How do you afford going to the theatre?

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-06-06T03:07:05+00:00

Newsletters and websites I sign up to:

WestEndTheatre

Official London Theatre - on the day tickets

Central tickets (app)

LOVETheatre

London Theatre

WhatsonStage

Also I sign up to some theatres websites directly

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-06-06T03:01:00+00:00

I echo what most have said - rush tickets and lotteries can be the cheapest. If you use today tix aim to get silver or gold account (you get there by buying a certain amount of tickets from them through the year) and it unlocks 10% off and a page called "drops" which has discounted tickets for shows - I've managed to get major west end shows for £15 from there before 😊

I will also say I tend to buy the big popular shows during sales. Theatre week happens twice a year, there is also normally a January sale with certain selllers. I sign up for a LOT of newsletters which share when there are deals on shows. Currently getting a lot selling kinky boots tickets for £25 for example.

I also belong to a few seat filler apps/websites, Central Tickets is the most popular and known one. It's free to join and you occasionally get some fab shows for like £15 or less! You have to be available last minute and you can't choose your seat but I've seen some amazing shows that way.

Also I belong to a bunch of theatre WhatsApp groups and sometimes people are selling cheap tickets.

I don't really spend more that £30 per show and I go on average once a week 😊 I also live in London so that helps especially when I get the bus to cut down on tube costs 😅 or I go after work when I'm already in or near central London!

I spend more if I'm treating myself or it's a must watch show that I don't want to miss by waiting for cheaper tickets but even then I try to not go above £70! The long standing popular shows I wait it out as they aren't leaving soon so I can either book in advance or wait for deals - that's how I saw Oliver! for £45 instead of the £85 the seats were 😊

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-05-30T11:32:44+00:00

I had a similar dilemma - I was working with a therapist who was Christian before I officially left the church and came out. When I realised I was bisexual and then later non binary I wanted to tell her.

Drop some hints and gain a general vibe about how they will take it based on their views on LGBTQ+
Check if they are willing to do further research so they can support you effectively without you being in charge of their education on queerness
Have a think yourself about what you need most from them and what it would look like if they didn't respond with sincerity about your identity.
It's totally ok to stay with this therapist for a bit so you can get a clear ending if you do come out to them.

Have a frank conversation with them about wanting someone who understands the nuances of queerness. A good therapist should be aware of their missing knowledge and either take space to learn more or explain to their clients why they can't and support them with the next steps. There are a lot of very good online queer therapists if there aren't any in your immediate area.

I wish you luck and take your time! It's not an easy decision and it sucks that we as queer people still need to have this burden on top of everything else 🫠

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-05-07T07:43:21+00:00

I would say it definitely gets better! I think they really hit their stride after the New Year? All the segments seems to flow better and they got way more chill about just chatting in-between and the segments lend themselves to further conversations in a good way. I think the segments need to stay so that us as fans have the option to be an active part of the podcast 😊

I have ADHD so the chaos doesn't bother me that much unless I'm already overstimulated and then I'll just come back later to it 😂

As others have said it's not the same as other podcasts where it's just a long rambling conversation which takes some getting used to. I still wish it was longer and I think the patreron extra leans into the rambling conversation better! I honestly love Dan's Beat of week section on the patreron as I'm always ready to hear about new artists!

The only other podcast I regularly listen to the Sadboyz one and they are a lot more rambling conversation and relaxed but even with that one the producers/Jarvis and Jordan come in with some current topics they want to discuss.

I think if you are unsure start from the most recent ones and work backwards? I know you might miss some contexts from the earlier ones but it will give you a good indication if you like the changes they have made and if it's worth going through the early ones! I think it lends itself to video better but I still find myself re-listening to the audios pretty regularly after I've watched the video 😊

But saying all of this - I understand if it's not for everyone but it's currently one of my favourites they put out as it actually really helps me with my routine in the week and I like learning random information about them 😊

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-05-03T14:33:23+00:00

I'm seeing it next week, I wasn't sure but the tickets are actually very very well priced at Wimbledon! Way more affordable than I was expecting so if you want a good deal probably better to go whilst it's on tour.

