mhenz41

hi...

i wonder if someone can suggest how i can purchase theater tickets to mama mia in london, here in the U.S. before we leave. thank you.

Myer

I would call the Prince Edward Theatre directly at:

020 7447 5400

We bought tickets for others shows and picked them up at the theatre. Depending upon your lead time, for a small fee they'll mail them to you.

Nidwaldner_Chris

www.wayahead.com and have them hold the tickets at the call window.

rhkkmk

i have very good luck with ticketmaster...find the ticketmaster.uk site for the best results

janis

I never use Ticketmaster - their fees are outrageous. Contact wayahead or call the Prince Edward directly

Patrick

If there are any seats available for your dates you can get them from the theatre. Why would anyone prefer to call or do Ticketmaster and pay higher charges for the same (or less choice) of seats for more money than calling the theatre directly? Just be sure to think about the time and call during normal box office hours in London -- basically 10 to 5 to be safe, otherwise you may end up being connected back to Ticketmaster or someone with extra charges.

xyz123

Why would anybody use ticketmaster or other pay services? The reason is most people just do not realize how in this day and age how cheap it is to call from the US to the UK; especially using the alternative 101... services.

My favourite is 1016868 which charges 7.9 cents/minute to call the UK. There are others which might be a little cheaper but several have hidden charges like a monthly charge if you use their services even once or a high set up the call charge of 39 cents followed by 3 cents/minute or stuff like that even though they advertise the 3 cents/minute. The problem with that is sometimes the call goes through and then you discover static on the line or things like that. You certainly can't quibble with 7.9 cents/minute.

To call the UK from the US using this service, if the UK number is advertised as 020 7555 1212, understand the leading 0 tells the switching system in the UK that this is a domestic call, 20 is the city code for London and London phone numbers have 8 digits with the lead digit either being a 7 for inner London or an 8 for outer London.

So using the service I use, you would dial 1016868 011 44 20 7555 1212. 1-16868 accessing the service, 011 the international call prefix, 44 the country code for the UK, 20 the city code for London, 7555 1212 the local number in London. The call goes through instantaneously, you will hear a European type ringing system and pretty soon you will be talking to a clerk at the theatre (note the proper British spelling) to book your tickets using a credit card. Your best bet is to tell them to hold the tickets to pick up at the theatre the night of the performance although many will post (the British equivalent of mail) to you if there is enough lead time sometimes for free but other times for a small handling fee. Most theatres do charge a small amount (£1 or so) for booking via the phone. The entire transaction should take no more than 5 minutes at a total cost of 40 cents!

The one point I will make about 1016868 is that it is very wide spread in the US but not universal. How do you know if you can use it? Try it; if it works you have it. You are billed on your local phone bill.

Best way to order tickets for those must see shows such as Mamma Mia.

bbib

Last week I bought tickets from lastminute.co.uk they only charge one pound booking fee per person. Got half price tickets for Blood Brothers, best seats in the house.

GSteed

I agree, either call the theater or email/fax inquiry directly. Find web site. Most important! Determine seat location using seat chart. We bought tickets from tout and ended up in the last row of theater behind obstruction!
Offer theater dates you can attend and suggest seats you would like. Hotel concierge may be last resort. Alternate, stand in line night of performance for returns. Line people usually are after less expensive tickets. Have a fall back performance in mind..they usually start 30 minutes or an hour after premier show.

MFNYC

Glad to hear you can actually order tickets by calling the theater directly. I don't even remember when you could do that for Broadway tickets. I agree that the ticketmaster fees in general (US, UK or anywhere) are excessive. I also use that 1016868 whenever I need to call or fax overseas. It's very inexpensive. Their rates are listed on the website http://www.10-10phonerates.com/intl.html.

While on the topic of London theater, I will be in London with be family (kids 13 & 15) in April for 4 days. I'm on the fence about seeing a show, given our timeframe and the fact that we live in NYC and have seen many great shows. If we were to pick a show (preferably musical, but maybe comedy) in London, that isn't on Broadway and can entertain both teens and their parents, what would you recommend? At the moment my 15 yr old daughter's favorite is Rent and my son's is Hairspray (altho he really enjoy slapstick kind f humor too). I was thinking either Joseph and his techicolor Dreamcoat or Chitty. Any other suggestions/recommendations and are either of these hot tickets that must be purchased well in advance?

