/lit/ - Literature

Anything you want to know about British theatre, ask away.

Well, first of all, I'm going there around 16th August or so. I'm thinking of watchig both The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies, and maybe Les Miserables.

How crowded is it in there around that time?
I mean, do I need to buy tickets in advance soon, or can I just wait until I'm there and buy it the same day?

If I need to buy them soon... what online stores should I get tickets from? I've been googling, but there's just too many sites for someone who doesn't know a thing...

Do I need to get the actual ticket sent to me here, or can I just have my ticket payed and booked right now, and go take it once I arrive there in August?

Also, besides the three plays I mentioned, which one is a must-see this year?

(My only experience in musicals is, seeing The Phantom of the Opera when I was 15, on a family trip on europe. This time I'm on my own, and other plays I know are only from mp3...)

bump!

>>902909

SＴＯP ｆuＣｋＩｎｇ AtｔａｃKiＮG_ｗWｗ.AnolａwＬＴＡｌＫ.ｓe_ＲｅＰｌＡｃｅ_LＡＷｌ wiTｈ Ｎ
uuqtjamilcqhmy oje fvplz unybtvv ug

bump again

Do not watch Phantom of the Opera or Love Never Dies. Andrew Lloyd Webber is an overrated hack. Just see Les Miserables.

>>902951

Gee that sure helps.

>Well, first of all, I'm going there around 16th August or so. I'm thinking of watchig both The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies, and maybe Les Miserables. How crowded is it in there around that time?

August is the tourist season in London. So the West End is quite crowded.

>I mean, do I need to buy tickets in advance soon, or can I just wait until I'm there and buy it the same day?

Since Les Miz currently has one of the Jonas Brothers performing in it, I'd definitely book that now.

Phantom and Love Never Dies you could probably get tickets on the same day. I'm not sure whether they release half-price tickets on the day of to TKTS (ie, the Half-Price Ticket Booth) in Leicester Square. But the general rule is, book early to avoid disappointment. Still, I should think that Phantom is not currently selling out, you could get tickets on the day-of from TKTS.

>>If I need to buy them soon... what online stores should I get tickets from? I've been googling, but there's just too many sites for someone who doesn't know a thing...

Go on the Time Out London website. Time Out is pretty much the most reliable theatre guide here, if you pick up a copy when you arrive, it's got all the phone numbers and things for booking. They should be on the website, I imagine. But in any case, if you were just coming without knowing what you wanted to see, I'd tell you to buy a copy of Time Out London and see what's on and book using the listings they give.

>>Do I need to get the actual ticket sent to me here, or can I just have my ticket payed and booked right now, and go take it once I arrive there in August?

They'll hold it for you at the theatre. Nothing needs to be posted to you.

>>Also, besides the three plays I mentioned, which one is a must-see this year?

Erm, in terms of serious drama---rather than musicals---I'd probably suggest "War Horse". It's not THIS season's hit---it's been up for a while---but Spielberg is making a film out of it currently, so if you see the play now, you'll be one ahead of your friends when the film comes out.

But otherwise, good stuff is a bit thin on the ground on the West End. Great actors doing rubbishy plays, like Simon Russell Beale in "Deathtrap". But I'd watch Simon Russell Beale read the telephone directory, so if you've never seen "Deathtrap", then you might consider that.

Or if you want to see something at the National Theatre---which isn't in the West End, and if you don't know London well you might have problems finding it (it's on the South Bank)---Toby Stephens is an amazing actor, and he'll be doing "Danton's Death" by Buchner at the RNT while you're here.

But I'm assuming if you're otherwise seeing Phantom and its sequel, and Les Miz, you probably DON'T want to sit through something like Buchner. So try War Horse or Deathtrap. (Or even The Mousetrap or The Woman in Black, if you want something that's been on the West End forever, like a musical without any singing. Mousetrap is a mystery, Woman in Black is a ghost story.)

>>902970
>>902971

OP here.

Thanks. Seriously, thanks. I've been looking for this kind of tips for awhile.

I'm gonna start by seeing what I can find online about the plays you suggested...

This might be stretching it too much, but, are you from london? Can I get your email or something? (Write me something to bluespirit@gmail.com, that's my secondary mail)... that, in case I need a few extra tips... It's kinda hard for me to find people who I can actually ask this kind of stuff.

/trv/ would probably help you more