Cool routes to hot tickets

Taking in a show in the West End is an essential part of any London holiday. Unfortunately, many people pull back from buying tickets because they're put off by the rather high prices that are so common with the most popular shows.

That summer holiday favourite, the Lion King, and the stunning Woman In Black, for instance, tend to be quite pricey and are discouraging to budget travelers.

Like anything else, however, it is  possible to find extraordinary ticket deals for popular London theatre productions - you just have to know where to look.

Below, we offer a handful of tips on the best ways to save a bundle on London theatre tickets. 

• Get A Hotel Or Meal Deal - Package deals are among the very  best ways to save a significant amount of money on theatre tickets. The  most popular options are hotel and ticket bundles, or meal and theatre  packages. With these options, you can book a stay and see a show - or enjoy a nice meal after taking in a popular production - without  spending an extraordinary amount of money. These deals are quite  abundant, and you should have no problem whatsoever finding deals that  include Lion King tickets or other popular West End shows.

• Buy Tickets At The Door - Although the majority of the  tickets for any popular London production like The Woman In Black tend  to sell out well before the curtain rises, many London theatres keep a  small number of tickets open to sell at the door in the hours leading  up to a performance. If you have your eye on a particular show, call  the theatre where it will be showing to find out if they offer this  option - then arrive early enough to take advantage of it. These  tickets are usually quite cheap, but there is usually a limit of two  per person.

• Snap Up Some Returned Tickets - Another savvy way to save  money on theatre tickets in London is akin to waiting for a standby airplane flight. About ninety minutes before showtime, many theatres'  box offices receive returned tickets that haven't been claimed. In  order to sell out the house, theatres often sell these tickets -  sometimes even including Lion King tickets - at excellent discounts.  You can check ahead of time with a specific theatre to find out whether  or not this is likely to happen.

• Take Advantage Of Kid's Week - During the last two weeks in August every year, children aged five to 16 can enjoy London  theatre productions free. For every paying adult seeing The Woman In Black, for instance, one appropriately aged child is admitted absolutely free. For cash-strapped families, this is an unbeatable way to save money when taking in London theatre.