Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Avoid buying tickets through third-party, middleman agencies, which mark up their
prices dramatically (explained further in “Booking Through Other Agencies,” below).
Ticketing Outlets
You have three basic options for booking tickets: Using the discount tkts booth at Leicester
Square (ideal for discounted same-day tickets, and sometimes for tickets up to a week
ahead);bookingdirectatthetheater'sboxoffice(bestifyoucangetaspecialdeal,suchasa
last-minute return or a same-day deal); or buying through an agency (expensive and worth-
whileonlyifyou'redesperateforasold-outshow).Herearesampleprices:Atop-notchseat
to
Chicago
costs£66ifyoubuydirectlyfromthetheater;thesameseatcosts£36.75through
tktsatLeicesterSquare.Thecheapest(restrictedview)seatis£26throughthetheater.Ifyou
get tickets from a third-party agency for a popular date that's sold out, you could pay much
more than face value.
Discount “tkts” Booth:
This famous ticket booth at Leicester (LESS-ter) Square, run
by the Society of London Theatre, sells discounted tickets for top-price seats to shows on
the push list. Even big-name shows can turn up on this list. Most tickets are half-price; other
shows are discounted 25 percent (in either case, you'll pay a £3 service charge per ticket).
Forsome extremely popular shows,they sell full-price tickets without the service charge(so
it costs the same as at the box office). For about half of the shows, discounted tickets are
available only on the day of the performance, although more theaters are selling discounted
tickets through tkts up to a week ahead. Their website (
www.tkts.co.uk
)
lists ticket availab-
ility and prices, but you must buy in person at their kiosk. A similar list is posted next to
the kiosk—survey your options before you queue (or if the line is long, while you're in the
queue). It's smart to have two or three options in mind, just in case your first choice is sold
outwhenyoureachthecounter.While thelineformsearly,ittendstomovefast.Unlessyou
have your heart set on a particular show that has only same-day tickets, consider dropping
by later in the day, when it's a bit less crowded—many tickets will still be available (open
Mon-Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun 11:00-16:00). Warning: Note that the real booth (with its “tkts”
name) is a freestanding kiosk at the edge of the garden in Leicester Square. Several dishon-
estoutfitsnearbyadvertise“officialhalf-pricetickets”—avoidthese,whereyou'llrarelypay
anything close to half-price.
Booking Direct (at the Theater's Box Office):
While tkts generally has seats that are
as cheap or cheaper than at the theater itself, the advantage of buying direct is that you may
have access to deals that you can't get anywhere else. Most theaters offer cheap returned
tickets,standing-room,matinee,seniororstudentstandbydeals,andmore.(Discountedtick-
ets,called“concessions,”areindicatedwitha“conc”or“s”inthelistings.)Pickingupalate
return can get you a great seat at a cheap-seat price. Great seats can sell for low prices—if
you know the right time to show up. A good plan for same-day deals is to arrive at the box
