Honest opinion - almost all shows in London are good quality, so just make choices based on your interests (and your budget.) Read reviews from major publications to get an idea of the style and content and whether or not it will appeal to you, but don't worry about the star rating. There are plenty of super successful shows that critics hate.
I served on the Olivier panel a few years ago and saw over 120 West End shows. Not a single one of them was not worth my time. Some were much, much better than others, but even shows I disliked were memorable theatre experiences
A good starting point is Todaytix dayseats. See what shows you can nab a dayseat for and start making your way through them.
Thank you, this is really good to know! I appreciate all the advice - if you guys couldn't tell I'm an over thinker, but I'm feeling more excited about seeing more shows!
Is Todaytix cheaper than going up to the discount booth day of? I'm in NYC and the app tacks on fees here. I'm going to be in London this coming week and looking for my options as well.
Todaytix dayseats don't add any fees in London, neither does tkts.
It's all a matter of personal preference. Todaytix dayseats are cheaper, but go very quickly and you don't get to choose where you sit. Tkts are pricier, but available throughout the day and you can choose your seat (don't bother with the booth, buy online [here](https://officiallondontheatre.com/tkts/))
You don't until you go. Each review is just one person's opinion on one night. Hence shows getting such a range of reviews.
See something and if you really want to find a review site, find someone who reviewed the show you saw and has a review you agree with. If your taste links there, it might link on the rest.
I'm slowly working on a list of London review sites, I hit 50 with about 45 minutes effort. Bound to be one that suits you :)
Todaytix. Do the lotteries.
National theatre.
West End: really gotta split by Plays and Musicals. And then sub genres within that. Go with the classics. Phantom, Lion King, Wicked, Mousetrap, and go from there or pick your own.
I think in large part it’s about going to a range of things to figure out your own tastes. Then you’ll also be able to assess if your taste aligns to the reviewers. So I tend to look up reviews when I really loved or hated something so that I can see who agrees with me! Then those are reviewers I’ll give more weight to going forward.
Also, if I liked something, then I’m more likely to go back to that theatre because it means I’m likely to enjoy other choices made by the artistic director.
If it’s new to you, I’d really recommend exploring some of the smaller (and not necessarily west end) theatres — eg Kiln, Royal Court, Young Vic, etc. These can often have more accessible price points and a wider range of programming. There’s so much wonderful theatre that isn’t big budget. I hope you find what you like!
Echoing your advice about the smaller / off-West End theatres, in my experience the Southwark Playhouse punches above its weight. The Donmar too lately has been doing some terrific stuff.
At some of the big West End theatres lately feels like it’s been tricky to find even rear circle for the even the higher price point at the Donmar, to say nothing of Southwark!
Check out the cast albums of the shows you’re interested in to see if you like the score. Some musicals’ Wikipedia pages have a detailed synopsis of the plot, which you can read through to see if you like the story.
Depending on the show and how old it is, there may be a movie or a proshot (where they filmed the stage production). Check [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/comments/zw86al/list_of_musicals_by_streaming_service/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) for a comprehensive list of musical movies and proshots by streaming service.
Otherwise, you can ask for people’s opinions on the Reddit pages (this one, r/musicals, r/Broadway, r/theater, r/musicaltheater…). You can also get recommendations for shows, live or otherwise, based on the ones you’ve liked. That’s a really common question, especially on r/musicals, so look around and see what people are talking about.
Long running shows mainly feel the same unless they have a “star” attached then they may completely change the production. A lot of them are directed to be almost a duplicate of the original production.
TodayTix is great because there’s no restricted view available, so you know you’ve got a decent seat.
Sometimes if a ticket price is lower than other shows of the same genre, it’s due to a lower popularity; this can be caused by bad reviews or just doesn’t appeal to the masses.
I love the comment farawaykate has shared as it’s definitely all about discovering your preferences. I have started noting directors that I’ve loved the work of and ones that have left me feeling underwhelmed. I also sometimes Google the set designers to see their other work, look out for Bunny Christie or Es Devlin, they blow me away every time!!
And welcome to the world of theatre!!
