bbrier5

I am taking my two 13 year old granddaughters to London this summer and though we are not theater goers, we want to see a show. Choices would be Wicked, Mamma Mia or Hamilton? ideas?

janisj

Not knowing what the kids enjoy, any of the three would be great fun -- I'd honestly pick based on which one I could get the best seats.

I think Hamilton tends to be pricier. For just 'fun' Mamma Mia has very enthusiastic audiences and tends to end up with everyone dancing in their seats/the aisles.

Seamus

Agree with Janice. Check out the availability at the Leicester square TKTS booth. We saw both Wicked and Mama Mia in London and loved both.Think either one would be fun for your teens.

mjs

Your granddaughters might really enjoy a Shakespeare comedy if one is being performed during your visit. My children did at that age and it’s not something that’s as easy to experience outside of England. Mama Mia is fun and Wicked is interesting. Hamilton was much more expensive when I looked at it in London last year and maybe not as fun for a 13 yo inmho

mjs

Might also consider Harry Potter although it’s a two part play and The Play that goes wrong is fun

Sassafrass

My GD is 13 and thinks Hamilton is one of the most interesting and exciting shows she has seen. She first saw it on video at about age 10 and last year saw a stage production. It really depends on their interests, but she loved the songs, the music, the costumes and the story. Maybe they could watch some clips.

I suggest you also strongly consider Newsies. They are a good age for that.

Even if you are not theater goers, if you do not have evening activities planned anyway, London is a great place to have more theater experience. There are a lot of smaller, less expensive venues too. Check out concerts. Some of the churches have free or cheap, short concerts and some serve inexpensive lunches or dinners with the concerts.
We like the Globe, but would probably choose other things for teens, unless they already have some knowledge and interest in Shakespeare. I enjoy Shakespeare, but even so, find it can drag sometimes. I actually prefer a stage production, less of a party atmosphere. I know, that was the way it was during the time, different experience. OTOH, MacBeth is playing and my kids loved it.
I know you asked about theater, but if they have taken any dance classes, there are great dance performances in London.

lrice

Gosh all are amazing! There is not a bad choice. My vote is for Hamilton — they will love the music. And there is something very special about seeing Hamilton in London.

Tulips

If you are from the US, the story of Hamilton will be familiar to your kids. I took some Belgian friends to Hamilton, and while they enjoyed the show, they were not at all familiar with the 'founding fathers' story. I love Mamma Mia, such a fun show. If there is a show you really want to see, don't rely on the TKTS booth, not everything is available there, especially if you want 3 seats together. In the summer there is also the Regents Park Open Air Theatre. A wonderful experience if the weather is good.

Jennifer_Travels

I would give the girls options & see what they are most interested in seeing.
If they like comedy, they might enjoy "A Play that Goes Wrong." It's a satire on typical British murder mysteries, with a lot of word play and physical comedy.

Comicman

I second getting to the TKTs booth early and see what they have. I have done many a WestEnd trip seeing 2 plays each day. I almost always found great options on offer. Plus this saves a LOT of money.

Tulips

You don't need to go to the TKTS booth in person; you can buy online on the same day through their website;
https://officiallondontheatre.com/tkts/
Check the shows you may want to see now for availability, and book as early as possible on the day.

macdogmom

They might enjoy Mathilda by Roald Dahl. Saw it a few years ago in London and and really liked the production.

Seamus

Here's a second to tulips' mention of the Regents Park Open Air Theatre. We saw Ragtime there a few years back and loved it.

Sassafrass

You may have already decided, but I had a chance to ask my (age 13) GD her opinion. She thought Wicked was the best choice for an all around great theater experience. Her personal favorite is Hamilton, but she is going into HS as a theater major, and she loves the songs and unique humor in Hamilton. After watching clips with her today, unless your GDs know the story and wanted to see it, I would say Hamilton would not be my choice for them. My GD liked Newsies, thought Matilda was good, has not seen MamaMia, so between them still said Wicked. Of course, her first thought was to watch some clips and ask them what they thought. Hope this helps.

willowjane

I was just told to check todaytix as it is a good app to see what is available and getting tickets. I have only looked at it from home (usa) but it does look good. We are traveling to London Easter week.

janisj

That is a commercial ticket agency -- I certainly would be leery. Either book through the theatre's own website or via TKTS - either in person or via their website. TKTS is 'official' - it is operated by the Society of London Theatre and is a non-profit.

Southam

Theatre Monkey, while a commercial agency, provides useful rundowns of what is playing where plus evaluations of theatre seating.
My first and last experience with the TKTS did cough up a cheap ticket, in the second row, day of the show. Given the compact theatre, I had an eagle-eye view of the cast's kneecaps. Tickets can be left over for various reasons and not necessarily bargains.
The Play that Goes Wrong is knockabout farce where the performers take huge slapstick risks. Very English, in my experience.

janisj

"My first and last experience with the TKTS did cough up a cheap ticket, in the second row, day of the show. Given the compact theatre, I had an eagle-eye view of the cast's kneecaps. Tickets can be left over for various reasons and not necessarily bargains."

You don't need to accept the fist ticket they offer. They will 'Run the house' (search for seats in any section) if you ask.

TKTS today is nothing like it was in the 'old days'. It isn't just half price - there are various discounts all the way up to full price. And now you can book in advance. BTW, even though I support TKTS, I'd never ever book a full priced seat through them. With the booking charge, even though it is small, that would make a TKTS ticket more expensive that just walking over to the theatre and buying in person.

Tulips

On the TKTS website you can just book the seats you want online. Discounts go from 20 to 40% or so. Theatre Monkey is great for checking how good the seats are.

northie

my 12 year old granddaughter loved Hamilton but she does love dance and music..She also loved the Harry Potter one.