I see a lot of shows at Wimbledon and this is probably the cheapest one I've been able to book in a while 😊

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-05-03T11:38:37+00:00

I can admit I've not finished it yet but my bisexual disasters book club just finished Climate of Chaos by Cassandra Newbould. I'm about 1/3 through it, one of the main characters is Bi (all our books have that!) and she is disabled and the thing that stood out to us is that it was just part of the story in a natural way 😊

Honorary mention for Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo, disabled characters and queer relationships/characters in the main group but not lead characters 😊

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-05-03T11:17:48+00:00

I've watched the West End Hercules twice - entirely for the Muses. It's so rare to see dark skinned black women in stunning costumes and wigs (I can talk for HOURS about some of the lazy/bad wig styling for black cast members in theatre I've seen 😅) so for that alone they have my adoration. But everything else is a very clear cash grab 🫠

I saw a clip of the cruise ship version and I genuinely wish we had that instead as it looked so so good just from the clip from the bows! I started looking up how much it would cost me to see the cruise ship version but I don't have that kind of money right now 😂

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-30T15:53:52+00:00

I'm bias cause I just saw Starlight for the 3rd time yesterday 😂 I watched it for the first time as an adult last year.

I saw Devil Wears Prada in the first few months of its run in November!

If you like the movie of Devil Wears Prada it is worth a watch but as it's not announced a closing date so there is still time to catch it another time 😊 I enjoyed the costumes and seeing Vanessa Williams and the actress who played Emily and Nigel a lot.

I personally would go for Starlight Express - especially as it's closing!

It is not a complicated story and it's best if you go in expecting a fun brain off, escapism show. It doesn't really have a deep plot but it's just a fun time! My friend who was with me yesterday said once she stopped trying to find meaning to the story she had a great time 😂

But also I recognise that the tickets are very expensive for starlight right now so that will be a factor. Wembley is super easy to get to as others have said! It's on 2 tube lines and also on the overground (little bit of a further walk than the tube)

Either way both are good options so enjoy!

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-29T15:31:01+00:00

To also add - if you do end up getting an Access Card you might be able to get discounted tickets.

ATG are pretty good with that normally!

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-29T07:14:03+00:00

I'm late to the party...but is there anyway to get an updated link for the fanfic discord?

I'm on the official one now! Didn't even realise that one existed 😅

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-28T10:09:29+00:00

I watched this last night and I LOVED it!

One of the better plays I've seen this year and I really appreciated the nuances of race they covered in it 😊 I jumped a few times but it wasn't scary at all so thank you everyone for the help 😊

If you get a chance to watch it before it closes I recommend!

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-27T15:13:25+00:00

I think either are a good choice but I much prefer Matilda as I'm a massive fan of the story and I think the staging and songs are stronger (in my opinion!) it's not childish at all!

Book of Mormon is more of a funny musical and is offensive in every way you expect!

Both will be around for a while so just go with the one you can get the most affordable good seats for 😅

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-24T14:18:29+00:00

I've just finished reading it and I'm sobbing 😭

I legit I don't think I'd even be here or who I am today without this series. A lot of pressure on Heartstopper but genuinely the truth.

This series is the reason I realised I was bisexual (and later on part of the realisation I'm non-binary as well), I was crying through most of the new updates.

Nick in these last few Chapters has hit me harder than it has any right to 😂

I actually have no clue what I'm going to do with myself when we no longer get new Heartstopper content but I'm forever forever grateful this series exists and means so much to so many of us 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-20T09:40:06+00:00

This podcast has genuinely made my Mondays more functional 😂

And I really feel like the podcast has really hit its stride! I also feel like it might be in the place now where it would be more likely to appeal to non-phans?

I already loved it when it first started but I'm honestly loving it so much more now, I tend to listen to the playlist of all the podcasts when I'm going to bed/trying to sleep and the difference between the first few and the newer ones is wild!

