How to get cheaper theatre tickets near Soho

Soho sits at the heart of theatreland, and the full-price seat is rarely the only way in. There are four routes worth knowing, each with its own hour. None is a guarantee, and discounts vary by show and by day, so treat this as a map rather than a promise.

The booth in Leicester Square

The Official London Theatre Ticket Booth, formerly TKTS London and still the "home of tkts London", sits in the Clocktower building on the south side of Leicester Square (WC2H 7DE), on Soho's eastern edge. It is run by the Society of London Theatre and described as not-for-profit. It has operated in the square since 1980, and began life as the Half Price Ticket Booth in a small green-and-yellow striped wooden hut on the west side. It was renamed TKTS in 2001.

• Hours: Monday to Saturday, half ten to six; Sunday, eleven to four. Check for bank-holiday changes.
• Saving: up to 50%. Not every ticket is half price, and it sells full-price seats too.
• Fee: the official FAQ says £3 per ticket.
• Stock: it moves through the day. The booth may add shows, extra tickets and sometimes update prices, so check the web page before you queue.

Time Out's view is that the booth's job is to shift unsold tickets for roughly the next week. It will not get you into a sold-out show, but it is a good bet if you want a West End show at a decent price rather than one particular title. Some future dates are sold too, sometimes at a discount. Theatre Tokens can be redeemed there, in person or online.

The same on-the-day stock can be bought online at officiallondontheatre.com/todays-tickets, which saves standing in the square.

One warning: other unofficial discount kiosks line Leicester Square. The official one is the Clocktower booth, the original of the little booths that now pack the square, as London Box Office puts it.

Go for: a flexible evening. Arrive with two or three shows in mind and let the board decide.

Day seats

Major shows once released a limited number of cheap stalls tickets at the box office at ten in the morning, first come, first served, in person only. Time Out says the practice has declined with the rise of lotteries and rush, but is still fairly widespread. Day seats are normally limited to one or two per person, and arrangements change daily.

The rule is simple: check the show's own website for its current policy before you set an alarm. Soho-area theatres include the Prince of Wales at 31 Coventry Street and the Sondheim Theatre at 51 Shaftesbury Avenue.

Go for: the box office queue before ten, with the show's policy open on your phone.

Rush tickets

Rush tickets are same-day seats released through the TodayTix app, first come, first served, and app only. Most London shows release them at ten in the morning for that day's performance, though Time Out describes some rush sales for later dates, so it varies by show.

To claim: open the app, find the show, tap "Unlock Now", then tap "Get Rush Tickets" when the window opens. You can switch on Rush alerts so you are not watching the clock.

TodayTix's London Rush page has shown "from" prices around £23 to £28 for shows including The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales, a Coventry Street neighbour of Soho. Treat those as indicative, since prices change by show and day.

Go for: ten sharp, thumb ready, on the morning you want to see the show.

Lotteries

A lottery is an entry for a chance to win discounted seats. Winners are picked at random by computer, told by the app and by email, and given a short window to claim. Lotteries are free to enter, and you can enter once per performance.

Each show sets its own pattern. Some open the night before, some on the day, others up to a week ahead. TodayTix says winners hear anywhere from about a week before to the day of the performance.

Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre runs a £10 lottery. Victoria Palace is not in Soho, but it shows what a lottery can do against a full-price ticket.

Go for: entering several lotteries at once and keeping the evening free until you hear back.

A few more ways in

• Many theatres offer special rates to under-25s, and sometimes under-30s.
• Group bookings, usually ten or more, unlock special rates.
• Following a show on social media tells you when new blocks of tickets go on sale.
• Twickets offers resale at face value or less, though check each listing carefully.

The order we would use

Check the show's own box office first. If you are flexible, head to the Leicester Square booth or its online page. If you have your heart set on one show, try rush or the lottery. Then, whatever you land, there is half an hour left for a pre-theatre drink on Old Compton Street.

For anything beyond this, check the official page for that show in the week you plan to go. Day seats, lottery windows and rush prices are the details that change most.

Sources: Official London Theatre, booth FAQ, Time Out and TodayTix.