Tickets for a Tenner: How to See London Theatre for £10 or Less

By Raphael Kohn

I love theatre. I hope you, having clicked onto this page, also love theatre. Or want to see more theatre and haven’t yet had the chance to do so yet. In any case, with the cost of living still high and many of us still not recovered from the pandemic times, it’s as important as ever that theatre remains affordable and accessible. While I can’t promise this list will always get you the best seats in the house, this follow-up to my previous article on youth discounts covers everywhere in London where you can see excellent theatre for just Ten British Pounds.

If you’re aware of anything I’ve missed, please do get in touch at site.allthatdazzles@gmail.com and we will add your suggestions in!

1. Hamilton: One of the most highly regarded musicals of all time, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is running on the West End now in its fifth year to constantly sold-out audiences. With no sign of stopping any time soon, this powerhouse musical really has to be seen to be believed. It runs the following scheme:

£10 lottery tickets available for each performance, with front-row tickets up for grabs for winners.

​For more information, please visit https://hamiltonmusical.com/london/lottery/

Photo by Danny Kaan

2. Old Vic Theatre #PWCPreviews: This gorgeous producing house just south of the river is always making sensational new productions, with their recent hits of Groundhog Day and Sylvia delighting musical-lovers, and their recent Pygmalion and A Christmas Carol plays astonishing. They run the ‘PWCPreviews’ scheme:

£10 tickets available for the first 5 previews of each production, with tickets available in all areas of the auditorium.

​For more information, please visit https://www.oldvictheatre.com/ticket-info/pwc-10-previews/

3. National Theatre Friday Rush: We love the NT and its consistent production of varied, diverse and fascinating musicals and plays. Their scheme covers both their productions in their three auditoria on the south bank, and some of their transferred productions in the West End:

£10 tickets available every Friday at 1pm for the next week of performances.

​For more information, please visit https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/fridayrush/

Photo by Johan Persson

4. Young Vic Theatre: This versatile auditorium just south of the river never looks the same for two productions, always shifting to create new theatrical experiences with some truly incredible casting. They run two schemes:

£10 for each ticket in the auditorium for the first preview of every production.

For more information, please visit https://www.youngvic.org/visit-us/concessions

£10 ‘Lucky Dip’ tickets (seats sold for £10, which can be anywhere in the auditorium, and you only find out just before the show!).

​For more information, please visit https://www.youngvic.org/visit-us/ticketing-tips

5. Shakespeare’s Globe: This fabulous outdoor auditorium offers a chance to see The Bard’s greatest works performed in authentic, exciting productions, giving you a glimpse into what it was like back in Shakespeare’s day to watch his plays. It runs the following schemes:

£5 standing tickets are available for every performance, right in front of the stage.

​For more information, please visit https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/

When they’re sold out, they also offer a £5 rush scheme as well!

For more information, please visit https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/5-pound-rush/

Photo by Shutterstock

6. Southwark Playhouse: Across their two theatres in Borough and in Elephant and Castle, the Southwark Playhouse has brought out some truly fabulous productions recently, including their Police Cops and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button musicals. They run a ‘Pioneers Preview’ scheme:

£10 for each ticket in the auditorium for the first preview of every production.

For booking, please visit https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/

7. ENO: Singing all their operas in English and performing in the Coliseum, the powerhouse that is ENO is a delight to attend. Truly accessible and welcoming, ENO puts in a lot of effort into their outreach and accessibility projects and produce some top-notch opera in their London home at the Coliseum. They run the following scheme:

£10 balcony tickets are available for most operas.

​For booking, please visit https://www.eno.org/

Photo by Craig Fuller

8. Royal Court Theatre: The ‘Writers’ Theatre’ in Sloane Square offers fantastic new works the chance to be staged in a superb venue. They offer a tremendous chance to see performances for the lowest price on this list: 10p. Yes, 10p.

Standing tickets are available for 10p on the day, an hour before the performance starts in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs.

​For more information, please visit https://royalcourttheatre.com/your-visit/tickets/ways-to-save/

9. Arcola Theatre: This small venue in Dalston is not to be underestimated, with its excellent selection of plays and small-scale operas being a real treat to enjoy. It runs the following scheme:

‘Pay What You Can’ performances take place on Tuesdays, where you can pay a price that works for you.

​For more information, please visit https://www.arcolatheatre.com/visit/pwyc/

Photo by Manuel Harlan

10. Battersea Arts Centre: Another great venue just south of the river, BAC puts on an eclectic mix of productions, with their recent workshop of a new musical adaptation of 13 going on 30 starring Lucie Jones and Jamie Muscato taking the internet by storm. They offer the following schemes:

Standard ticket prices start from just £8.

​For more information, please visit https://bac.org.uk/whats-on/

‘Pay What You Can’ events, where you can choose to pay a price that works for you.

​For more information, please visit https://bac.org.uk/pay-what-you-can/

11. Kings Head Theatre: This fabulous venue, soon to open its brand-new auditorium, focusses on LGBTQ+ storytelling and has been the starting point for many of the stars we know and love today on our stages and screen. Programming excellent works in the heart of Angel, this venue runs a ‘10 for £10’ scheme:

10 tickets for many performances of theirproductions are available for £10.

​For booking, please visit https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on

Photo by Ed Rees 

12. Theatre Royal Stratford East: This brilliant theatre in east London programmes some really great work, popular with critics and audiences alike as they delight, amaze and intrigue. They run two schemes:

£10 Band D tickets are available for all performances.

​For booking, please visit https://www.stratfordeast.com/

‘Pay What You Can’ performances take place for many productions, with tickets starting from just £6 anywhere in the auditorium.

​For more information, please visit https://www.stratfordeast.com/your-visit/pay-what-you-can/

So there we have it. There are still plenty of ways to see theatre in London for great prices, with some incredible opportunities still being available in 2024! So what are you waiting for? I’ll see you all in the theatre!