Going Out in London

Theatres | Cinemas | Music in London

Theatre Shows

Tickets are expensive, a good seat for a succesfull theatre costs around GBP 30. But cheaper is sometimes possible, especially if you know about the Half Price Ticket Booth! In the tube station of Leicester Square, this booth sells tickets for performances on the same day. The booth is opened usually from 14:30 until 18:30. West End Theatres are closed on Sundays. Shows can be sold out months in advance, but you might get tickets from commercial ticket agencies, for example Edwards & Edwards (Shaftesbury Avenue, tel 734 45 55) or First Call (73 Endell street, tel 836 90 01).

Theatrenet.com has a daily updated site with shows that are currently playing, including possibility to buy tickets online.

Cinemas

Leicester Square is where new films premiere in the UK. Below is a list of major cinemas in Leicester Square (map). Listed here are the cinema's official websites so you can find out what's on.

Prince Charles - (Low rates!) www.princecharlescinema.com Leicester Place, WC2 020 7734 9127 Nearest Tube - Leicester Square Mon - £1.99 Tues-Fri - £2.50 Sat/Sun - £3.50	Odeon Leicester Square www.odeon.co.uk (great website !) Leicester Square, WC2 0870 5050 007 Nearest Tube - Leicester Square Mon-Fri - until 5pm £5.00, £6.00, £6.50 Mon-Fri - after 5pm £10.00 Sat/Sun - £11.00 Concessions available
Odeon Mezzanine www.odeon.co.uk Leicester Square, WC2 0870 5050 007 Nearest Tube - Leicester Square Mon-Fri - until 5pm £5.00 Mon-Fri - after 5pm £8.00 Sat/Sun - £8.00 Concessions available	Odeon West End www.odeon.co.uk Leicester Square, WC2 0870 5050 007 Nearest Tube - Leicester Square Mon-Sun - £8.50, £9.00 Concessions available
Empire Leicester Square, WC2 020 7437 1234 Nearest Tube - Leicester Square Mon-Fri - until 5pm £5 Mon-Fri - after 5pm £7.50, £8.00, £9.00 Sat/Sun - £7.50, £8.00, £9.00	Warner Village West End www.warnervillage.co.uk Leicester Square, WC2 020 7437 4347 Nearest Tube - Leicester Square Fri-Sun - £10.00 Mon-Fri - until 7pm £7.00 Mon-Sun - after 5pm £10.00 Sat and Sun - until 5pm £10.00

Music in London

Coliseum The Coliseum is home to the English National Opera who perform works throughout the year except for Christmas and occasionally in the summer when the ballet takes over. All works are sung in English and you can get some good offers on tickets.

Royal Albert Hall - www.royalalberthall.co.uk - The Royal Albert Hall was built in 1863 as a memorial to Prince Albert who died in 1861. The Hall was finally compelled in 1871 and can seat 8000. The Hall holds many events including rock concerts, but it is most famous for the classical music concerts that it holds including the BBC Proms, The Proms run from July to September.

London Philharmonia Orchestra - www.philharmonia.co.uk - The London Philharmonia Orchestra is based at the Royal Festival Hall which is part of the South Bank Centre. The views that the South Bank Centre offer along the Thames are worth a visit by themselves, but do catch a concert as well if you can.

London Symphony Orchestra - www.lso.co.uk - The London Symphony Orchestra is one of the largest orchestras in Europe and one of the best. It was formed in 1904 by its 50 members after they had a dispute with the Queen's Hall Orchestra and decided to form their own orchestra, which they could govern themselves. Resident at the Barbican Center the orchestra plays both new and traditional music.

St Martin-in-the-Field - www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org - St Martin-in-the-Field offers a wide range of concerts in the tranquil setting of the church. The lunch time concerts at 1.05pm are free of charge and are usually performed by students.

Ronnie Scotts - www.ronniescotts.co.uk - Ronnie Scotts has been going for 40 years, located off Leicester Square it is twinned with another club in Birmingham. Most acts play for about a week, but be warned the music is great but the drinks are pricey!

Jazz Cafe - www.jazzcafe.co.uk - The Jazz Cafe is located in Camden Town and has become one of the best venues in London not only for jazz but also for soul and funk. Don't be put off by the awful decor of the cafe the music makes up for it!