Things To Know Before You Take a Theater Vacation in London

Where To Stay
I stayed at the Presidential Apartments—"service flats" with kitchens and all the comforts of home. The Central London location is perfect for theatergoing.

Web Sites
The Official London Theatre Guide provides theater news and comprehensive show listings.

The Stage, Britain's very readable trade publication for the performing arts, has a newly redesigned Web site, which features Mark Shenton's wonderful newsblog.

Maxie Szalwinska, a freelance theater writer who serves as the Guardian's go-to woman on fringe theater, maintains the must-read Webloge.

Books
If you're interested in theater architecture and history, The Great Theatres of London, by Ronald Bergan, is the best place to start. Unleashing Britain: Theatre Gets Real, 1955-64, by Jim Fowler, brings together photographs from the 10 years that shook British theater. Distinguished director Michael Blakemore's memoir, Arguments With England, paints a lovely picture of the British theater before Look Back in Anger. There are countless books about the Royal Court, but most are academic and rather hard-going. Joan Littlewood's autobiography, Joan's Book, is long and slightly rambling, but enthralling. The published diaries of two former National Theatre supremos provide a fascinating insight into the massive scope of the task: Peter Hall's Diaries: The Story of a Dramatic Battle, and Richard Eyre's National Service. Dominic Dromgoole's The Full Room is a flame-throwing guide to contemporary playwrights.

Tips
Discounts: Before you travel, check out whatsonstage.com. Once you're in London, head to the TKTS booths in Leicester Square or Canary Wharf.

Many London theaters have their own Internet ticketing systems, allowing you to choose your own seats; otherwise the sites will provide links to the appropriate ticket agency.

Though I'm slightly embarrassed to admit it, I bought a "meal deal" for Billy Elliot, which included a ticket to the show and a prix fixe meal at Chez Gérard, a mere ballet slipper's throw from the Victoria Palace. Since there aren't many decent restaurants close to the theater, this saved time and worry.

In Britain, finding out who is in the show can be expensive, since you have to pay for a program—usually between $4 and $9. On the other hand, many theaters sell the published play text for less than cover price.

When doing Internet searches, don't forget to use the British spelling of "theatre."