West End TKTS Announce New Changes, Now Theatregoers Can Book 7 Days In Advance

If you are planning a theatre trip to the West End be price-savvy and buy your tickets from tkts - the West End's only official theatre ticket booth.

A major new development at tkts has recently been announced: customers can now buy fantastic bargain theatre tickets - many at half-price - for up to a week before the day of performance. Visitors and Londoners alike can now plan their theatre-going in the theatre capital of the world in advance.

The first lady of West End theatre, Elaine Paige, and cast members from top London shows recently showed their support for the developments at the world-famous tkts theatre ticket booth by meeting the staff and ticket-buyers. Cast members and puppets from the musical Avenue Q at the Gielgud Theatre, Linzi Hateley from Mamma Mia at the Prince of Wales Theatre, and Ryan Molloy, Glenn Carter, Philip Bulcock and Stephen Ashfield - the Four Seasons from Jersey Boys, playing at the Prince Edward Theatre, joined Elaine Paige at the booth's iconic Leicester Square site.

As the West End's only official theatre ticket booth, run by the Society of London Theatre, tkts is the place to buy both bargain and normAl Price tickets for plays and musicals with complete confidence from knowledgeable staff and no unexpected extras (a booking fee of £3 is already included in the advertised price).

Of particular interest to Elaine Paige and fellow West End performers is the fact that profits from the running of tkts help fund a range of activities and initiatives to help young people enter the industry and new audiences discover theatre (e.g. Laurence Olivier Bursaries for promising new actors and producers, the annual ‘Kids Go Free' promotion ‘Kids Week in the West End').

Nica Burns, President of the Society of London Theatre said:
"We're thrilled that Elaine Paige and so many West End stars are helping us celebrate such an important part of Theatreland. Each year, the tkts booth brings world-class theatre to hundreds of thousands of people and the best and fairest service. Furthermore, its profits go to fund the Laurence Olivier bursaries for drama students and many other vital theatrical causes."

Why buy tickets anywhere else?

The tkts ticket booth is situated in the Clocktower Building on the South Side of Leicester Square, whilst a second tkts booth now operates in Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Both are run on behalf of the industry by the Society of London Theatre.
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· For more information, please contact Ryan Petersen or Chloe Pritchard-Gordon at The Corner Shop PR on
020 7494 3665 / chloe@thecornershoppr.com
· Images of the tkts booth and the West End stars' visit are available from The Corner Shop PR.

Editors' notes:
The Society of London Theatre
The Society of London Theatre, which operates the tkts tickets booths, is the trade association representing the producers, theatre owners and managers of the major commercial and grant-aided theatres in central London. The organisation exists in order to promote theatregoing, develop audiences, and serve, protect and promote the interests of those engaged in theatre across London. Profits from the tkts booths are used in various audience development initiatives (e.g. Kids Week in the West End).

tkts Leicester Square
The first ticket booth opened in 1980 in Leicester Square, as the Half Price Ticket Booth. The Society of London Theatre renamed it the tkts Ticket Booth in 2001 to distinguish it from the many unofficial ticket kiosks which had sprung up in the area.

tkts Brent Cross
The Society of London Theatre opened a tkts ticket booth at Brent Cross shopping centre in June 2008. It is located on the upper level next to the Brent Cross information desk close to Marks and Spencer.

tkts also sells advance tickets for theatre, rock, pop, sport, concerts and other London-based events and attractions in partnership with Ticketmaster UK Ltd.

tkts is a trademark owned and used under license from Theatre Development Inc. which owns the tkts trademark for the discount ticket booths in New York (on Broadway and Wall Street).

TKTS FACT FILE (for publication)

· tkts booths are the only official theatre ticket outlets in London, operated by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) on behalf of the theatre industry

· The tkts booths sell half-price, discounted and full price tickets for a wide range of performances on the day of the show and up to 7 days in advance

· Each day there are usually more than 30 different West End shows to choose from including musicals, comedies, opera, drama and dance

· You can check details of what's on sale at www.tkts.co.uk

· There are two tkts booths, one in Leicester Square and one in Brent Cross Shopping Centre

· The tkts booth in Leicester Square is open Mon - Sat 10am - 7pm and Sunday 12noon - 3pm, and from Mon - Sat 10am - 7pm and Sunday from 12noon-6pm at the Brent Cross Shopping Centre

· You can pay for your tickets by cash (£ Sterling or Euros), credit card or debit card (Mastercard, Visa, Switch, Maestro or Solo) or by Theatre Tokens (which can also be purchased at tkts). The tkts ticket booth at Brent Cross accepts credit and debit cards and Theatre Tokens only.

· SOLT retain a small booking fee (£3.00) per ticket with the exception of full-price tickets where no booking fee is charged to match theatre box office prices. The £3.00 fee is included in the price as advertised

· Any profits from the tkts booths are used to develop theatre-going and to promote London theatre

· The tkts ticket booths are accredited by the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) and adhere to its code of practice