A night at the theatre

Doors usually open before the show, with a bar, a cloakroom and the programme in the foyer. The start time is on your ticket; matinees run in the afternoon.

A play or musical usually lasts two to three hours with an interval; 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. Ask at the entrance whether it is compulsory.

The West End is London's theatre district, and Official London Theatre, run by the Society of London Theatre, is its ticket site. Beside it London has the National Theatre on the South Bank, with its three theatres, the Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Dorfman.

Outside London the big cities have producing theatres that make their own shows, such as Leeds Playhouse, Sheffield's Crucible, the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and the Lyric in Belfast, and touring houses such as the Bristol Hippodrome, the Birmingham Hippodrome and the Glasgow King's that take in the big musicals and tours.

The Royal Shakespeare Company is based in Stratford-upon-Avon, where it has the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, the Swan Theatre and The Other Place. A run of a show often tours, so the same production comes back later in other cities.

A pantomime is a British festive stage comedy for families: a well-known story such as Cinderella, Aladdin or Jack and the Beanstalk, retold with songs, topical jokes and audience participation. Most big theatres stage one, from late November into January.

For 2026/27 the theatres' own pages give, for example, Aladdin at the Glasgow King's from 21 November to 3 January, Jack and the Beanstalk at the Newcastle Theatre Royal from 24 November to 17 January, Cinderella at the London Palladium from 5 December to 10 January, Sleeping Beauty at the Birmingham Hippodrome from 19 December to 31 January and Dick Whittington at the Manchester Opera House from 5 December to 3 January.

Pantomime is a family show: check the recommended age on the theatre's page, and book early, because the popular dates sell out.

Plays run from classics to new writing at the National Theatre, the RSC and the regional theatres. Most houses have a smaller stage beside the main one for more experimental work.

For dance, Birmingham Hippodrome is home to Birmingham Royal Ballet, and for comedy comedians tour the theatres and comedy clubs.

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.

Official London Theatre lists on-the-day discounted tickets and advance bookings for the West End, with a “tickets from” price for each show, and its Ticket Booth in Leicester Square Gardens sells tickets in person. Elsewhere, ask the box office about concessions and bring proof.

Theatre Tokens, the gift voucher of the Society of London Theatre, are a gift for someone who goes often.

Almost every big theatre programmes family shows, and the pantomime is the best known. Sheffield Theatres has run the Montgomery, a children's and family arts centre, since January 2025.

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.

Many theatres offer relaxed, audio-described, captioned and BSL-interpreted performances. Capital Theatres in Edinburgh offers a range of accessible performances for most of its shows, and York Theatre Royal lists audio-described, BSL, captioned, dementia-friendly and relaxed performances.

Ask the box office before you book which seats suit you best and whether companions get a concession. 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 press nights 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 a suitable break, and food and drink usually stay in the foyer.

At the end the audience claps; a standing ovation is kept for special nights. At a pantomime, shouting back is the point.

Check beforehand when the last train, tram, tube or bus home leaves: not every line runs late, and the interval may not be where you expect it.