Leicester Square Ticket Booth, London--Nah!
OK, as you all know from reading her pieces (and I HOPE you've been reading her pieces), when it comes to travel, AlteCocker is a confirmed cheapskate. She will seek out the cheapest airfare and does home exchanges to avoid paying for hotels altogether.
Having said all of that, one thing AlteCocker does not do is the half price theater ticket booth in Leicester Square. Why, you ask does AleCocker avoid this mecca for all the cheapskates in London?
Well, AlteCocker will tell you why: She has limited time and does not do anything with a queue. Queues there are often aplenty at the half price ticket booth. AlteCocker has never had the luxury of actually living in London. If you are a student, with infinite amounts of time to queue, the half price ticket booth is for you.
When AlteCocker arrives in London she has limited time. Queuing for anything is just not on her list. And, moreover, Leicester Square does not sell half price tickets in advance. So, each time you want a half price ticket, you have to queue again. It's a bit much if your time is short.
What does AlteCocker do?
Well, first, she investigates what is going on in the theater ahead of time. The premier website for theater in London is Whats On Stage. Having done her research ahead of time, AlteCocker will have a general idea of the possibilities before she arrives.
Now, AlteCocker knows that a lot of you go to London and then get tickets for musicals. Personally, she cannot figure that one out. After all, "Phantom of the Opera" & "Lion King" have hit all the major US cities--in some cases, several times. AlteCocker likes serious dramas and she looks for the kind of plays that are not likely to cross the Atlantic. Since most people are consumed with the desire to get tickets for the latest musical hit, AlteCocker does not worry about ticket availability. She never has a problem.
As soon as she arrives, a print of "This Week in London". in hand, AlteCocker takes the tube to the theater district and picks up tickets for what she wants to see. Yes, she pays full price, but it only takes an hour or two and AlteCocker can then go about her business. Yes, she does pay more, but she doesn't waste time.
Please note that the selection of shows available at Leicester Square can vary greatly from performance to performance. "The Mousetrap" is never available at half price. YentaKvetch has never seen it because she can be well assured it will be playing the next time she goes. It has already been playing for 35 years and is in no danger of closing.
Please remember that theaters in London are built differently than ones in the US. It is usually not an option to do the dirty sneak up from the cheap seats into the expensive ones because the orchestra and the rafters have separate street entrances.
Matinees in London do vary during the week and Tuesday-Friday you can generally see two shows a day. On Saturday it is possible to do three shows because there is often a matinee, early evening and late evening performance. You may find it a bit difficult to eat dinner if you do this. If you decide to do a Saturday theater marathon just be certain the theaters are relatively close to one another.
No plays are performed on Sundays and there are generally no matinees on Mondays.
Unlike American theaters, you can order snacks to be delivered to your seat in the theater at the intermission. For a matinee, you can order a tea tray in advance, so even if you do 3 plays on a Saturday, you need not starve.
AlteCocker, by the way, once saw 10 shows in 6 days in London. Of course, she did not do much else.
Having said all of that, one thing AlteCocker does not do is the half price theater ticket booth in Leicester Square. Why, you ask does AleCocker avoid this mecca for all the cheapskates in London?
Well, AlteCocker will tell you why: She has limited time and does not do anything with a queue. Queues there are often aplenty at the half price ticket booth. AlteCocker has never had the luxury of actually living in London. If you are a student, with infinite amounts of time to queue, the half price ticket booth is for you.
When AlteCocker arrives in London she has limited time. Queuing for anything is just not on her list. And, moreover, Leicester Square does not sell half price tickets in advance. So, each time you want a half price ticket, you have to queue again. It's a bit much if your time is short.
What does AlteCocker do?
Well, first, she investigates what is going on in the theater ahead of time. The premier website for theater in London is Whats On Stage. Having done her research ahead of time, AlteCocker will have a general idea of the possibilities before she arrives.
Now, AlteCocker knows that a lot of you go to London and then get tickets for musicals. Personally, she cannot figure that one out. After all, "Phantom of the Opera" & "Lion King" have hit all the major US cities--in some cases, several times. AlteCocker likes serious dramas and she looks for the kind of plays that are not likely to cross the Atlantic. Since most people are consumed with the desire to get tickets for the latest musical hit, AlteCocker does not worry about ticket availability. She never has a problem.
As soon as she arrives, a print of "This Week in London". in hand, AlteCocker takes the tube to the theater district and picks up tickets for what she wants to see. Yes, she pays full price, but it only takes an hour or two and AlteCocker can then go about her business. Yes, she does pay more, but she doesn't waste time.
Please note that the selection of shows available at Leicester Square can vary greatly from performance to performance. "The Mousetrap" is never available at half price. YentaKvetch has never seen it because she can be well assured it will be playing the next time she goes. It has already been playing for 35 years and is in no danger of closing.
Please remember that theaters in London are built differently than ones in the US. It is usually not an option to do the dirty sneak up from the cheap seats into the expensive ones because the orchestra and the rafters have separate street entrances.
Matinees in London do vary during the week and Tuesday-Friday you can generally see two shows a day. On Saturday it is possible to do three shows because there is often a matinee, early evening and late evening performance. You may find it a bit difficult to eat dinner if you do this. If you decide to do a Saturday theater marathon just be certain the theaters are relatively close to one another.
No plays are performed on Sundays and there are generally no matinees on Mondays.
Unlike American theaters, you can order snacks to be delivered to your seat in the theater at the intermission. For a matinee, you can order a tea tray in advance, so even if you do 3 plays on a Saturday, you need not starve.
AlteCocker, by the way, once saw 10 shows in 6 days in London. Of course, she did not do much else.