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Hi, We will be in London on May 29 and would like to see a show. Mama Mia sounds fantastic,but another might be just as appealing. Would it be better to get tickets before we leave the US or when we initially arrive in London on May 17 for a tour? Thanks, Sarah

Sarah, it depends. If you want to be sure of getting tickets for a hot show, order before you go. Some information follows. If you want to just take your chances, wait until you get there. Again, see the following.. www.goodshow.com/ Good Show charges a flat fee ($25, 6/99) for two plays, up to six tickets per show. For each additional show there is a $10 fee, again for up to six tickets. The site also provides theatre reviews, schedules (including the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford) and fringe productions. www.whatson.com/ Theatre and concert schedules, reviews, seating plans, prices, tickets, seating charts www.whatsonstage.com www.thisislondon.co.uk/ www.timeout.com/london/ www.albemarle-london.com/ http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/ book tickets without agency fees http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/ includes a click to the Globe theatre website. For schedules and tickets to West End shows, websites like http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/main.html and http://www.thisislondon.com will suffice. At any newsstand in the concourse of the airport or train station you can buy the magazines Time Out or What's On in London, and also look at the Fringe theatre listings, which no website covers eompletely. You can order over the phone with a credit card. To try to get last-minute tickets for a very popular show, try going to the box office of the theater on the same day. Most open by 10am. They sometimes have house seats or returned tickets to sell. Stop at the same-day box office in Leicester Square in the West End theatre district to see what theatre bargains may be available. Cash only, and sometimes the line is very long. Can purchase up to 4 tickets for one show. The "hottest" shows will not be available, with very rare exceptions. The Leicester Square half price booth is open Monday through Saturday from noon for matinee performances and from 2:30 until 6:00 for evening performances. The earlier you arrive the better your chances for getting tickets for some show or play that interests you. Ticket brokers: In the US and in London. Both Edwards and Edwards, and Keith Prowse, are ticket agencies that for a mark-up can often get you tickets for popular shows. For E & E. call toll free in the US 800 223 6108. For Keith Prowse, call 800 669 8687. They have good automated systems which can send faxes of their brochures, and both have offices in New York City. Edwards and Edwards: in London, phone 0171 734 4555 Keith Prowse: in London, phone 0171 836 9001 First Call: in London, phone 0171 497 9977 Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park, London NW1 4NP Box Office 0171 486 2431 / 0171 486 1933 Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Open daily, guided tours every half hour or so, tours end early on performance days so call ahead. Telephone 0207 902 1500. Tube: Mansion House A re-creation of the theatre in which many of Shakespeare's plays were first performed. Performance calendar is May-September.. Best seats are said to be in the first balcony. Do not take ground level seats where you have to stand in the open, unless you are a true purist and want to be a "groundling". If it rains, the show goes on, and you will be undercover in the first balcony, but not out in the open. See their website at www.shakespeares-globe.org.

Good luck! Mamma Mia is booked pretty solid. It is playing @ the Prince Edward theatre. Try booking @ www.mamma-mia.com or call the box office @ 020 7447 5400 or www.ticketmaster.co.uk Some shows are available @ the 1/2 price booth @ picadilly square, but mamma is doubtful. We did get 4 tickets for Andrew Loyd Webbers' Whistle down the Wind.2 weeks ago.

Sarah, I do not think you will be able to get tickets to Momma Mia at this late date - it's sold out for months ahead - unless you deal with a scalper and I would not recommend that. I heard the ticket agencies do not have anything available now for May (you can check with Global, Ticketmaster, etc. tho, I'm only relaying what I heard when in London last week). We just saw the show and it is fantastic, I ordered tickets 8 months back tho. YOu may be able to get a "return" ticket but you do have to sacrifice time to stand around at the theater hoping for returns. Momma Mia would be my first choice, but if you can't get tickets Chicago is good, Fosse is nice (if you like lots of dancing), and of course there are the old standby's, Cats, Les Miz, Phantom, etc. which you could probably get tickets for with no problem. Good Luck!

Sarah, Hi. I just returned from a week in London--with a day trip to Stratford. For Stratford, I'd booked ahead by phone, and it was worth it. You can speak to the person directly and not take whatever the online booking gives you. That way I could literally ask for the "best seats in the house." The $9 phone bill was worth it--no service charge. I want to put in a plug for seeing a show that's not a blockbuster. My daugher and I got same-day "standby" tickets to the Royal Ballet in Covent Garden--front-row center balcony. We also got same-day tickets for "HMS Pinafore" at the Leicester Square half-price booth. Also excellent seats. There's so much to see in London that's wonderful and that's not necessarily a blockbuster. Things at the National Theater, the Royal Shakespeare Company (which does stuff other than Shakespeare, if you don't like Shakespeare). . . . People were raving about a show called "Woman in Black," and also "An Inspector Calls." We didn't see them because they're mysteries and my daugher, who's 14, was afraid they'd scare her--but tickets were available. Good luck, and enjoy the theater and everything else about that wonderful city.

My wife and I saw Mamma Mia in December and .... WOW!!! PURE ENTERTAINMENT!! We loved it... we are in our late 20's. Our concierge got us the tickets and I dont know how!! Yes it is booked but if you want to see a great musical, find a way to go. It is not your typical musical and can get very loud. But if your liked the music of the 70's and 80's you will like this:-)

I was really impressed with "Blood Brothers"!!! It's been in London for ages and very popular. It's so English!