We round up the best ways to bag cheap theatre tickets.
Sections
Cheap theatre tickets in London
Theatre Monkey offers a whole load of discounts. You can get show of the month deals, no booking fees and discounts on specific seating areas. To help you pick the right deal the site also has a guide as to where you should and shouldn’t sit for the best view in each theatre.
If you’re in and around London head to TKTS, the capital’s ‘official’ ticket booth, based in Leicester Square. Leave it until after 10am as this is the time where theatres will have sent TKTS details of any empty seats they have that evening.
Get Into London Theatre is great for theatregoers feeling a bit skint after Christmas. It offers discount tickets for more than 65 top London shows for performances in January and February. All tickets must offer at least 20% off the original ticket price so you’re paying £10, £20, £30 or £40, depending on the show, with no postage and booking fees. Booking starts on 8th December.
Get online
For a broader sweep of cheaper UK theatre tickets try engines like comparetheatretickets.com which cover major ticket agencies like Ticketmaster. Just be careful of the booking fees.
Last-minute tickets could save you as much as 70% on the original price if you’re a little more spontaneous. Lastminute.com also does show and dinner tickets for a heavily discounted price. At the moment you can get tickets to Wicked for £25 per person plus a free meal at the DoubleTree Hilton in London Victoria as part of a bumper deal.
That said, sometimes you might be better getting show and restaurant discounts separately as they could end up being cheaper.
StubHub is worth a punt if you’re running out of options. Part of the eBay group, it’s a marketplace that connects buyers and sellers. Make sure you read all of the details about the ticket that you’re buying: original cost, seating or standing, location and any restriction should be included in the ad.
Don’t forget sites like Groupon and LivingSocial which have cracking deals on theatre tickets. Groupon has up to 45% off tickets to Bend it like Beckham until 11th December.
Stay true to your local theatre
Top West End shows frequently tour around the UK, which is a great way to see them without taking an obligatory mini-break. Check out ATG Tickets for upcoming tours and where they're going.
Keep an eye on your local theatre to see if there are any special offers going. Norwich residents with a Go 4Less card get priority booking at the Theatre Royal three times a year, for example.
More regular theatregoers might want to consider a membership at their local playhouse. A Centre Stage membership with Sheffield Theatres will get you the best seats at the biggest shows, talks, tours and discounts on every performance you attend. It costs just £35 a year.
Fringe festivals like Edinburgh are dead cheap if you only go to the street theatre and free shows. Just dive in to whatever you fancy: it might only cost you drinks and tips!
Stick with the previews
See the previews of up-and-coming shows instead of the main players. London Theatre will give you the press viewing date for a new show but the days prior to that will be open for previews.
These shows are essentially a dry run where the actors and the director can make any minor changes they need to before the opening night. Henry V is running at the Barbican Theatre from 7th November up until its official opening night on 11th November. For example, if you go on 9th November you’ll pay £45 for left stalls, whereas they cost £55 on 17th November. It’s not a huge saving but it’s enough to buy yourself a drink or two at the bar.
Tips to help you trim down prices further
When you get around to booking, go directly through the theatre if you live nearby. This way you can save a bit more on postage and booking fees. Get dolled up and visit during a quiet period when sellers will be keener to fill the theatre, possibly offering you a discount or seat upgrade for your trouble.
For even more tips and tricks to slash your theatre costs, visit How to cut the cost of going out.
Get a little cashback
This isn't strictly about money saving, but it can ease the impact of a night of theatrical debauchery on your wallet.
Get a little bit back from your spending by buying your tickets through websites like TopCashback and Quidco. They've got loads of offers on shows in London and the rest of the UK. Just search for 'theatre tickets' on their website, see what you can get back, sign up for free and make your purchase as normal.
For an extra cashback boost, get a cashback credit card which gives you money back on your everyday spending. The American Express Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card gives you a whopping 5% cashback on up to £2,000 of spending in the first three months of card membership. Find out more at loveMONEY's credit card comparison centre.