London theatre ticket deals – save with Advance Pick

London has some of the best theatre in the world, including some fantastic family-friendly performances in the West End – and now there’s a new way to cut the cost and find some great London theatre tickets deals with Advance Pick.

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Launched by London Theatre Direct, the new initiative means you could save up to 40% if you book 8-12 weeks ahead – without the stress of scrabbling for last-minute tickets and with a guarantee that you won’t find the same seat cheaper elsewhere, even at the last minute.

And Advance Pick is perfect for families who don’t want the risk of discovering there are no tickets left on the dates they’re visiting, but who don’t want to break the bank on one West End show.

So if you’re wondering how this helps you save on theatre tickets in London, this is how it works.

Advance Pick London theatre ticket deals: the essentials

Firstly, you’ll need to get organised, Advance Pick is – like its name suggests – all about booking in advance, with the best-price guarantee on tickets booked 8-12 weeks ahead.

Which makes it ideal for families. While there’s nothing to stop you being spontaneous when you have kids, the chances are that you’re planning the main parts of your trip well in advance – and if you’re hoping to include a West End show, it’s good to know that’s booked, sorted and all figured out.

Ways to save on theatre tickets in London is always one of the big questions asked in the London with Kids Facebook group which I help to run, but this isn’t just your standard early booking discount either.

For starters, the site lists all the eligible shows in one place rather than having to search endless different places for early bird deals promising cheap London theatre.

And what if the seats get cheaper? I know I can be terrible at biting the bullet and booking, just in case something better comes along – which in the case of London theatre ticket deals usually means a last-minute bargain.

In my own case, what normally happens is I discover that all the seats have sold out, prices have soared or (quite often) simply forget to check again until it’s far too late.

But with Advance Pick, if prices do drop elsewhere, they’ll match it so you don’t need to wait until the last minute and take a gamble that you’ll find something better. And after 27 years as one of the leading theatre ticket sales websites in the UK, knowing you can trust the deals is added reassurance.

Plus you won’t find yourself promising your kids a particular show, only to discover you can’t get in. Not the memory you want from a fun family holiday in London.

Can I choose my seat?

Yes, absolutely – as you’re booking in advance, you can pick the seats you want so you won’t end up stuck behind a pillar, battling vertigo at the back of the gods or discovering that the only remaining seats split your family across the theatre.

Unlike some last-minute deal sites which allocate seats randomly, using Advance Pick means you can work out what’s going to be best for your family in terms of practicality and a decent view, as well as your own budget.

That’s always been a gamble with theatre ticket lotteries too – well, the clue is in the name, you never quite know what you’ll get.

While there are some fantastic ones out there, and we’ve snagged bargain seats for both Matilda and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I had to play the lotteries religiously for quite a while before winning – fine if you live in or near London, less helpful if you only visit rarely.

Plus you get assigned seats when you do win – in both cases ours were great locations in the stalls, but you get a maximum of two seats which meant buying another in one of the priciest parts of the theatre for my husband to join me and my daughter.

What shows are included?

There are plenty of big name shows, so you won’t be short of choice. To start off, Advance Pick is including everything from Matilda The Musical, My Neighbour Totoro and SIX to MAMMA MIA!, Wicked, The Devil Wears Prada, and The Hunger Games.

Whether you’re visiting with teens, tweens or younger kids, there’s something on offer – plus you can filter the choices by date and budget, to work out what fits best for your trip.

Or if you’re planning a future trip and want to know what’s on, you can also select by month and browse the shows that way, including some Christmas theatre specials – I’ve already been eyeing up Christmas Carol Goes Wrong after laughing until my cheeks ached at The Play That Goes Wrong with my daughter earlier this year.

Then just look for the star symbol next to performances for the Advance Pick deals.

And if the show you’re hoping to see isn’t listed, you can sign up with London Theatre Direct for updates, as new shows are expected to keep joining the line-up as time goes on.

For more advice on how to save money on London with kids, check out my tips

Disclosure: This post is a paid collaboration with London Theatre Direct – all opinions on Advance Pick and ongoing desire to save money with London theatre ticket deals are my own.

Images courtesy of Depositphotos

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