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Theatremonkey: A guide to London's West End
Based on the massively popular Theatremonkey.com website, this indispensable guide has everything you need to enjoy the best of London’s West End. Readers get trusted advice based on the opinions of thousands of other theatregoers including practical tips for saving money making the most of your theatre visit.
The revised and updated Kindle edition includes up-to-date contact details for ticket booking agencies, new seating plans and updated recommendations for which seats to buy throughout.
The book includes seating plans of over 50 West End venues that highlight seats offering the best value, and those with problems or restricted views. There is also comprehensive venue information including booking details, theatre history and facilities for disabled people.
The end of book includes an easy-to-read 3D map of London’s theatreland to help take the stress out of getting to your venue on time.
Steve Rich began the now famous Theatremonkey.com website in 2000. Today, it is a thriving community for thousands of like minded theatregoers. Mark Shenton, theatre critic for the Sunday Express, introduces the guide with an insightful foreword. He describes it as a “treasure trove” of information, which will help the theatre live on “as one of London’s defining features”.
The revised and updated Kindle edition includes up-to-date contact details for ticket booking agencies, new seating plans and updated recommendations for which seats to buy throughout.
The book includes seating plans of over 50 West End venues that highlight seats offering the best value, and those with problems or restricted views. There is also comprehensive venue information including booking details, theatre history and facilities for disabled people.
The end of book includes an easy-to-read 3D map of London’s theatreland to help take the stress out of getting to your venue on time.
Steve Rich began the now famous Theatremonkey.com website in 2000. Today, it is a thriving community for thousands of like minded theatregoers. Mark Shenton, theatre critic for the Sunday Express, introduces the guide with an insightful foreword. He describes it as a “treasure trove” of information, which will help the theatre live on “as one of London’s defining features”.
160 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 2, 2010
The book is basically the website in a handy dandy book format with extra bonuses thrown in for good measure, it’s split into five sections which explain how to get into a sold out show, how to get discounts, the difference between ticket agencies and touts, how to behave in a theatre and so much more.
To make this review clear I will discuss the book section by section (so we don’t miss anything out). So without further ado…
Section 1: Planning A Visit
-----------------------------
This section discusses where to find out whats on, very helpful advice on how to choose a show which is expecially helpful for first time theatregoers to help make sure you pick a show you will actually enjoy plus advice on which days to seasons are the quietest – helping you get better seats.
This section also includes descriptions of the main seating areas in a theatre and what each means in terms of sightlines, price and more.
Section 2: Ticket Buying Jungle
-----------------------------------
If you want to find out how to get into sold out shows, how tickets are sold including the potential pit falls and how tickets are allocated (revealing a couple of things that I wasn’t aware of) this is the section you should turn to.
You will find helpful advice on where to book tickets and what to look out for to avoid ticket touts. There are some real horror stories included here (maybe a little over the top but still my review) which have resulted in a number of ruined evenings – don’t let it be you next!
Finally there is a little bit of information on STAR and what STAR ticket agents will tell you beforehand including aproximate booking fees, some contact details and a few helpful comments on each to help you choose which one to go for.
Section 3: Native Wisdom
--------------------------
How do regular theatregoers afford regular visits? See sold out shows? Have their complaints heard? Get the inside knowledge in section 3.
This section gives very good advice on how you can save up to 50% off tickets by using official ticket booth TKTS plus many other money saving tips, there are so many that if you intend to become a regular theatregoer this section will pay for the book itself. Admitedly some of the tips are well known (like the one above) but there are some ones in there which I haven’t heard of.
There is information which reveals that shows marked as “sold out” aren’t always sold out and gives excellent advice on how you can get your hands on tickets for these supposedly sold out shows.
There’s even more though, with information for before and after the show not to mention tips on how to behave during a performance which will help to make sure you don’t spoil your or anyone elses evening. Plus information on getting autographs.
Finally (although not a major part) there’s information for anyone who has had their creative juices sparked by their visit – a small section (about half a page) lists organisations and websites who have information on investing in theatre, becoming an actor and work experience in the theatre.
Section 4: Theatre By Theatre Guide
-------------------------------------
This section is the largest of the sections and probably the most useful ongoing section. All the pages here are colour coded green.
As the title suggests this section dedicates a two page spread to each theatre in London’s West End, the left page contains a seating grid with a traffic light system to indicate which seats are the best. The right page contains information about the theatre including contact details, box office details, booking url, nearest car parks, tube and mainline stations.