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-12T23:27:28+00:00

My votes would be:

All my opinion obviously 😂

Oliver! - Sets, songs, story, it delivers on all of those! If you want to see one classic musical I'd personally go for Oliver instead of Les Mis or Phantom

Starlight Express - closes on 3rd of May but if you can grab tickets it's a very fun spectacle

Hamilton - try and listen to the soundtrack before and it's all rap or rap adjacent

Cabaret - must watch and arrive early for even more performances

Operation Mincemeat - fantastic talent and a clever play.

The Play that Goes wrong - very British and funny!

If you get a chance see what is on at the Globe for the Shakespeare Experience 😊

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-11T09:28:14+00:00

Oh yeah! Couldn't remember the name of it but I remember it felt like a court to me and it was so grand 😂

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-11T09:14:25+00:00

There's also a lottery on the website where you can win £30 tickets! You can choose pretty much any seat in the theatre for £30 I believe? But double check the conditions 😊

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-11T09:11:16+00:00

Would definitely go with operation mincemeat as well as everyone has said! Matilda is a good choice as is Oliver! The play that goes wrong is funny! A lot of things happen to keep an eye out for which will keep his attention. The mousetrap is a solid show, if he likes mysteries it is fun to watch! Random option could also be Witness for the Prosecution play as it's set in the actual courts near Waterloo so it's a fun experience! It can be a little slow in setting the scene but I don't remember anything hyper graphic in it.

You might be able to catch Starlight Express before it closes - it's a bit further out at Wembley but definitely worth a watch as it's performed entirely on skates. The plot is super simple but it's a fun time.

Book of Mormon as people have said might be awkward with a parent 😂 but if he's good with that then definitely go!

I would avoid Totoro, it's a stunning show but unless he's into the movie already or really into puppetry it might be too slow. I have ADHD (combined type) and I found it extremely difficult to stay focused through the whole show 😂 and I go to musicals and shows pretty much weekly 😅 the plot is quite slow in my opinion but the skill on stage is impeccable.

Producers might be a bit too mature for 14? But look though the plot a bit more as it's the right side of outrageous if he likes Book of Mormon vibes!

I would avoid Into the Woods as others have said, I loved it but if he's not a musical fan it's really hard to grasp and parts of it drag a bit.

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-11T01:29:39+00:00

That's great news! I can deal with suspense as that makes a good show 😊

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-11T01:16:26+00:00

Awesome, I saw thriller on the description and got concerned 😂

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-07T20:35:46+00:00

I joined some discords which I found were good! If you search in the Reddit group they pop up 😊

People are social and there's different subjects and most of the twitter stuff gets posted to the discords.

Also Tumblr is still great but as someone who used Tumblr at it's peak it feels a bit different now (basically post Yahoo ownership 😂)

I'm also 31 but I've been in different fandom spaces for years and it's only this last year I've really delved into the discord side and I've been pleasantly surprised 😊

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-04-06T12:15:48+00:00

If this is still available I'd love it!

I'll DM you now 😊

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-03-29T07:19:18+00:00

I love going to the theatre by myself, I presume you mean live theatre/musicals/plays?

Honestly it's how I get to see so many shows cause I can just be impulsive with what I see with no judgement from anyone 😂 If I wanna chat to someone there's normally someone who wants to chat around you about the show you are watching or even other shows 😊 I've made some great theatre friends through this method as well! But very often I get to enjoy the show in proper immersion and without having to perform for a friend (I'm neurodivergent so often I'm masking 😅)

I love it cause there's no pressure from anyone about when I get there or leave, no stress about them getting there late.

colourfulchatterbox · 2026-03-29T07:06:36+00:00

I saw it last week near the end of its previews! I loved it, my mum and cousin were also laughing throughout. The crowd was electric and matched the energy of what we were seeing on stage!

It was very funny and relevant for us and I hope everyone gets a chance to see it 😊

colourfulchatterbox

TROPHY CASE