A night at the theatre

Most evening shows start at 8 p.m. (20.00), weekend matinees at 3 or 4 p.m. Doors often open half an hour to an hour before, with a cloakroom, a bar and the programme booklet in the foyer.

A play or musical usually lasts two to three hours with an interval of 15 to 20 minutes; some plays run straight through. Most houses give the running time on the show's page.

You leave coats and large bags at the cloakroom, at some houses for a small fee. Operas are often sung in the original language; surtitles above or beside the stage translate the text. In Brussels, houses such as the KVS often play with surtitles in another language.

In Flanders almost every town has a schouwburg or cultural centre (CC) with a programme of its own, often chosen from the tours of the companies. Besides them there are houses with a company of their own: Toneelhuis plays at the Bourla in Antwerp, NTGent at the Koninklijke Nederlandse Schouwburg in Ghent, and the KVS in Brussels.

A company's production often plays a run of evenings and then goes on tour, so the same show comes back later in other cities. A premiere is the first public performance of a new production.

A musical, by contrast, often runs night after night in the same house, such as the Stadsschouwburg in Antwerp or the Capitole in Ghent.

Plays run from classics to new writing: at Toneelhuis, NTGent, the KVS or the city theatres. Most houses have a smaller stage beside the main one for more experimental work.

Opera plays at De Munt / La Monnaie in Brussels and at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in the opera house in Antwerp. The Koninklijke Opera in Ghent is closed for a renovation of several years.

For dance, deSingel in Antwerp, the Kaaitheater and STUK in Leuven are well-known addresses, and for comedy and cabaret comedians tour the theatres and cultural centres.

Buy from the theatre's box office, its own website or the ticket seller it links to. Resale sites often charge more than face value and add their own fees. Remaining tickets are sometimes sold at the evening box office, usually from an hour before the start.

Young people pay less: pupils and students get clearly reduced tickets in many places. With the UiTPAS people with an opportunity status get 80% off the offer of taking part organisations, and in Brussels Last Minute Tickets sells remaining seats on the day itself at half price. Bring proof and ask for the rate.

A subscription or pass bundles several performances of a season at a discount; many cultural centres let you put your own selection together. You don't need one, but if you go three times a year it often already pays off.

Kopergietery in Ghent, which began in 1978 as Speelteater Gent, makes theatre for children and young people, and almost every schouwburg or cultural centre programmes jeugdtheater and family shows.

Check the age recommendation before you book, such as “from 4 years”. Afternoon shows are best for families, and children usually need a ticket of their own too.

Around 6 December many houses stage Sinterklaas shows for small children, and The Nutcracker and the Christmas shows follow.

Most houses have wheelchair spaces. Ask the box office before you book which seats suit you best and whether companions get a concession.

Some houses offer performances with sign language, audio description or surtitles. The show's page has the dates where the house gives them.

There is no fixed dress code. Most people wear what they would wear to a nice dinner, and jeans are fine. At opera evenings and premieres you see more suits and evening dresses.

Switch your phone off, not just to silent: a lit screen in a dark auditorium distracts everyone. Latecomers are often let in only at the interval, and food and drink usually stay in the foyer.

At the end the audience claps until the curtain has fallen several times. Standing ovations are kept for special nights.

Many of the big houses are central: De Munt on the Muntplein in Brussels, the Bourla on the Komedieplaats in Antwerp, the NTGent Schouwburg on the Sint-Baafsplein in Ghent, the Stadsschouwburg in Bruges on the Vlamingstraat and 30CC/Schouwburg on the Bondgenotenlaan in Leuven.

Check beforehand when the last train, tram or bus home leaves (NMBS, De Lijn, MIVB): not every line runs late.