Visiting West End for the First Time

[saisai]

Hi, I am from NYC and will be visiting London in a week for a few days. I am excited to see my fist show in West End! I want to try and catch as many as I can and Les Miserables and One Man Two Guvnors is on my list. Does anyone have suggestions on musical or plays that are not showing on Broadway? Also, I would greatly appreciate tips for discount tickets aside from TKTS. Counting down the days...

[Bob30]

Matilda before it comes across the pond? Singin' in the Rain and Top Hat are perfect if you like the 19'20's ish era and tap dancing. Play wise if you are a Shakespeare fan the current production of Much Ado with a contempary Indian setting is worth a see :)

There is also We Will Rock You if you are a queen fan, take a looka t all of these :)

[saisai]

Bob30: Thanks so much for the suggestions! I will definitely try to catch one of those productions.

[Phantom of London]

One Man, Two Guvnors you can get day tickets, get there quite early.

Are you aware that TKT's lists every day shows that are available and how much for on its website?

http://www.tkts.co.uk/

Other good theatre information website.

http://www.theatremonkey.com/

[saisai]

Phantom of London: Thank you, I already found some great discounts on theatremonkey.com !

[Skywalker3]

A lot of shows have Day-seats. It works the same as Rush in NY!
More information you can find on the shows websites!

Singin' in the rain is great fun!

Blood Brothers, Matilda, Billy Elliot are great British shows.

And well, Rock of Ages, Shrek or Jersey Boys are good show to, but you can see them in NY to..

[saisai]

Skywalker3: What time would you recommend that I arrive at the box office for day tickets for Singing in the Rain? I've lined up at 4am before for rush tickets for Once! It was a bit ridiculous, but fun.

[Bob30]

For something like Singin' in the Rain, id say about 9am an hour before the box office opens at 10am, Day seating isn't quite as popular over here!

[Skywalker3]

In July I first got Day Seats for Ghost. Got there around 9am.. Was the first.. The next people show up around 9.30.. And Ghost was a populair show (It just announced its closing)
After that I walked to the Palace Theatre, got there around 10.15 and was the first one to get a Day Seat..

So don't waste to much of time, and sleep a little longer.
9.30 is perfect for most of the shows!

(Accept for Matilda..)

[saisai]

Skywalker3: Thanks for the tip!

Wow, after seeing all the comments here about Matilda, if I don't catch it while I am in London, I am definitely going to see it when it arrives in NYC!

[Outoftowner2]

From a fellow American, Billy Elliot in London is a wonderful experience.

[Bob30]

I currently know one of the Westend Billys, so i know the cast are in top shape, if a little bias !

[ggersten]

We just got back to the States - while in London, we say One Man Two Guvnors at the Haymarket (audience was kind of dead, but show was still uproarious) and then 11 year old and 78 year old grandmother off to Wicked and wife and I went to Woman In Black. Woman in Black was quite good - except we were there with basically 75% of the audience were 13 year olds from some school who were primed for a scare fest and an usher who "shooshed" them constantly for reacting to the scary parts of the show.

[saisai]

I wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions. I ended up watching One Man Two Guvenors, Dreamboats and Petticoats and Les Miserables. I enjoyed all of them.

Special thanks to Phantom of London for suggesting theatermonkey.com. I picked up seats to Dreamboats and Petticoats there for 13GBP and the seats were second row balcony!

I hope I can come back some time soon to see a few more!