Thanks much.

Thomas

To MFNYC How about Tonights the Night, musical comnedy based on music hits of Rod Stewart. A surprise fun show.

Patrick

Just a note that things have changed a bit recently regarding buying tickets direct from box offices in London. I used to do it all the time and never ever paid a fee, but more and more of them are now imposing a fee (maybe 1 to 2.50 pounds) but if they hold them at the box office no additional charge for mailing.

This morning I just called The Cambridge Theatre to book Jerry Springer, the Opera for May. I guess I may have sounded a bit rude (and apologized for it) as they answer with the name that sounds like a ticket agency. It ends up now some 5 theatres or so, of which Cambridge is one has a common box office. There is no longer any way you can do phone tickets with their specific box office -- only go there in person. The fee was 2.50 pounds on top of the 45 pounds per top price ticket. I looked at a couple of other websites for booking and most with fees were up to 12 pounds higher on the total for each ticket.
I didn't want to risk losing good seats. As the run was just extended for a year a couple of days ago, I was able to get seventh row seats on the center aisle. My choice!! Even theatre monkey is less specific about the good seats. The lady told me that the seventh row is actually the first one that starts the rake (angle) of elevation, so they are even better than the ones in the row in front of it which are more on the flat plane.

It is so nice to be able to talk with those polite and knowledgeable people in London. Ah, if only such service were possible for Broadway!!

MFNYC

Thomas.
Tonights the Night was trashed on CurtainUp. Not that I always agree with critics but it was an abysmal review.

laurie_ann

I am planning for March and found good reviews on Chitty and also found Stomp! which isn't traditional "theatre" but I have seen one of their films at the NYC Natural History Museum and would highly recommend it for all ages as good music, creative and fun.

ingrid

Well, I tried to call the theater directly for Lion King tickets but was somehow routed to a general reservation site. After several attempts while I was put on hold, listening to an automated answering service, getting disconnected, etc. I finally bought the tickest via Ticketmaster UK. Maybe it's different with other theaters, but it didn't work for me with the Lyseum Theatre.

Tiger_Lily

I'm looking forward to seeing Jerry Springer, the Opera. Has anyone seen it yet? From their website, tkts seems to sell them at 1/2 price - GBP27.5 I'm going solo. What is the safest way for a female to get back to the hotel after the evening show? Tube? Taxi?

nytraveler

Depends on where the hotel is - what tube line and how close is the hotel to the tube? We always taxi after the theater - but that's just because that late the tube service is very sparse (it doesn't run 24/7 like New York so after theater is almost their closing time).

starspinners

Tigar Lily,
How far from the theater is your hotel ?
I frequently go to London theaters in the evenings ( as a solo female) and feel quite comfortable walking back to my hotel in Bloomsbury.
The theater district is full of people after all the shows let out so sometimes finding a taxi is a bit of a hassle.
There are pedi-cabs staged up out the theaters, I've never taken one, but wouldn't hesitate to do so if I didn't want to walk.
If it's pouring rain I've also dashed to the Covent Garden or the Charing Cross stations and taken the tube to the stop nearest my hotel.

xyz123

Tube service is fine after the shows let out at 2230 ish. Up till about 2330 they run pretty reasonably close to one another no more than 5 or 6 minute wait at tops in the West End. At 2330 service starts slowing down as service ends at 030 so after you're going back immediately after the show, the tube is no problem. Bus service is also pretty good and with little traffic buses can sometimes make almost as good time at that time in the evening as the tube.

If you insist on eating after the theatre, London seems to be an early retiring town for the most part and many restaurants will not be open. Also pubs close I believe at 2300 (or 2330?) so it might be hard to get a drink.

Note most theatres have moved curtain time up to either 1930 or 1945 from what used to be a pretty standard 2000.

Tiger_Lily

Thanks everyone. I'm feeling more confident going on my own.

I've checked and Jerry Springer is playing at Cambridge and its stated that the nearest Tube station is Covent Garden. And it starts at 8pm.

I'm tentatively staying somewhere near Baker Street. =)