We will be in London this September. I know that discount tickets to the theatre can be purchased at TKTS, Leicester Square, day of. Is that the only way? Can the tickets be purchased online, day of? We wouldn't be staying near that neighborhood and our days are looking quite full in terms of sightseeing, so we are hoping to acquire discounted tickets in the most efficient way possible. I've looked at a list of plays and musicals, and we are pretty flexible in terms of what we'd like to see, though I think we'd enjoy a musical more. Thanks for any suggestions.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3356 posts
TKTS, Seatplan, London Theatre Direct all sell discounted tickets online.
Posted by
Bristol, UK
1805 posts
Yes you can buy them online from the TKTS website. Tickets go on sale at midnight but more availability can be added mid morning.
TodayTix is an app that does rush tickets. These are same day tickets at discounts. It’s worth having a look at how it works ahead of time. You can see the exact seat before you decide whether to buy or not.
Posted by
Chicago
989 posts
I can vouch for Today Tix as a good app and very usable for purchasing tickets while
on the go. It might get a little wonky trying to navigate different websites on the train,
for instance. Plus, you can embed your method of payment in the web and then not
have to fuss with a credit card out in public.
I suspect all the aforementioned sites have links into the same master inventory
database, so indeed, finding the most efficient way to access it is what you're looking
for.
Posted by
Bristol, UK
1805 posts
They actually don’t all have the same tickets! Today Tix is a reseller. I don’t know exactly how it all works but they don’t have access to all the tickets available. What I’ve found is that full price tickets tend to be cheaper direct from the theatre itself, while resellers have the special prices and discount tickets. Obviously these are only available for certain shows and certain tickets.
I agree that TodayTix is incredibly quick and easy to use. Tickets can into your Apple wallet.
Posted by
OP
Twin Cities of MN
7325 posts
Thank you, Helen, Shoeflyer and Kenko.
Are there better nights of the week to go to the Theatre, or more likely nights with inexpensive tickets?
Any tips/things we should know?
Posted by
Chicagoland
1027 posts
jules, I booked direct with the theaters, not the discounters for my March trip. Weeknights were less expensive than Friday & Saturday.
However you book, take a look at the seating plans at a site like Theatre Monkey or Seat Plan. You'll find the pros and cons of various seat locations from actual theater goers.
I saw 2 musicals. I booked 1st row of 1st balcony at each venue. The sightlines were perfect. I could see everything happening on the stages.
I'm not a large person, 5'2". The seats at the Vaudeville Theater for Six were extremely narrow with little legroom. Fortunately, the show is only about 90 minutes.
At the Victoria Palace Theatre for Hamilton, the seats were much larger in comparison and more legroom.
Enjoy whatever show you decide!
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6226 posts
There tends to be more availability Monday to Wednesday, although many theatres will have one day where there are no performances.
Also, you no longer have to go to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square to buy their discounted day of the show tickets. You can buy from their website:
https://officiallondontheatre.com/tkts/
The TKTS booth was under renovation this week anyway.
If you are flexible, start monitoring the TKTS website to get an idea of what might be available at a discount. If you have your heart set on a particular show, it is probably better to buy at full price in advance so that you have the best selection of seats..
I saw 6 shows last week. I bought 4 at full price in advance of my trip and 2 on the day. I use theatremonkey to check the seating chart and reviews of seats.
By the way, I really enjoyed Operation Mincemeat, but I paid full price for this one.
Posted by
Halifax, NS
398 posts
Just to add, some of the theatres show you a virtual view from your seat if you do a dummy booking. This would give you an idea of site lines.
I saw Operation Mincemeat on Saturday and loved it. I did pay full price.
Posted by
Bristol, UK
1805 posts
There are never any discounts for Operation Mincemeat but if you sign up for their email you get to book through a link for about £10 less per seat. They also charge a lot less on Mondays than other days.
Posted by
OP
Twin Cities of MN
7325 posts
So excited! got tickets to Operation Mincemeat. By signing up with an email, they sent a link which opened up more seats available for purchase. Initially, Operation mincemeat wasn't on our "radar". It didn't come up on a list of current shows...
I'd still like to go to another show. For the other, hoping to get something at a discount, though I'm happy with the price for Operation Mincemeat.
Posted by
Land of La
9774 posts
Check to see if Witness for the Prosecution has available tickets. It’s Agatha Christie and set in an actual courtroom.
If it’s still being preformed at London County Hall on Belvedere Road I was extremely satisfied where I sat.
Row C Seat X 55
Posted by
FL USA
1602 posts
We enjoy going to the theater ticket office and engaging the sales person to help select seats. In every case we believe the dialogue has lead to a positive experience and some tips on how to best enjoy the show.
Posted by
la la land...
1304 posts
We enjoy going to the theater ticket office and engaging the sales person to help select seats. In every case we believe the dialogue has lead to a positive experience and some tips on how to best enjoy the show.
We did the same for The Mousetrap, walked up to the box office on a whim, and the ticket seller helped us with seats with more legroom...