Theatre breaks in London - How to see more than one show
I was discussing with Himself how to make the most of our theatre breaks in London when he made an excellent suggestion! He reminded me that when his parents had come up for their "150th" (lol!) wedding anniversary they'd managed to fit in an extra theatre visit.
They'd booked a hotel/tickets package so that they were sure of their seats for their first choice, Himself couldn't remember what that was, Showboat perhaps, I wondered? Anyway, then after they'd arrived at the hotel they'd toddled down to the discount ticket place on Leicester Square and grabbed some cut price tickets for a matinee. So there you go, two shows in one day!
You book your theatre trip, (train, hotel, tickets - dinner even) with someone reliable like these "Show and Stay" people and then skip off and find cheap tickets for a second show!
Here's a video that explains the process:
VideoJug: How To Buy London Theatre Tickets
I suppose the question is, do I have the stamina to sit through two shows so close to each other? I could see us ending up doing a mad dash from one to the other and just possibly risking spoiling our enjoyment of both. You'd have to choose them very carefully as well - too big a contrast could be disconcerting, too little and you risk it all merging into a mush. Oh, and when to eat might be a problem too. Himself has his own ideas about what we should do and you can read them here: theatre-breaks-in-london.
Still, if ancient parents can manage it why not fit young things like us? They've been doing this sort of thing for years so perhaps Himself can persuade them to share a few more tips about booking theatre breaks in London
Theatre Breaks in London - Make it so!
Do you need an excuse for taking theatre breaks? In London, this Autumn Patrick Stewart is Macbeth at the Gielgud. Previews start September 21st.
I can't wait to see Stewart in this role. I missed out on his Tempest, he must have made a magnificent Prospero. Still I'll settle for the Scottish play and for once the Thane of Cordor surely won't be overshadowed by his wife.This production is moving into the Gielgud after a tremendous run in Chichester where both Stewart and Kate Fleetwood (Lady Macbeth) got rave reviews.
The Telegraph went as far as to call it:
'the GREATEST PERFORMANCE of his career'
Hard to believe for a long term Trekkie like myself :-) but I love this play too so I'm in for a treat!
Now I know how good it is, the practicalities of getting to a performance need to be sorted out.
Times
The performances start at 7.30 every day with matinees on Saturdays at 2.30 and one on Wednesday Novemeber 28th also 2.30.
I'm going to try to avoid the matinees as there are bound to be school parties and their reactions can be very variable.
Seats
The Gielgud has been fairly recently refurbished and there are now good views from most seats. Seats with restricted views are of course usually slightly cheaper but if I'm making the effort to go I do like to see as much as possible! I don't mind too much being far back, I quite like being able to take in the total effect of the scenes. This means I can be pretty flexible when I'm booking seats. I might have to go for somewhere with a slighty restriced view in the Grand Circle, but that's likely to still give a good view of centre stage so should be fine.
Getting There
As the Gielgud is on Shaftsbury Avenue it makes no sense at all to try to go by car. If the hotel isn't central and they often aren't for theatre breaks, in London it's far better to rely on London Transport or even a rickshaw (!) to get there from the hotel. The nearest tube is Piccadilly Circus which serves the Piccadilly and the Bakerloo lines. Follow the sign for Shaftsbury Avenue, cross the road and turn right (away from the Prince of Wales), the Gielgud is further along beyond the Lyric and the Apollo.
Eating
Eating nearby should be a pleasure and needn't be an expensive one. I might eat early, as it's a 7.30 start and a long production. There are some nice small cafes and restuarants in the area and I think I'll have a wander round and see what takes my fancy. Italian, French, even Thai, there's something for everyone, and if I've got vegetarian friends with me it will probably be the Thai. It's a pleasant area for a gentle wander round in the early evening and a bit of a walk can be a good idea before a long evening sitting down.
Hotels
I should be able to find a Saturday night deal with a fairly central hotel (3 or 4 stars) and Grand Circle seats for between £100 and £150 each (assuming two people sharing). This sort of deal usually includes a continental breakfast and a very pleasant room.
All that's left to do now is find some sites for theatre breaks in London and get on with it!
Update : I found a great site for theatre breaks in London where I can book everything, train, hotel, tickets, even dinner! Check them out!
