Who are London Theatre Direct?

London Theatre Direct are one of the leading providers of theatre tickets in the UK. We were one of the very first websites to sell theatre tickets online and since our company’s founding in 1999, we have sold over 15 million London theatre tickets and counting.

We are a fully bonded London theatre ticket agency and distributor, and we work directly with all the major theatre groups in London including Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, Nimax Theatres, Ambassador Theatre Group, Delfont Mackintosh Theatres and many more individual theatres and smaller theatre groups.

We connect directly to the box offices of a number of West End theatres or hold a ticket allocation for each performance, allowing for both last minute theatre bookings and the maximum number of available London theatre tickets on sale at any one time.

We are full members of S.T.A.R., the Society Of Ticket Agents and Retailers.  

You can be confident that your booking is being made with an official, recognised, and trusted supplier and that your tickets are genuine. Bookings are made safely and securely via our website or by telephone with one of our friendly agents.

What are your office hours? How do I contact you?

What is STAR?

London Theatre Direct is an official agent of London theatre and a full member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers. STAR is a self-regulatory body operating within guidelines supported by, amongst others, the Office of Fair Trading, the British Tourist Authority, the London Tourist Board, the Metropolitan Police, Westminster Council and the Society of London Theatre.

You can check our STAR membership status here.

What's the difference between Face Value and Selling Price?

Face Value is the price printed on a ticket at the theatre. Selling Price is the final price including Booking Fees and VAT.

How do I pay?

We are able to accept payment from the following credit/debit cards: Visa, Mastercard, Eurocard, Delta, Switch and Solo cards. We also accept Google Pay, Apple Pay and Amazon Pay. We do not accept payment by Diners Club or Discover Card. We are not a theatre and therefore are unable to accept payment in cash. All tickets must be paid for prior to the event. All prices are quoted in Pounds Sterling.

We are also pleased to offer Pay with Bank Transfer as a method of ticket payment available to all customers with a UK Bank account. When using Pay with Bank Transfer, you’ll keep your details between you and your bank and see your balance before you make a purchase, all the while benefitting from bank-grade security, as the payment is handled entirely by your bank. Click Bank Transfer, select your bank, confirm it’s you, and approve the details. Pay with Bank Transfer is powered by American Express, but open to everyone.

Is it safe to use my credit card on London Theatre Direct?

London Theatre Direct uses the latest secure SSL processing to ensure that your card details remain safe and out of sight of potential fraudsters. Notice the small padlock symbol on any payment pages on the website, this indicates that you are using a secure connection.

Do you accept theatre tokens?

We do not accept Society of London Theatre's theatre tokens.  These need to be redeemed directly with the theatre itself.  However if you are looking to purchase a gift for someone without knowing the show or date they can go, you can buy our own London Theatre Direct gift vouchers, which are redeemable up to a year from purchase.  Gift vouchers can be purchased online on our website and are redeemed by entering the voucher code on our website when you check out. If you have a paper voucher, please call us on 0333 700 8800 or e-mail us directly so that we may convert your paper voucher(s) into an e-voucher(s), as we have updated our vouchers to a paperless scheme.

What's the best way of travelling around London? Where can I park?

What are Stalls and Dress? And which is better?

Stalls are otherwise knows as Orchestra Stalls or Orchestra Seats. They are the lowest seating section of the theatre and closest to the stage. Dress Circle or Royal Circle is the next tier of seating above the Stalls, this is sometimes known as the first balcony or mezzanine. Our top price seats consist only of the best seats in the theatre, typically most of the Stalls and the first few rows of the Dress Circle. None of our top price or "Best Seats" will have restricted views. We also offer less expensive tickets which may have restricted views.

Is there a dress code for London theatres?

Are there any performances on Sundays?

Most theatres in London are closed on Sundays. However, some shows such as The Lion King at The Lyceum theatre do have Sunday performances.

What time should I arrive at the theatre?

It is best to arrive at the theatre at least 30 minutes prior to the performance.

Can I take photographs of the show?

No video cameras, cameras or recording devices are allowed in any theatres. In some of the larger theatres, images from the show can be bought in the foyer. Souvenir programmes are also available at most shows.

Do the theatres have wheelchair access? Do they have induction loops for the hard of hearing?

Most London theatres offer facilities for the disabled. However, all access bookings must be made directly with the theatre. Read our London theatre accessibility guide to learn more about individual theatres. Please note that this accessibility guide that we have compiled is purely informational only and is not exhaustive nor regularly updated.

Can my child/baby attend the theatre? Will the show be suitable for children?

All London theatres state that no babies in arms may be allowed to attend. This is to ensure that all customers enjoy the show. Young children are admitted but are not encouraged to attend unless the parent is confident the child will not distract other members of the audience. Everyone must have a valid ticket and occupy a seat. Accompanying adults will be asked to remove any noisy infants. Generally, most musicals in London's Theatreland are suitable for children but please note that as a GENERAL guideline, an age of 5 years and over is recommended (more specific age limits may apply with differing productions).

Do you offer child/student discounts?

Sadly, there are no reductions for children. However, depending on the hotel, children can often stay for free in their parent or guardian's room. Child prices are typically less at attractions such as Madame Tussaud's. There is no discount for students unless you are part of a school group. For more information regarding discounts for school groups, please e-mail us directly.

