Buy directly from the theater to cut out Ticketmaster fees. If you're buying on the Web, two theater chains (Delfont Macintosh and the Ambassador Theatre Group) operate several popular London theaters. Check their websites for current prices (see Resources).
Go to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square. The booth sells discount tickets for selected matinee and evening performances, often at half price. Make sure that you get in line at the booth (the surrounding area is filled with ticket touts). Travelers staying in northern London can check out the TKTS booth at the Brent Cross shopping center (see Resources below).
Act your age. If you're a student or under 25, you may be able to get a student discount by buying day-of performance tickets directly from the theater. Show your ID at the box office and you'll get cheap tickets, often in good seats. Remember to buy your tickets at least an hour before performance time. Seniors can also often get discounts on tickets.
Buy £10 tickets from the National Theatre. The National Theatre's Travelex program offers these tickets for a majority of seats for selected shows. If you'd like to see a show that's not offered through the Travelex program, cheap seats are still available in circle or side seats (see Resources below).
See a show at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, where low-priced tickets are available for "groundlings," people who stand in the yard in front or at the sides of the stage and watch the play just as audiences did in Shakespeare's time (see Resources below).
