imelda72

Hi, I have a few questions about London theatre to add to the myriads already on this forum:

1) For the TKTS booth, some posters have said to arrive early--is 9:30 too early? Too late? I know the lines in NYC are insane...

2) Also, how likely is it that I will get tickets to Les Mis? I'll only be in London for three days, and I can only make a show on Saturday night. And do you know if they are usually 25% or 50% off?

3) If I can't get tickets at TKTS, how do the "return" sales at theatres work?

4) Some questions about the Globe theatre: should I buy yard tickets in advance, or wait until the day of? And are there usually a lot of people in the yard (I'm afraid of being the only person there and feeling rather stupid!)

Thanks for any help you can offer!! Oh, and if it makes a difference, I'll be going in June.

xyz123

Actually waits at TKTS are not too bad, I've rarely waited long than 15 minutes there and quite frankly, this may be hard to believe, sometimes shows not available at opening become available later in the day as theatres release tickets so it's not necessarily true that you get the best choice at being there first (of course the opposite can work too); I usually get there on a morning around 11 AM and like I said, 15 minutes.

Les Mis is usually available for Monday and Tuesday evening performances at 1/2 price as well as the Wednesday and Saturday matinees (the operative word, of course, being usually)...at other times Les Miz is generally available but at only a 25% discount but the reality is you can never tell and be sure just what is going to happen; this has been my experience lately there. But you know on the particular day you are going, it is always possible a group will have bought out quite a few of the tickets and it won't be available.

Neopolitan

I'd estimate I've bought tickets at TKTS in London some 50 to 70 times in the past 10 years. I think the longest I ever stood in line was just over 45 minutes. That's when I arrived about 30 minutes before it opened. I have gotten in the longest lines I've seen there and never waited in line more than maybe 15 minutes. So if you want to stand in line a long time, get there before it opens as you obviously won't be moving until it does open. I'd wait at least a half hour to an hour after they open before getting in the line and it will take you less time total that if you got there and waited for them to open.

Beware that there are different lines from the two directions for matinees or for evenings, so don't get in the wrong one. (A little secret -- if you want to buy for both on one day, usually if you know what you want you can do that from the same clerk after you buy the one set).
Saturday night could be a problem for Les Miserables, but otherwise they always seem to have them. I just took a peek and today they had them for the matinee but NOT for the evening performance. Yes, they are 50% off the top price and are only the top level of seating. Like all the tickets there will be a 2.50 pound charge though on top of each half price tickets.

The only time I've been to the Globe there were quite a few in the yard when the show started. Most had left before it was over. The sun was hot, and then it rained, and then it was hot again -- and you are not allowed to sit or even lean -- many were clearly uncomfortable and left.

Mostly what I know about return tickets is that it is hit or miss and usually you have to pay full price in cash -- not credit card.
I'd be willing to bet you could go to the theatre and get Les Mis tickets the day of the show or the day before however at full price.
There may be half price tickets available on some websites in advance -- lastminute.com for example.

janisj

Neopolitan has pretty well spelled out what you need to know. Those posters who say go to TKTS early probably have only been there a time or two. Usually the ONLY time the lines are really long are right at opening - because folks get there early and have to wait.

You can really go any time of the day when it makes sense w/ the rest of your day's plans.

If you really want to see a play at the Globe - I strongly recommend you pony up for a seat. Being a groundling may sound &quot;authentic&quot; or &quot;romantic&quot; in some way - but it can be REALLY miserable. I would get as good a seat as you can afford at the Globe. <u>Unless</u> you just want to say you've been there and aren't that interested in seeing the whole play.

You also might want to check out the open air theatre in Regent's Park.

Nikki

Here is a picture taken last summer at a performance at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. As you can see, there were lots of people standing. But I'm glad I wasn't one of them. http://tinyurl.com/nvfdo

imelda72

That's incredible that the lines move so quickly at the half-price booth; 3 cheers for British efficiency! Thanks for that information, because it means I can drop my bags off at the hostel before returning to wait in line.

It sounds like I may only be able to see a Les Mis matinee, which, while it leaves my evenings empty (I'll be by myself and won't be comfortable pub-going alone), is better than not seeing it at all.

I'm sorry to hear that the yard tickets are as bad as they sound. Thing is, it's the only way I could afford to see a show at the Globe. And if I'm only there for an hour, I think it'll be worth it just for the experience. 'Antony and Cleopatra' is not my cup of tea.

Unless someone has something especially positive to say about this performance? I know it just opened on Friday. It stars Frances Barber--do any of you know of her? Also, what does 'Jacobean' staging mean?

Thanks for all the help--and thanks for the picture of the Globe, Nikki. At least I know everyone won't be laughing at me in between acts!

xyz123

I'll let you in on a little secret...it's not just British efficiency at TKTS.

Here's what happens in reality...lots of people know there is a half price booth at Leicester Square so they descend on the place using the tube..as they leave the Leicester Square tube station on Charing Cross Rd. they find the pedestrian only street which leads to Leicester Square...on that street there are 2 or 3 rip off joints proclaiming themselves Half Price Theatre tickets or one calls itself the Official London Half Price Theatre Agent and they see small queues of people waiting and they immediately think they have found the half price ticket place and join the queue.