Do you offer theatre tokens or a pre-payment scheme?

We do not accept theatre tokens and our gift vouchers are not valid for group bookings. However, most ordinary shows offer group discounts for groups of 10 people or more. Send us a group booking inquiry here. Also, for more information on our gift vouchers, click here. Please note that we only accept gift vouchers purchased from London Theatre Direct.

Can I order tickets from overseas?

Yes. We accept orders from every country. However, we will collect payment from you in British pounds (GBP / £). Before coronavirus, tickets could be mailed overseas at an additional cost or you could collect your tickets at the theatre box office prior to the show at no extra cost. Now most of our tickets are contactless in the form of Print-At-Home tickets and are sent via e-mail as a downloadable PDF. Most events also no longer offer Box Office Collection and we currently no longer deliver tickets by post. This is not expected to change any time in the near future.

Can I collect my tickets at the theatre or can they be posted?

Due to coronavirus regulations, many events no longer give the option for patrons to have their tickets left at the theatre box office (a practise known as "will call"). In order to comply with SOLT’s See It Safely campaign and COVID-secure measures, most venues have now gone contactless. London Theatre Direct currently delivers Print-At-Home tickets via e-mail, which come in the form of a downloadable PDF. We no longer send tickets by post. Box Office Collection and posted tickets are expected to be phased out entirely as theatres continue to go paperless.

I requested tickets to be mailed but have not yet received them. What should I do?

London Theatre Direct no longer sends tickets by post due to coronavirus restrictions and many theatres now provide scanned entry (contactless check-in) at the door. If you were mistakenly offered tickets by post, then please contact us as soon as possible so that we can arrange for Print-At-Home tickets to be e-mailed to you.

What if I have a special diet?

Due to coronavirus, we currently do not offer dinner & show tickets. It is currently unknown whether dinner & show tickets will be offered again in the future. That being said, should you have any special dietary requirements when booking dinner & show tickets, our partner restaurants will normally be able to accommodate your needs. Please specify any dietary requirements you might have in detail when you place your order or kindly write us an e-mail. Please note that all meals may contain traces of nuts and sesame seeds.

Can I cancel my booking?

What if the show is cancelled?

If a show or performance is confirmed as cancelled by the production (particularly due to coronavirus or other Acts of God), you will have the option to exchange your tickets to a later date should the show or performance be rescheduled or you may receive a full refund at no extra cost. We also offer the option of a credit note in the form of a gift voucher, which can be redeemed for any show on sale with London Theatre Direct. We will do our best to contact you beforehand and as soon as we are made aware of any show or performance cancellations. However, due to COVID-19, please note that tickets may not be refunded until 14 business days after the date your performance was due to take place. We will do our best to book you into the same seats should you choose to exchange your tickets.

Why should I join your mailing list?

All customers of London Theatre Direct are given the option of joining our mailing list when ordering, but will not be added to the mailing list unless they specifically opt-in at check-out. We also have the option for visitors of our website to subscribe. Joining the mailing list will ensure that you are made aware of any special offers we are currently promoting and offer you the chance to win tickets to London theatre shows. Your subscriber details will not be passed on to any third party as per GDPR regulation and we will not spam you every day. Mailing list members may unsubscribe at any time.

Do you have information you would like to share with other customers of London Theatre Direct?

If you have information, comments, or advice you would like to share with other London Theatre Direct customers, if you have been particularly happy with our service, have suggestions for our site, or wish to write a review of a show, then please e-mail us. Please note that we reserve the right to edit comments and reviews for size, spelling, and punctuation where appropriate and that not all submissions will be posted.

Do you have an affiliate program?

Yes. LondonTheatreDirect.com has an affiliate program in place that allows approved partners to generate revenues from their theatre, travel or London related website. We can provide you with graphics, banners and links to LondonTheatreDirect.com and a unique code that will allow you to gain commissions from sales of theatre tickets, packages and hotel bookings. For more information on joining our programme, please click here.

Can I advertise on London Theatre Direct?

If you wish to discuss advertising or marketing opportunities, then please contact our marketing team. Please be advised that we do not generally advertise for shows that we are not selling for.

TicketPlan terms

You can find the TicketPlan terms here.

How do London Theatre Direct gift vouchers work?

London Theatre Direct have recently switched to a paperless e-voucher scheme. Should you have paper vouchers, please don’t hesitate to contact us to have them switched to an e-voucher. E-vouchers can be purchased directly on our website here from £10 to £500 per voucher. E-vouchers are redeemable for up to one year and there is no need to see the show before the voucher’s expiry date so long as you book before the expiry (i.e. you can book for a show that is due to run far in the future and is currently on sale). E-vouchers are redeemed when you check out. Simply add tickets your basket and redeem your e-voucher by entering the code, which will you receive via e-mail upon purchasing your voucher.

What is a COVID-secure venue?

A COVID-secure venue is when a theatre follows government guidelines (and/or SOLT’s See It Safely campaign) in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus. This may include scannable tickets at the door, socially distanced seats, temperature checks, mandatory face masks, and more. For a full a list of COVID-secure safety measures that a venue might follow, click here.

How to redeem or use your Voucher