Theatre Tickets

As an avid theatre go-er I am often asked where do I get ‘cheap’ tickets from. No easy answer I am afraid. If there were, theatres would be full.

Saying that it is possible to get very good deals, you just need to shop around

Most tickets dealers offer the same sort of ticket prices – you just need to watch the booking fees (a sneaky add-on when you get to checkout).

First of all I recommend you go to the  TKTs website to find out what current shows are roughly selling for. TKTs only sell on the day to fill theatres up but you can easily find out which seats maintain their full price and which you can get as a bargain. These prices are usually what you can expect to pay once you go ‘ticket shopping’.

Therefore if I am booking in advance for a popular show I just tend to go to one of the popular Theatre websites for decent deals, you can also visit comparetheatretickets.com, but again watch out for those booking fees at checkout. A bargain can suddenly be turn sour, or the availability that they promise on the website just isn’t there.

Family favourite shows like Matilda and the Lion King will remain ever popular and although here are tickets available, particularly out of UK school holidays it is very unlikely you will get a deal – so best go to the official ticket line to make sure your seats are good.

Choosing your own seats is ALWAYS best, whatever your budget – don’t let a computerised system allocate seats for you. For a good guide on seating arrangements visit theatremonkey.com.

For the dedicated few who are in London early mornings; a few theatres offer day seats as the box office opens for that day’s performance. If there is a particular show that you want to see, check whether the box office offers ‘day seats’, be there early and be prepared to queue.

I must admit that I love the Tkts booth in Leicester Square for ‘on the day’ deals. A bit of homework the week before your visit should supply you with the knowledge to find out what’s available and at what price. The staff are knowledge and friendly and give you good advice. Although I didn’t realise until recently the prices at Tkts fluctuate during the day. When the booth opened I was looking at ‘The Commitments‘ at full price but by lunchtime there was £20 off top priced seats.

The other way to find about deals is to have your finger on the pulse of what is available…

• subscribe to dozens of theatre mailing lists
• like lots of ticket agencies / shows / theatre / actors on Facebook
• being addicted to twitter and following all you can
• Subscribe to lots of theatre blogs

Yes occasionally a deal catches your eye, but when you delve into it further you will often find it isn’t quite what it seems.

Hope that helps. Would love to hear your comments – have you had good or bad experiences booking tickets? Where do you find YOUR deals? Any recommendations? Any warnings?  Now you know how to buy tickets – your next problem is what to see….Hmm that is a blog for another time.

Here is more info http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25841926