London Theatre Week is here again: that exciting time of the year when tickets for some of the West End’s biggest shows are sold at massively reduced prices.
There are as many as 60 shows to choose from, with some tickets going for as little as £15. And If you are just finding out about this now – don’t worry, you haven’t missed it yet. London Theatre Week initially ran from August 22 to September 4, but now a surprise week-long extension has been announced. So, until September 11 you can still get your hands on some of these discounted tickets.
With so many brilliant shows on the roster, here’s our round-up of the top ten shows to see.
1. Eureka Day at the Old Vic Theatre
Jonathan Spector’s 2018 play will enjoy its European premiere at the Old Vic tomorrow, with Golden Globe-winning Helen Hunt starring and Katy Rudd directing. It’s about a breakout of mumps at a school in California and how tolerance and togetherness fracture pretty quickly... so it’s pretty topical. When it ran in the US it met rave reviews: the New York Times called it an “explosive comedy” and the “perfect play”. And now you can nab tickets for just £35 or £45, too.
Tickets can be found here.
2. Secret Cinema X Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy
There are two Secret Cinema options on offer for London Theatre Week: one experience with the film, one without. For both, attendees enjoy an immersive adventure where they get to be taken into Marvel’s universe. And it’s not just one for Marvel fans either – Secret Cinema is known for the quality of its large-scale productions. Tickets that include the film are going from £35 to £65, while tickets without the film are going from £35 to £55. 18+.
Tickets can be found here.
3. 2:22 A Ghost Story at the Criterion Theatre
2:22 A Ghost Story is, unsurprisingly, all about ghosts. Jenny thinks her London house is haunted, her husband Sam isn’t convinced, and their friends, who stay late during one dinner, all have opinions.
It has all been conjured up by the creator of the hit BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist Danny Robins, and has Matthew Dunster on board as director. Enjoying two sold-out runs at the Noel Coward and Gielgud Theatre, Lily Allen once starred as Jenny, and Harry Potter’s Tom Felton has been playing Sam for a year, but finished his long stint last weekend. From September 6 the cast will be made up of Love Island’s Laura Whitmore, musician Matt Willis, The Archer’s Felix Scott and Australian actor Tamsin Carroll.
And now you can get tickets from £15 to £45. “This supernatural thriller is remorselessly effective,” said The Standard last year.
Tickets can be found here.
4. Back to the Future at the Adelphi Theatre
If you loved Robert Zemeckis’ 1985 hit and you love musicals, Back to the Future: The Musical at the Adelphi Theatre is a no-brainer. It has been adapted for the stage by Zemeckis’s co-writer on the original Bob Gale, and stars Olly Dobson and Tony Award-winning Roger Bart. Tickets are going for just £25 to £65, too.
“Even the time machine’s a triumph in this larky musical version of the 1985 cult movie classic,” said The Standard, which praised the “little in-jokes and exuberant swing-style dance routines, including one that’s a flat-out homage to that other 1980s teen classic, Footloose.” It also won this year’s Olivier award for best new musical.
Tickets can be found here.
5. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
If it’s always been a bit difficult getting your hands on tickets to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child this might be your opportunity to finally get some: unbelievably, they’re going for just £15 and £25. So if you want to join Harry, Ron and Hermione in an adventure 19 years after the books, the time is now.
Tickets can be found here.
6. The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre
Similarly, this is a great opportunity to buy tickets to see this West End classic – prices run from just £25 to £65. The acclaim has been constant since 1997. This time, celebrated director Julie Taymor, who worked as an executive producer on the 2019 computer-animated remake, has reimagined the classic children’s tale.
Tickets can be found here.
7. Punchdrunk: The Burnt City at One Cartridge Place
They’re arguably the world’s most famous immersive theatre company, and now you can buy tickets to see them for £35 and £45. The show, which is based on Greek tragedies and deals with humongous themes of revenge, war and family, is for over 16s only – attendees should expect blood, nudity, haze, dark corners and strobe lights. Not only that: they’re given masks and become part of the three-hour performance, too.
“The emotional heft and sheer scale of this immersive show inspired by the Trojan War blows you away,” said The Standard.
Tickets can be found here.
8. Anything Goes at the Barbican
With tickets starting at £15 and going up to £55, this is an excellent opportunity to grab tickets to see Cole Porter and PG Wodehouse’s classic musical Anything Goes.
Described by The Standard as “a delicious, de-lovely delight that wipes out the cares of the world for at least a few hours,” you can look forward to a 50-strong cast which includes Olivier winner Simon Callow, plus a full-sized live orchestra. It has been directed by award-winning Broadway director Kathleen Marshall, too.
Tickets can be found here.
9. Tosca at the London Coliseum
Tickets for this classic opera are going for £25, £35 and £45. So if you’ve always wanted to see Giacomo Puccini’s three-act opera set in the political turmoil of Rome during the Napoleonic wars, now is your chance. In this English National Opera production, Sinead Campbell Wallace plays Tosca, Adam Smith plays Cavaradossi and Noel Bouley Scarpia.
Tickets can be found here.
10. Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre
Tickets to see Mamma Mia! are on sale for between £25 to £65, so it’s the perfect time to go and see the beloved musical which has been entertaining audiences for 23 years and counting. The joyous story about a mother, daughter and three possible dads all gathering on a Greek island really never gets old.
Tickets can be found here.
