To survive the London Musicals one must not only like the gender. Having some Money also helps what they the “complete experience”.
Entertaiment like this, watching musicals in London, costs money and it´s not little money. Above all, because there are too many temptations. The problem is knowing how to choose. It all starts with the travelling logistics. The earlier the plane ticket is booked the cheaper it’ll cost. Any low cost company will promise the best prices, but the website www.rumbo.es makes the best comparison among all companies, including the low cost ones, with or without stops. Regarding accommodations, be aware that a hotel in the heart of musicals, the so-called Theaterland, won’t be the best option for scarcely filled wallets, since single rooms won’t cost less than 150 euros. Make a search on the Internet and avoid agency packages. Usually there are sales for early online reservations. And for food, Chinatown, close to Picadilly Circus and before Covent Garden, offers a myriad of meals at moderate prices, from many different countries.
Your taste will determine the choice of shows. But be aware that there won’t be much difference in ticket prices, be it a show that’s been running for twenty years or one that just premiered. Even though it’s possible to opt for the Internet here or to find many kiosks promising discounts on last minute tickets, as well as offers included in travel agencies packages, or even at hotel reception desks, there’s nothing like going to the Theater itself and choosing yourself. In most cases these offers are for places with little visibility, without chance for exchange (and in London you can’t change places, even if the seats up front are empty) or refunds, in (exceptional) case of the show`s cancellation.
After choosing what you want to see, go directly to the theater’s ticket office in the morning, all of them are open after 9h30. You’ll be able to choose your seat and take advantage of daily discounts offered only at the theaters and, with luck, having the possibility of finding a cheaper ticket because some reservation was unclaimed and they can no longer sell the ticket at the original price. It’s good to know that afternoon sessions (Tuesdays and Saturdays) are cheaper than the evening ones and it’s also when you can see the production mechanics, since they try out casts and renew energies. These sessions are less packed with tourists and you can enjoy the show the without losses of fleeting enthusiasm and more, you can also hear, or exchange, impressions with the locals (these are the sessions chosen by the British). Don’t worry about a possible loss of quality because of the new cast, you won’t feel the difference.
A parterre seat, at a nice place, will cost you 45 pounds (The Phantom of the Opera) or 60 pounds (almost all the others mentioned in these lines), but you’ll soon realize it’s better to seat at a better place than to save only 10 pound. The closer to the stage, the cheaper the ticket will be, but check out the seating map and ask about the setting’s construction. At first, “they” don’t want to know unless you appear to know more than “they” do. The difference here is the distance and here distance plays a big part in the experience. Payments with credit or debit card may include taxes, so it’s better to pay cash.
The greatest self-control exercise will be at the theater’s entrance, with a wide variety of souvenirs that try to make you believe the experience is only complete with a bag of stuff that will end up in the back of your closet. Among the weirdest memorabilia is a monkey that reproduces the key-element of the Phantom of the Opera (50 pounds), a “Razzle Dazzle” top from ChicagoLes Miserables baseball hat (8,50 pounds), a very common sport at the Paris Commune, as we all know. There are limited edition Mamma Mia champagne classes (8,50 pounds) and several t-shirts with quotes from Priscilla (10 pounds). Who wouldn’t want to walk the streets with a pink t-shirt saying “Shake your groove thang”. And countless mugs, key-rings, cell-phone covers, posters, signed pictures, CDs with recordings of this cast, the one in New York, the ones that came before and the one that performed in the movie version. Avoid going through the Disney store at the The Lion King foyer with your kids. Tell them that they can find the same dolls for twenty euros less in any Portuguese comercial center. If they insist too much, buy the dolls at the Disney store in the theater entrance. The ones inside are more expensive. (15,50 libras) or even a ski cap (6 pounds) – certainly intended for facing the snow falling on the city’s streets –, and a
And afterwards, there are the play-bills, all of them ranging from 8 to 12 pounds. The “souvenir brochure” will probably interest you more. They bring beautiful images and some not-so-specific texts about the play. There’s another one, the more technical “programme, with the creator’s and performer’s biographies and lots of advertisement.
Since the shows are at the end of the afternoon and our habits are different, eating before may be problem, but avoid eating inside the theater. You’ll the theaters are surrounded by coffee-shops. The muffin at Costas is better than at Starbuks, but the coffee and the sandwiches at Pret a Manger are better and cheaper. Inside the theater, order your drink before the session, meanwhile they will prepare it and at the intermission it’ll be waiting for you. Otherwise, you’ll risk being thirsty. You can also take one, as long as it’s plastic. But avoid showing it. The bags are checked at the entrance.
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