Each guide also contains an introductionary paragraph to the theatre, mostly including history with a few ghost’s making an appearance throughout (well what’s a theatre without a theatre ghost). This is followed by what I think is the most useful part, comments about seats in the theatre from the Monkey himself and also from Theatremonkey.com readers – helping you to pinpoint seats to avoid and seats that can’t be recommended highly enough – balancing cost, sightlines, vertigo, neckache and more.
Section 5: Other London Venues
-------------------------------
In a much smaller section the Monkey and Theatremonkey.com readers give their views on other London venues including The O2 and Shakespears The Globe theatre plus their are contact details for London’s Fringe venues (no seat opinions on these though).
The book finishes with a helpful map of Theatreland pinpointing the location of each theatre helping to ensure you know where to go when you arrive in London.
In Conclusion I think Steve Rich has done an excellent job of getting the essential advice in an easy to understand format across in this book which is both helpful for existing theatregoers and practically essential for those new to West End theatre complete with funny remarks and comments which make the information sections even more interesting to read.
To make this review clear I will discuss the book section by section (so we don’t miss anything out). So without further ado…
Section 1: Planning A Visit
-----------------------------
This section discusses where to find out whats on, very helpful advice on how to choose a show which is expecially helpful for first time theatregoers to help make sure you pick a show you will actually enjoy plus advice on which days to seasons are the quietest – helping you get better seats.
This section also includes descriptions of the main seating areas in a theatre and what each means in terms of sightlines, price and more.
Section 2: Ticket Buying Jungle
-----------------------------------
If you want to find out how to get into sold out shows, how tickets are sold including the potential pit falls and how tickets are allocated (revealing a couple of things that I wasn’t aware of) this is the section you should turn to.
You will find helpful advice on where to book tickets and what to look out for to avoid ticket touts. There are some real horror stories included here (maybe a little over the top but still my review) which have resulted in a number of ruined evenings – don’t let it be you next!
Finally there is a little bit of information on STAR and what STAR ticket agents will tell you beforehand including aproximate booking fees, some contact details and a few helpful comments on each to help you choose which one to go for.
Section 3: Native Wisdom
--------------------------
How do regular theatregoers afford regular visits? See sold out shows? Have their complaints heard? Get the inside knowledge in section 3.
This section gives very good advice on how you can save up to 50% off tickets by using official ticket booth TKTS plus many other money saving tips, there are so many that if you intend to become a regular theatregoer this section will pay for the book itself. Admitedly some of the tips are well known (like the one above) but there are some ones in there which I haven’t heard of.
There is information which reveals that shows marked as “sold out” aren’t always sold out and gives excellent advice on how you can get your hands on tickets for these supposedly sold out shows.
There’s even more though, with information for before and after the show not to mention tips on how to behave during a performance which will help to make sure you don’t spoil your or anyone elses evening. Plus information on getting autographs.
Finally (although not a major part) there’s information for anyone who has had their creative juices sparked by their visit – a small section (about half a page) lists organisations and websites who have information on investing in theatre, becoming an actor and work experience in the theatre.
Section 4: Theatre By Theatre Guide
-------------------------------------
This section is the largest of the sections and probably the most useful ongoing section. All the pages here are colour coded green.
As the title suggests this section dedicates a two page spread to each theatre in London’s West End, the left page contains a seating grid with a traffic light system to indicate which seats are the best. The right page contains information about the theatre including contact details, box office details, booking url, nearest car parks, tube and mainline stations.
Each guide also contains an introductionary paragraph to the theatre, mostly including history with a few ghost’s making an appearance throughout (well what’s a theatre without a theatre ghost). This is followed by what I think is the most useful part, comments about seats in the theatre from the Monkey himself and also from Theatremonkey.com readers – helping you to pinpoint seats to avoid and seats that can’t be recommended highly enough – balancing cost, sightlines, vertigo, neckache and more.
Section 5: Other London Venues
-------------------------------
In a much smaller section the Monkey and Theatremonkey.com readers give their views on other London venues including The O2 and Shakespears The Globe theatre plus their are contact details for London’s Fringe venues (no seat opinions on these though).
The book finishes with a helpful map of Theatreland pinpointing the location of each theatre helping to ensure you know where to go when you arrive in London.
In Conclusion I think Steve Rich has done an excellent job of getting the essential advice in an easy to understand format across in this book which is both helpful for existing theatregoers and practically essential for those new to West End theatre complete with funny remarks and comments which make the information sections even more interesting to read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review