West end tickets - HOW MUCH?

[Bearpawk]

Aibu to ask about any tricks or ways of obtaining cheaper theatre tickets ?going to London on a Friday and wanted to book one of the big shows for an evening. The main websites are showing £100 each (£75 for crappy seats)
That's more than the hotel! Who can afford that?
Is this normal?
Are they cheaper on the day or do they sell out?

today tix have lots of lotteries and rush tickets and it is worth downloading the app. Central tickets have an app with some seat filling but also cheap tickets to things.

We saw Cabaret through the TodayTix app for £25 each in stalls - it is the best thing I have ever seen and soooo worth it - I'd have paid full price if I had known hoe much it would blow me away.

It helps to book in advance but I have seen Book of Mormon come up on the TodayTix app - Rush tickets for £25.

I live in London which makes it easier - but West End can be done at reasonable prices - and our West End prices are cheaper than Broadway - looking to see something there in Autumn and that is much more expensive.

It is worth checking the restricted view seats out on websites like SeatPlan which have pictures of the stage from each seat in the theatre - some restricted views are minimal - a little lighting or the overhang from the dress circle means you can't see the very top of the set - but it rarely matters.

Honestly I have sat back row of the highest balcony to see things and it has been amazing because the show was good.

Used to be a kiosk at Leicester Square selling that evening's tickets at half price. T'was back in the day!

Well I'd expect them to be more expensive than the hotel.

The theatre is what you are going for and the hotel is to enable you to do so.

Book Of Mormon is amazing. Todaytix does rush seats from 10am on the morning for £25. Official London Theatre starts selling cheaper tickets from the night before online and also runs the booth in Leicester Square.

Todaytix is currently showing tickets from £54 for that night which are in a decent seat, not at the back of the gods.

Other than that there is a facebook group, Families who love theatre which has loads of info on how to get the best deals, but theatre has got a lot more expensive.

It is still there!

The book of mormon is one of those that tours the UK. I have looked at going.

We paid £90 a ticket to see Book of Mormon in Manchester 4 years ago, and similar for Lion King, so catching shows that are touring isn’t that much cheaper (although no hotel/minimal travel to pay for).

I've been to see Book of Mormon 4 times.

You have to book in advance. Booking now for 2nd June there will be very little choice. Also if you book 12 weeks in advance there are no booking fees. They rarely have on the day offers except the lottery. My daughter's friend works there.

The last time I went I booked tickets during the London Theatre Week Promotion that happens around Christmas time.

My daughter works at Lion King and she says the view in the Grand Circle is fantastic.

Just checking my tickets, I paid £80 for the Lion King last year and that's the most expensive tickets. Comparing this to https://www.thelionking.co.uk/london and then ATG. The tickets in London are £173.50 (package seat) or £163.50 (non package) and goes down to £33. In fact my £80 is one of the third cheapest price for seats on the side in the satalls or in the grand circle (highest level).

Touring shows are so much cheaper so we often just go local. We've seen mamma Mia, Charlie and the childcare factory, bedknobs and broomsticks, buddy, all local and for about £50 for the best seats.

Join the families who love theater FB page they have lots of info on deals and best prices, tickets and lotteries.
Today tix start releasing rush tickets from 10am but keep looking through the day as people put several shows in the basket then pick which they want. They also do the lottery tickets,
Disney Mondays and Friday forties worth looking at.

Didn't know the Grand Circle is still good! But the OP don't live in London, she has to add in hotel and travel. I actually live closer than her and I don't need hotel to stay in London. I have gone to see a Cirque du Soleil and Disney on Ice last year because they never tour. (Just to say I do go to London for shows and they are £££).

Friday is an expensive day to go.

I use todaytix and have had some amazing seats for bargain prices but either book when there’s a sale or book rush tickets in the day.

Friday and Saturday evenings are generally the most expensive times to go. A matinee or evening show mid week is easier to get offers on.

If you have a bit of time in the past we have gone directly the the theatre we want to go to and asked if they have any reduced seats for that days performance. They reduce them on the day as might as well sell to someone than to have them go to waste.

Also have a look at the app TodayTix. At 10:00 am each they they realise a certain number of tickets for that evenings performance at a lower price. We got two wicked tickets for a Saturday evening for £30 a ticket I think. Again a bit of a risk but we ended up with some really good seats.

Great if you have a local theatre with those productions - I'm in Cornwall and we get very little. Even Plymouth gets very little. I just try to get work to send me to London every year and see shows there!

You see and hear the same production in the gods as you do in the stalls. I've sat in some very high seats for things like Les Mis for £12 bought on the day or the day before at the box office.

That said, I refused to buy the cheap seats for the double Harry Potter production as the reviews all mentioned the terrible leg room. Being both fat and tall, that would be a mare for me for 6hrs in a day but I refuse to pay the big bucks for the stall for that one.

Most theatres have the views on their websites these days,

Book of Mormon tickets are £34 on todaytix for 2nd June (matinee performance)

Hello,

I would love some advice on this please. Sorry for jumping on your thread OP.

I'd love to take my 7yo to see Frozen and/or Matilda next February. We can go midweek. We live in Scotland and can stay with family in Kentish Town.

I would rather have tickets before we go and not have to scramble for them on the day. Do I have to accept paying £100 each for decent seats or is there any way to look for any discounted tickets? We don't have to sit in the best seats, but I don't want to be so far away we can't get involved in the atmosphere/experience or have a crap view as itll be a massive treat/not something we do often. Do I have to suck up the cost?

Thanks so much in advance!

Wow!

So booking a popular West End show on a Friday night with about ten days notice is expensive? Who knew?!

https://seatplan.com/london/prince-of-wales-theatre/

You can see the views from each seat on that website.

That said, I refused to buy the cheap seats for the double Harry Potter production as the reviews all mentioned the terrible leg room. Being both fat and tall, that would be a mare for me for 6hrs in a day but I refuse to pay the big bucks for the stall for that one.

Do they no longer do the ticket lottery for £20 for the Harry Potter tickets? We won a few times in that and had great seats

You can gamble and try the TKTS booth in Leicester Square on the day. I usually pay about £20 for west ends shows, via the TodayTix app, but I get the cheapest seats, am flexible on dates and usually go in the week. P.S. no offence if it's your thing but we saw Book of Mormon recently and thought it was horrifically offensive.

@XelaM I don't tend to get a say in when I'm in London, so it's not something I can participate in. I'm in Cornwall and only really go up with work and exploit that trip with a show every night! I was looking at coming up for 3 nights in July to see 3 Proms but I can't afford the hotel costs on top - £27 for the coach, £56 for the 3 Proms (cheap seats!) and then £300+ for the hotel.... I'm too old to want to stay in a 12 bed mixed dorm room these days.

There are cheaper shows particularly 'off west end' - smaller theatres showing new/less popular stuff.
Regent's Park open air theatre if you book direct with them the most expensive tickets are £65 and they go down to £21 all pretty good tickets.
We are going on Monday to see once upon an island.

My husband bought me Frozen tickets in the dress circle on a Saturday night at the end of January, very central and he paid £60 per ticket. Also https://www.disneytickets.co.uk/frozen-west-end-musical-tickets do a group of 4 ticket for £199

I love hundreds of miles away from London. If I want to see a particular show then I treat it as a holiday and plan and book way in advance, or wait for the special offer weeks.

But there have been several times when I have had to be in London for something else and then I am flexible on what I see. I try Today Tix lottery or go to the Leicester Square box office with a list of shows I'd like, but I am not too fussy.