I was just checking out some theater websites and I came accross Londontheaterdirect.com. It looks as if I can get theater tickets at a discount. Is this site legit? It has a show that I am looking for, at a discounted price - should I buy the tickets? Has anyone had any experience with this web site?
Thanks, Susan

We used them in the spring to purchase tickets to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and although there was no discount on our tickets, it is legit. We received out tickets in the mail very promptly, and they were even better seats than what we had initially ordered.
Annette

We have bought tickets through them with no problem.

Try booking your tickets direct with the Box office or try WWW.tkts.co.uk the official half price ticket booth in Leicester Sq.

Ps;what show are you planning to see !

Wow, thanks for a site that is new to me. I played for a bit and discovered you can get essentially half price tickets to a number of shows and best of all it easily shows you options (two at a time apparently--like two specific stalls seats or two specific dress circle seats). I really like this, although I didn't carry it all the way to the end to see if they charge for sending them or where you pick them up.

Gee, Godfrey, your suggestion is normally good, but you won't get half price tickets by calling a box office, and if you can prebook specific seats before you go at the Leicester Square prices, why would you want to wait to stand in line at Leicester Square to see if or what you can get? Being able to book the seats you want in advance and still get a big discount is a great idea. But I agree, if you're paying full price, I'd probably still just call the box office.

But now the weirest thing. I just tried to bookmark the site. But whenever I right click to bring up the "add to favorites" menu, I get a window that says I don't have permission to right click on this site! What does that mean? I've never seen such a thing before.

Incidentally, I think it is funny that you can access the site with either spelling of theatre/theater in the address.

Hi Patrick,
Many of the theatres in London offer special deals(from their own Box Office) at slow times,many of which are advertised in the London Press.Another couple of sites to look at are WWW.whatsonstage.com and WWW.theatremonkey.com. Apart from a select few shows you should be asble to get discounted tickets fairly easyily.
Chitty,for example had a buy one,get one free offer earlier this year.

Well, Godfrey, your current advice is different from your first response simply telling people to call the box office direct or to wait to use the half price lines.

I've been buying a lot of London theatre tickets over the years and rarely do I see that many half price tickets available on the websites. I just went to Theatre Monkey for example and brought up the same shows I just looked at half price offers on the theatredirect website for March. All those tickets through Theatremonkey are full price! Lastminute.com can be good, but again you rely on what's available last minute. I looked at several shows on the theatredirect website and found choices of fifth or sixth row center or first row dress circle booking at half price way ahead! Contrary to what you may say, I've never found another site that gave you such good offerings.

Susan, again thank you for a really good site!!! Now if I can just figure out how to bookmark it. . .

my advice is first of all to contact the Box Office to check if there are any discounted deals,as often there are.
If it is a top london show you want tickets for then again contact the Box Office.The Offical Half price ticket booth in Leicester Sq has half price tickets for matinees and evening performances on the day of the performance ,and is a first come,first served,sit where they put you system. Phantom,Chitty,Les Mis have all had 2 for 1 offers this year,directly from the Box Office.

All the half price tickets on Londontheatredirect.com are the same as available at the Official Half Price Ticket Booth in Leicester Sq (WWW.tkts.co.uk) check on availability today. They are usually for slow selling shows or for midweek performances of bigger shows

Godfrey and Patrick, I have purchased tickets for London theater many times over the past few years and I usually like to get the tickets in advance of our trip. This way I don't have to take up my precious London vacation time waiting in line. Also, I guess I consider all London theater a bargain as I am used to the $100 tickets in NYC! However, I am not going to throw away hard earned money if I can get a deal! This trip to London is a very short one and we are only planning on two shows. Since we have to accomodate the tastes of 2 adults and 2 teens, I have decided on Blood Brothers and Bombay Dreams (no serious plays this outing - I am seeing many in NY this season). I know that Blood Brothers is at the half price booth, but it seems that I can also pick up half price tickets on line, so I think I will do that. Whatsonstage.com is offering Blood Brothers for just over 18 pounds a ticket right now. That beats londontheaterdirect.com at 20 pounds! So, thanks for the advice and additional websites. I may wait abit on the Bombay Dream tickets as our trip is in February and I may find a deal yet. Thanks again, Susan