The reality is you have to continue along that pedestrian street towards the Burger King when you will come to a little park with a statute (don't ask me who the statute is of) and at the back of the park is a free standing structure with a the letters TKTS....if these places did not exist I would think you might see the same queues as you often see at the TKTS on Broadway.

jody

The statue is Charlie Chaplin!

Nikki

For what it's worth, the day I was at the Globe the people standing all seemed to be having a great time. There was a very festive atmosphere about the entire place, and the groundlings were very enthusiastic (as were the ushers who swept through and gestured for everyone to stand up).

imelda72

Out of curiosity, Nikki, what show did you see? (I'm guessing a comedy!)

Also, since it seems like the TKTS booth may be hard to find, am I to assume that it is not a huge white booth with the word 'TKTS' printed all over it in huge red letters, as it is in NYC?

jody

TKTS booth is not at all hard to find..it sits right in the center lof Leicester Square..right beside the little park..It's white with a Green roof

picture here
[email protected] &lt;[email protected]&gt;

jody

SORRY!! I must not have clicked Copy hard enough! Here's the picture

http://www.thisistheatre.com/halfpricetickets.html

xyz123

No, it's not hard to find if you know what you're looking for...as a matter of fact if you arrive from the Picadilly Circus tube side you can't miss it.

The problem as noted is the way it is situated in regard to Leicester Square tube stop...to get there you have to walk up, as noted, a pedestrian only street and you see 2 or 3 places with signs saying things such as official half price London Theatre tickets and you see queues of people waiting. If you don't know better, your inclination is to jointhese queues and these places are rip off joints...they will sell a 15 quid ticket for &pound;35 (see that happen all the time)....if you follow the directions you will have no trouble locating the TKTS building which is the only official half price ticket booth.

Neopolitan

Because our flat is only a couple blocks east of Leicester Square and because I walk by all those &quot;rip off&quot; half price booths xyz was talking about all the time, I noticed something very interesting. There always seemed to be some American toursits standing out in the walking traffic in front of those places. They'd be saying in a loud voice, &quot;I can't believe the great tickets I just got&quot;. Then they'd strike up a conversation with passing tourists who would head over and get ripped off. After several days it occurred to me that I was seeing the same tourists there every day. Apparently they actually hire these people with American accents to stand there and do that routine! Amazing. The trick is that when a show has top value of 50 pounds, and they sell you a ticket for 25 pounds, most people think they've gotten a half price ticket, when in fact London theatres have much cheaper tickets back and up in the theatre and those are the tickets these places often sell -- at the actual cost of those specific tickets or even above actual cost.

Nikki

The play was &quot;Pericles, Prince of Tyre&quot;. Never heard of it? Neither had we. Not a comedy exactly, but done with lots of good humor. Classified, according to my brief Google search, as a tragicomedy or a romance. The staging was fascinating and involved aerialists on ropes over the heads of the groundlings during the storm scenes.

xyz123

I always worry that when I give my always excellent advice on this, too many people will catch on to what is going on and meander over to the only legitemate half price booth, TKTS...Naw not to worry, a sucker is born every day.

Neopolitan

xyz, I know what you mean. My tongue is usually swollen in London from having to bite it as I walk past those people lined up at the rip off places. I want to grab them, shake them, and say -- &quot;no, no, you're in the wrong place&quot;. But then that would make the lines longer at the TKTS booth.

fishee

I think it's much easier to get a good seat for a single seat purchase so you should remain hopeful about your chances. I saw Les Mis (diff theater) in December and sat in the 4th or fifth row orch. center -- absoloutely amazing seat at 1/2 price. I would have rather seen the Producers, however.

janisj

I don't think the lines are manageable mainly because of the &quot;half price&quot; store fronts near the tube station - they have been there for years - but TKTS has been there just as long. It wasn't always called TKTS but it's been there for at least 30 years. And it certainly isn't hard to find. It is a fairly big stand alone bldg. In fact the lines at TKTS are usually longer than the individual ones at the &quot;agencies&quot;

The main reason the queues move quickly is because TKTS won't &quot;run the house&quot; for you. If you ask for say - Blood Brothers - and don't like the seat(s) that is offered they will not run the computer to find you a seat more to your liking. It will be the best available seat - take it or leave it. This moves the line along very efficiently.

The &quot;agencies&quot; lines run REALLY slow since each buyer will dither &quot;OK what else is available, anything on the side on the aisle, how about the Dress Circle?&quot;

I have also seen/heard the shills out front of the store fronts.

Also - if you want a single - you will usually be VERY successful at TKTS.

Neopolitan

&quot;I have also seen/heard the shills out front of the store fronts.&quot;

Maybe you meant the same thing, but the &quot;shills&quot; I was referring to aren't the usual ones obviously calling out to people to buy tickets or mentioning what they have, but rather two &quot;actors&quot; standing there pretending to engage in loud conversation so they will be &quot;accidentally&quot; overheard by passers by. At no time do these people give the impression that they work for the place, and passersby have every reason to suspect they've just happened to overhear a couple of regular customers very happy with their supposed purchase. It's a lot of effort to fool the &quot;suckers&quot;.