, what tube or bus to get, different various routes to take. Again I swear by it, it helps me plan out my day by letting me know how much time I need to give myself to get where I need to go.
⭐ That’s this gist of the tips & tricks I’ve learnt over the past couple of years, which allows me to see 40/50 shows a year in Laahndan lol It’s still an expensive hobby lol but when you are savvy about ticket buying, for example, it doesn’t have to break the bank. Any other questions you might have I’m always happy to help.
Shaun – Theatre Fan
