Things To Know About Fringe Theatre in London

Going to watch good theater in the capital needn't cost much more than a cinema ticket (remember: a night at the movies will cost you £10—that's nearly $19—per person in central London), and heading to less expensive off-West End and fringe venues is a great way to explore the city.

At the smaller theaters, you can spot up-and-coming playwrights, directors, and actors. And the best fringe venues stage the kind of powerful, startling theater that reminds us why we bother to go out in the evenings, sit together in a darkened room, and wait for something to happen.

These days, the Arcola is possibly London's hippest venue. Set in a disused clothing factory in Dalston, the theater resembles a dark underground car park where anything might happen. And over at Battersea Arts Centre you can watch works-in-progress and have a chat with the performers in the bar after the show.

There's a ferment of talent at fringe venues across London. These theatres are more dynamic than the stages around Shaftesbury Avenue, and they attract the sort of young, diverse audiences that the National would kill for. Sure, you can sit through dire productions on the fringe, but the same is true in the West End, and at least you won't have shelled out $75 for the experience.

Top Fringe Venues
Arcola Theatre
The atmospheric Arcola programs an eclectic mix: new plays rub shoulders with classics, popular works, and the odd bit of musical theater.

Bush Theatre
This 80-seater above a pub in Shepherd's Bush is an essential destination for those interested in fresh, exciting writing.

Menier Chocolate Factory
This lovely venue is a recent—and very welcome—addition to the fringe scene. The Menier's critically acclaimed production of Sunday in the Park With George just transferred to the West End. And yes, it really was a chocolate factory.

Battersea Arts Centre
The BAC, birthplace of Jerry Springer: The Opera, is still one of the hottest venues on the fringe.

Gate Theatre
International work is the backbone of this tiny Notting Hill venue.

Theatre 503
If there is one fringe venue that has made its mark on the "new writing" scene in recent years, it is Theatre 503. Artistic Director Paul Higgins has a good eye for raw talent. The place feels genuine rather than trendy, and more important, so does the work. Take a gamble and go.

Southwark Playhouse
An enchanting courtyard leads into this former tea and coffee warehouse, where you'll find productions of classics as well as contemporary plays.

Finborough Theatre
A pub theater with a growing reputation for staging new dramas and idiosyncratic, neglected works.

Tips
Off-West End Theaters
By all means go to the National Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe, but it's also well worth finding out what's on at the Donmar Warehouse, the Royal Court, the Almeida, the Barbican Centre, the Lyric Hammersmith, Riverside Studios, Soho Theatre, and the Tricycle.

Theater on a Shoestring
You can expect to pay £7-£15 ($13-$28) to see a fringe show, but many venues, including the Arcola and the Gate, have pay-what-you can nights. Tickets at the Royal Court are £7.50 on Monday nights. You can get standing tickets for £5 at Shakespeare's Globe and £7.50 at the Donmar Warehouse. And don't worry if you haven't booked tickets for the National Theatre in advance, you can line up for £10 tickets on the day; you'll almost certainly get a seat if you join the queue by 8.30 a.m.

Theater in Weird and Wonderful Venues
"Site-specific" theater and outdoors happenings are all the rage in London, so keep your eyes peeled for shows in unconventional spaces when you're scanning the listings. And check out what's going on at the Shunt Vaults and the performance art venue Home.

—By Maxie Szalwinska, a London-based theater critic.