London theatre on a shoestring

You don't need to spend a fortune if you want theatre to be part of your trip to London. Forgo a seat and pay £5 ($16) to stand up just like the 16th-century "groundlings" used to do at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Some fringe theatres will even let you see the show on a "pay as much as you can afford" basis, usually reserved for Monday-night performances.

The Lyric Hammersmith, Royal Court Theatre Downstairs and Soho Theatre each offer £5 seats on Mondays, and The Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond has £5 tickets for Wednesday matinees. The Barbican will seat you on benches for a Saturday-afternoon performance and charge you £5, and the Soho Theatre has lunchtime theatre Monday to Saturday for just £3 ($9.80). You can choose to stand up at the Royal Court Theatre Downstairs, and you'll only have to part with 10p (33c).

The Half Price Ticket Booth in Leicester Square will help you to get cheaper tickets for the big productions.

London Tourist Board