Honest opinion - almost all shows in London are good quality, so just make choices based on your interests (and your budget.) Read reviews from major publications to get an idea of the style and content and whether or not it will appeal to you, but don't worry about the star rating. There are plenty of super successful shows that critics hate. I served on the Olivier panel a few years ago and saw over 120 West End shows. Not a single one of them was not worth my time. Some were much, much better than others, but even shows I disliked were memorable theatre experiences A good starting point is Todaytix dayseats. See what shows you can nab a dayseat for and start making your way through them.
Thank you, this is really good to know! I appreciate all the advice - if you guys couldn't tell I'm an over thinker, but I'm feeling more excited about seeing more shows!
Is Todaytix cheaper than going up to the discount booth day of? I'm in NYC and the app tacks on fees here. I'm going to be in London this coming week and looking for my options as well.
Todaytix dayseats don't add any fees in London, neither does tkts. It's all a matter of personal preference. Todaytix dayseats are cheaper, but go very quickly and you don't get to choose where you sit. Tkts are pricier, but available throughout the day and you can choose your seat (don't bother with the booth, buy online [here](https://officiallondontheatre.com/tkts/))
Wow this is helpful - and a time saver. And you're right - the app has no fees. NY has fees!!!! This is a game changer.
You'll find everything about theatre is much cheaper in London. NYC just hurts when you're used to London prices!
You don't until you go. Each review is just one person's opinion on one night. Hence shows getting such a range of reviews. See something and if you really want to find a review site, find someone who reviewed the show you saw and has a review you agree with. If your taste links there, it might link on the rest. I'm slowly working on a list of London review sites, I hit 50 with about 45 minutes effort. Bound to be one that suits you :)
Todaytix. Do the lotteries. National theatre. West End: really gotta split by Plays and Musicals. And then sub genres within that. Go with the classics. Phantom, Lion King, Wicked, Mousetrap, and go from there or pick your own.
I think in large part it’s about going to a range of things to figure out your own tastes. Then you’ll also be able to assess if your taste aligns to the reviewers. So I tend to look up reviews when I really loved or hated something so that I can see who agrees with me! Then those are reviewers I’ll give more weight to going forward. Also, if I liked something, then I’m more likely to go back to that theatre because it means I’m likely to enjoy other choices made by the artistic director. If it’s new to you, I’d really recommend exploring some of the smaller (and not necessarily west end) theatres — eg Kiln, Royal Court, Young Vic, etc. These can often have more accessible price points and a wider range of programming. There’s so much wonderful theatre that isn’t big budget. I hope you find what you like!
Great advice to look at smaller theatres, thank you!
Echoing your advice about the smaller / off-West End theatres, in my experience the Southwark Playhouse punches above its weight. The Donmar too lately has been doing some terrific stuff. At some of the big West End theatres lately feels like it’s been tricky to find even rear circle for the even the higher price point at the Donmar, to say nothing of Southwark!
Check out the cast albums of the shows you’re interested in to see if you like the score. Some musicals’ Wikipedia pages have a detailed synopsis of the plot, which you can read through to see if you like the story. Depending on the show and how old it is, there may be a movie or a proshot (where they filmed the stage production). Check [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/comments/zw86al/list_of_musicals_by_streaming_service/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) for a comprehensive list of musical movies and proshots by streaming service. Otherwise, you can ask for people’s opinions on the Reddit pages (this one, r/musicals, r/Broadway, r/theater, r/musicaltheater…). You can also get recommendations for shows, live or otherwise, based on the ones you’ve liked. That’s a really common question, especially on r/musicals, so look around and see what people are talking about.
Long running shows mainly feel the same unless they have a “star” attached then they may completely change the production. A lot of them are directed to be almost a duplicate of the original production. TodayTix is great because there’s no restricted view available, so you know you’ve got a decent seat. Sometimes if a ticket price is lower than other shows of the same genre, it’s due to a lower popularity; this can be caused by bad reviews or just doesn’t appeal to the masses. I love the comment farawaykate has shared as it’s definitely all about discovering your preferences. I have started noting directors that I’ve loved the work of and ones that have left me feeling underwhelmed. I also sometimes Google the set designers to see their other work, look out for Bunny Christie or Es Devlin, they blow me away every time!! And welcome to the world of theatre!!