Theatre ticket prices for West End plays and musicals have gone up and up, but there is more to London’s theatre scene – and cheaper options for getting your stagey fix.
I call them off-West End theatres. They aren’t far from the centre of London but deliver quality productions with ticket prices that are more affordable.
And as these theatres are smaller than those in the West End, you get a much more intimate viewing experience even in the cheapest seats – no squinting at the actors from up in the gods.
Sometimes productions that start out at these theatres end up in the West End, so if you’ve already seen it, you can feel smug that you paid less and probably got a better view.
And if you want to try something new, rather than a revival of a classic, these smaller theatres tend to produce some brand new plays and musicals in their programmes.
Almeida Theatre
A powerhouse that is a 10-minute walk from Angel or Highbury & Islington tube stations, the Almeida attracts notable acting names and seems to be a breeding ground for West End transfers.
Most recently, 1536 and A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Paul Mescal and Patsy Ferran. Andrew Scott’s Hamlet also started at the Almeida before moving to the West End.
Other transfers include Mary Stuart, King Charles III, Ink and Summer and Smoke, to name just a few.
Rough guide to tickets: £15 – £70
Southwark Playhouse
The Southwark Playhouse in Elephant & Castle is known for its original musicals and new writing.
It has three theatres spread over two venues. Two are larger spaces which are flexible, and the third is a small studio space.
Notable musicals that started life at the Southwark Playhouse include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
While it didn’t debut at Southwark, Operation Mincemeat also had an early run at the theatre before transferring.
Similarly, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights had its UK premiere at Southwark before transferring to King’s Cross.
It’s a good venue for plays too. Kenrex, which went on to win an Olivier for performer Jack Holden, had its first London run at Southwark, having transferred from Sheffield.
Rough guide to ticket prices: £15-£47.50 (Elephant), £28-£35 (Borough – Large).
Riverside Studios
A short walk from Hammersmith Underground station is the former BBC TV studios that has a main performance space as well as small studio spaces (and a cinema).
It offers a mix of new writing, inventive and experimental interpretations of plays and classics with a contemporary edge.
The main space has attracted some notable names in recent years: Jenna Russell, Robert Sean Leonard, Asa Butterfield, Suzy Eddie Izzard and currently Stranger Things’ Noah Schnapp.
Rough guide to ticket prices: £25-£75
Lyric Hammersmith
An even shorter walk from Hammersmith tube, just from a different exit, is the Lyric Hammersmith.
Inside, the auditorium is a traditional theatre, but I’m including it because the prices are much lower than the West End.
It produces a mix of bold contemporary dramas and ambitious musicals.
Notable transfers from the Lyric include Ghost Stories and the Tom Basden-adapted Accidental Death of an Anarchist, which had its London debut at the Lyric. The UK premiere of the musical Spring Awakening was also at the Lyric.
Rough guide to ticket prices: £15-£55. I’ve managed to snag £15 front row seats on a few occasions.
Kiln Theatre
The Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle) in north-west London is particularly good for political and multicultural drama.
A short walk from Kilburn tube, among its recent West End transfers are Retrograde, The Son and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Rough guide to ticket prices: £15-£55.
Young Vic
Just a little further down The Cut from the Old Vic (Waterloo) is the Young Vic, which is known for its bold retellings of classics and socially conscious dramas.
The flexible main space can be transformed into a wide variety of different shapes and positions – it feels like a different theatre.
It attracts some starry names, and notable recent transfers include A View From The Bridge starring Mark Strong and Nicola Walker, A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Sienna Miller and Jack O’Connell and Olivier Award-winning Punch.
Broadway transfers include A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Gillian Anderson and Ben Foster and Death of a Salesman, starring Wendell Pierce and Sharon D Clarke.
The Young Vic also has a pretty cool bar with balcony and outdoor seating when the weather permits.
Rough guide to ticket prices: £21-£59 (look out for bargain first preview tickets)
Bush Theatre
Did you know that Netflix’s hit show Baby Reindeer started life as a one-man show which had its London debut at the Bush Theatre?
The Bush, in Shepherd’s Bush, is known for championing new writers, and its recent West End transfers include Misty, Red Pitch and Shifters.
Not a direct transfer, as it had a different cast and director, but Alexi Kaye Campbell’s Apologia also started life at the Bush Theatre.
Rough guide to ticket prices: £15-£35 (for the main space)
Final tips
Remember these are smaller theatres, so seat views tend to be pretty good even if you are sitting at the back, but book early to get the cheapest tickets.
Preview performances are often sold at discounted prices, so you can shave a few pounds off the cost by taking a punt and going very early in the run.
How many of these theatres have you been to?
NOTE: Ticket price guide is based on researching future productions listed in October 2026.
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