I'm trying to figure out why you seem to be so negative about this theatredirect site, Godfrey? What you say is true. But there is a BIG difference between going on line today in November and booking fifth row center seats for a musical in March at half price, and waiting until the day I'm there and giving up time to go to the half price booth and getting what seats are still left -- often the first row (which I'm not crazy about). I've always done just that and it is a good deal, but now I have a far better method of getting half price seats -- and better seats at that from the comfort of my home months before I go. It also beats calling London box offices daily from the US to see if they may just happen to have half price specials. Here is now a website where you can easily sit at home and check it out and book if there is anything you want.

Also I can assure you that none of the box offices are selling half price tickets direct five months ahead.

Sorry, you can do what you like, but when I know when I'll be in London, it is nice to be able to get really great seats at half price months ahead. It seems a far better option TO ME than anything you suggest. But it's fine if you prefer to wait and take chances and still not get any BETTER savings. I just don't get the point of doing that.

I am not being negative about the site Patrick,it's just that cheap tickets for slow selling are available each and every day,and there is usually so much room in the theatre you can choose where to sit.If you want a cheap or face value ticket for a Top selling show then tkts is the place.The Box office is worth checking with for special offers as I have already stated.
Susanombay Dreams tickets have been available this year at the half price ticket booth (just check occasionally)

ps Susan:londontheatredirect.com is definately legit and is a member of STAR

OK, Godfrey, just one more hypothetical situation, then I promise I'll shut up and leave you alone!! I realize I'm beating a dead horse (which is not a very pleasant thing to do.)

I want to get the very best seats I can for a trip to London in March. I can book five shows all at half price today by going to this new site. I can choose the seats I want -- and they are offering really good ones. Can you tell me there is a better way to assure myself of getting really great seats for those five shows at half price? And can you suggest a way I can do all those without making a bunch of international calls or waiting and maybe missing those best seats? Can you explain why I'd be better off waiting and keep checking over the next months, when I still wouldn't save any more money and know I couldn't get better seats than I can get today?

Patrick if you want specific seats for a slow selling show in advance then the site is fine.But as a Londoner it amuses me that someone would book months in advance for a show that is already selling tickets at half price(bombing).There is no guarantee that the show will still be around in five months if it has already began discounting. For a guaranteed (advanced booking) seat for a Top Show contact the box office and purchase at face value.For slow selling shows and the chance of a half priced ticket when you are in london go to the tkts half price booth in Leicester Sq. I agree with what you say about booking seats in advance,but it is the quality of the shows on offer that is the problem.
I appreciate and welcome your comments Patrick and do not take them as a rebuke
but as constructive criticism.I live in London and can tell you that several shows will close after the Christmas period because of falling audiences.
The queues for the tkts booth are currently very short and the choice in midweek is excellent.

Enjoy

Patrick what shows do you want tickets for !

Sorry, Godfrey. I guess you missed the part where I said, "hypothetical situation". I'm not going until May, and there are virtually no tickets on sale yet for then anyway." You really are missing my point.

I'm also amused that you are amused by people booking shows in advance. . .
Blood Brothers is a good example of a show that has been selling at half price for years now -- and not likely to close anytime soon. Why not order 1st row dress circle tickets at half price in advance instead of waiting to get side, front row, or rear stalls seats when you get there? Some of us really DO care where we sit. And so what if a show does close? You get your money back anyway.

I am a great advocate of the half price booth and since my flat is only about two blocks away, it is easy for me to pop over daily and get tickets. But for those who will only be in London three or four days and staying in Kensington or somewhere, giving up valuable time to make the trip to Leicester Square in the middle of the day to buy tickets is such a waste of time IF they could have already gotten their tickets in advance at the same price with better choice of seats. And you'll find if you do a search here that I have stated over and over again the best place to buy your tickets for the "hot" shows is by calling the box office direct. I still stand by that. And I still stand by getting half price tickets at the official booth. But for those who do have specific dates to honor, and want to get a really good choice of seats in advance this website is a great convenience -- don't forget most of the readers here don't live in London -- so it's not so easy to spot a newspaper special or just call the various box offices every few days to see what's happening.