Top London Shows for £30 or Under
Posted on 24 August 2016
Seeing plays and musicals in London is great – but, who can afford it? With the price of trains and other transport so high, it is expensive enough just getting to London, let along seeing a show. But, in reality, you don't actually have to spend a ridiculous amount of money on theatre tickets – in fact, trips to London can be really quite affordable, if you know where to look for cheap seats.
So, if you want to see a London show, but are reluctant to spend more than £30 on a ticket, here is a list of the top shows that you can see.
A quick note: the prices below are based on tickets sold by London Theatre Direct, for an average Saturday matinee show (excepting In the Heights, for which the price given relates to a Saturday evening show).
1984, based on the incredible novel by George Orwell, is a surprisingly cheap show to see. You can, in fact, buy tickets for £19.84, although these seats are extremely popular, and therefore hard to find unless you book a long way in advance. If you can't find any seats for £19.84, you are likely to be able to find some for £24.75, which is still a great price considering the show.
1984 is a show that will leave you reeling, and demonstrates with flair just how much great staging can affect an audience. If you are interested in dystopia, Orwell's novels, or history and politics, then you will adore this play.
Click here to read my 1984 review
Kinky Boots is another show that can be fairly cheap to see. You can buy tickets for this musical at a huge range of prices, including some seats for only £27.00.
If you want to see a show in London, but you're not really sure what you want to see, then Kinky Boots is a superbly safe bet; you are extremely unlikely to come away without having thoroughly enjoyed it. And with tickets for under £30, you can't really go wrong.
Click here to read my Kinky Boots review
The Phantom of the Opera can be a fairly expensive show but, if you don't mind sitting in seats at the back at the theatre, you can actually find seats for only £25.75. These seats aren't going to give you the best view in the world, but the show is set in quite a small theatre, so even from these seats you are able to get a good view of the stage.
The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most renowned musicals currently playing in London. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and a story that is hard to forget, most musical fans will love this show.
Click here to read my Phantom Of The Opera review
Impossible is the most impressive magic show that I've seen. I'm not a huge fan of staged magic, but Impossible really impressed me. And you can buy tickets for the show at only £15 or £25. I would recommend going for the £25 tickets, so that you get a better view of the stage – however, screens show the illusions close-up anyway, so wherever you sit you'll be able to catch most of what's going on.
Click here to read my Impossible review
Sunny Afternoon is a jukebox musical based on the Kinks. You will almost certainly recognise a lot of the songs, even if not by name. You can buy tickets to see the show for £18.00, which is a fantastic price considering the quality of the show.
Sunny Afternoon is very feel-good and will leave you humming some great music. If you like jukebox musicals (like Jersey Boys, or Motown) then you will probably love Sunny Afternoon – and, at £18.00, it is definitely worth giving it a chance.
In the Heights can be an extremely cheap show to see, with tickets starting at £27.00. The musical features music by Lin-Manuel Miranda (who also wrote Hamilton), and also some seriously impressive dance. If you're not sure about whether or not to see the show, then listen to some of the music and you will probably find that you become quickly addicted to it – in which case, go and see it live!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, much like The Phantom of the Opera, can either be really expensive, if you want to get great seats, or fairly cheap. You can buy tickets for £28.25 to see the show, which is a great price, although you can spend significantly more for top seats.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a great musical for both kids and adults, with wonderful music and spectacular staging.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is one of the best plays currently running in London, and you can see it for only £21.50. The play is based on the fantastic book by Mark Haddon, and will captivate you from start to finish, as you become more and more emotionally involved in the protagonist of the play.
Click here to read my The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time review
Have you seen a great London show for £30 or under? Let us know, at @Harri_L_002 and @Theatre_Direct!
