lol

Hi all,
I will be going alone to the theatre so I am kind of concerned about riding the tube after the evening show. Here are my questions:
1- Are the matinees same “quality” as the regular shows, i.e. same actors?
2-What are the best seats in the house to be close tom the action but not too close. I plan to see Mamma Mia (prince of wales theatre), Zorro (Garrick theatre), and three days of rain (Apollo theatre)
3-Is it possible to get a taxi right outside the theatre once the show has ended. Is it safe to ride a taxi to Northholt after the evening show?
Any other tips/advice would be greatly appreciated
Thanks a lot

avalon

I actually prefer matinees and the quality is exactly the same. In regards to seats, I like the loge/stall seats because most theatres are old and the seating is small and crowded. 19th century butts must have been a lot smaller. The stall seats are chairs and you can stretch your legs out. The is sometime a limited sight line from the stage right or left entrances but it doesn;t bother me.

There are always loads of taxis cruising the theatre area and are perfectly safe to use.

Carrybean

The matinees I've been to have been the same actors, etc. If I go at night I always take a taxi afterwards. Most take the tube & I'm sure it's quite safe but at night I prefer taxis. Since it's so rare I get to see a play or musical I buy the best seat I can. Check out the link for seating plans:

http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londo...lans/index.htm

lol

Hi again,
I just found out that Zorro will end on 14th of March, a month prior to my trip.

emily71

Londoners might have more information about taking the Tube out to Northholt, but in general the Tube is perfectly safe at night after the theatre. I'm a single woman who always takes in a show when I'm in town and I'm amazed at how crowded the subway is late at night. Plus, you'll have all the other theatre goers as well.

I believe MM is available at the half price ticket booth - you can ask the sales clerk about the seats. I've never had a bad seat using TKTS.

xyz123

1. Mamma Mia, for the most part, has never been available at tkts...but it doesn't hurt to check as the theatre is only a two blocks from tkts.

2. There is a very good chance as a single you will be able to get an excellent seat in the stalls, especially for either weekday performances. The clerk when you book your seats will show you exactly where your seat is on a theatre diagram.

3. Yes it's possible to get a taxi outside the theatre but it will be very very very expensive especially if you're not sharing the fare. There is absolutely, positively, nothing remotely unsafe about the tube....unlike the jerks in New York who spread out the service after 1900, tube service in London continues to run at very close intervals at 2230 at night from the west end. I am not all that familiar as to where you're going...is it in central London or out in the boondocks? But there's probably a greater chance of being in an accident in a taxi than having something untoward happen on the tube....

Have a great time (and too bad, I thought Zorro was a fun musical and deserved a better fate.....I don't know if you're familiar with Broadway but Spring Awakening, a show I really enjoyed, is opening in the West End and of course Billy Elliot is a not miss.

flanneruk

It's always safe to travel in a proper black taxi. To Northolt, though, it'll cost you around Ł40. Unless your walk from Northolt tube station to where you're going to be is known to be unsafe, practically no-one would dream of getting a taxi that far unless drunk to a point of incapacity.

It is never a good idea, though, to use anything other than a black taxi that might be plying for hire (illegal anyway, and therefore clear evidence the driver's dodgy) If you want to avoid the tube, go to the tfl site, look for an approved private hire company and prebook. Usually about half the price of a black cab.

flanneruk

PS:
"Is it possible to get a taxi right outside the theatre"

Not really. Depends on where you are. You MIGHT strike lucky, but around 2230 you've usually got to meander round a bit to wherever there's a constant stream of traffic then hang about till a free taxi turns up. Hardly a megahike: a hundred yards or so at most, but you did say "right outside" which implies a rather unLondonish preoccupation with instant availabilty. Taxis can't (and wouldn't if they could anyway) hang round outside theatres, and there's a fair amount of competition from other potential customers.

janisj

All the theatres let out around the same time - give or take 30 minutes. Hailing a cab is of course possible - but you'll be in competition w/ several thousand other theatre goers all out and about at the same time. The sidewalks are literally crammed w/ folks. So getting a cab is NOT easy. Usually you will have to walk some distance away from the theatres where you will have a better chance.

It is not at all unsafe to take the tube at night because - once again, there are TONS of others doing the same thing.

Matinees are fine - but they do eat into you daytime sightseeing if you are on a short visit.

I would not take a taxi if you are on a budget at all - the fare would be more than the theatre ticket.

So basically evening or afternoon performances are fine - and the tube will be OK.

I do have a question - is there a compelling reason you are staying in Northholt? Like it is free because you are staying w/ relatives/friends or something like that? Otherwise, you might want to reconsider and stay closer in and not have any transport dilemmas

thursdaysd

For the best seats see: www.theatremonkey.com/seatingplanindex.htm

lol

Thanks everybody for the replies, this is very helpful. Avalon, you got cracking about the 19th century tiny butts.
The reason why I am staying at Northholt is because I am staying at my cousin's.
So I have another question: initially my instinct was to book the tickets online so as to avoid the disappointment of facing a sold out show or having mediocre seats also to save myself the hassle and worry. But I see from your replies that most people don't do that, so do I just go on the day and hope for the best? What are my chance?
Last October, we booked tickets to Dirty Dancing online 2 days before the show and we got stalls seats at the very back, which I thought weren't great. We were not given a choice in terms of which row when we booked online, we paid 60 pound each and I thought we were a bit too far from the stage. Do you get to choose which row if you book directly at the theatre?
I think I will stick to the Matinees, unless I can lure my cousin into coming along. she's more of "let's go dancing" kind of girl.

Cholmondley_Warner

Notholt is FAR out of central London. A black cab will bankrupt you - and most won't go there at that time of night.

The tube is perfectly safe and will be full of other people making their way home after a night out.

If you must get a cab, there is a mini-cab place just by the Coach and Horses in Soho (Frith St I think) that has a predominantly gay clientele and is certainly safe for a single female. Just look for the flashing orange light.

lennyba

lol - I book ahead from the states if there's something I would be disappointed to miss, but I've also bought on the day of. You might watch the availability at tkts.co.uk for a while and see if the show you want frequently comes up on the day of the week you're interested in. Also, lastminute.co.uk sometimes has sales on book-ahead tickets.

nona1

Most people DO pre-book theatre tickets. If you want to get something on the day, you have to take pot-luck as to what is still available. It's more suitable if you are not too fussed which particular show/seats you get.

lol

Thanks guys for all the advice. The problem is that the walk from the Northholt tube station to my cousin's house is about 7 mins walk, half of which is in very quiet and dark streets. So even if the tube is safe, I would still be worried. I guess I will book ahead for the matinees.
Thanks all very much