The Royal Court's circle level (I saw the play from one of the two hatch windows on the right-hand side). Photograph: David Levene
Theatre in the UK has never been cheaper, we're told. The internet's overridden with offers, deals on West End shows put Broadway prices to shame and the National's £10 Travelex season has convinced many that a night at the theatre doesn't have to be horrifically expensive. That's all very well - I love a bargain - but maybe thrifty theatre-going comes with a hidden cost. You might save a few quid, but does it leave you with a miserable experience? Is it even worth bothering with the darkest, dustiest seats right up in the gods?
So I've decided to sniff out the best value tickets - trying out the cheapest seats and reporting on whether they're worth sitting in. I'll be suggesting contenders for the best deals on opera, Shakespeare, outdoor theatre and other categories - and I also want to hear your tips for theatres in your region.
First off: where's the cheapest place to see plays by emerging writers? I'm nominating London's Royal Court, arguably the birthplace of modern British drama - a stage that's paid host to groundbreaking works by John Osborne, Eugene Ionesco and Sarah Kane. The theatre's regular price structure is extremely reasonable (£10-25) and for certain productions they release a set number of £5 tickets for 25s and under - a smart strategy that makes this one of the youngest, most informed theatre crowds I've experienced. I decide to book on a Monday night, when every seat costs £10. But I had a better price in mind: one of the 10p standing positions, available at every performance on a first-come, first-served basis. You can't get much in this world for 10p, so surely I had nothing to lose. Or did I? When I look up what's on, the title of the play, by Bruce Norris, suddenly looms like a bad omen: The Pain and the Itch. A standing ticket might cost a few pence, but will I be landed with an osteopath bill on top of it?
Standing tickets are sold at the box office one hour before the performance. There are only eight of them, so an early arrival and a spot of hanging around is the best strategy. I get to the theatre just before 6pm and there are already two queues forming: returns (tonight's performance is sold out) and standing. A chap in the returns line is attracted by the notion of a 10p ticket, but shudders at the thought of standing. "I'm 40," he says, by way of explanation.
It has to be said that there are worse places to hang around than the Royal Court. While waiting, I sift through a binder of reviews to see what critics have made of this latest entry in the theatre's series of dysfunctional family portraits. A motley bunch of bargain hunters gathers, swapping tips on other cheap seats for new theatre (such as the Arcola in east London, which has a pay-what-you-can night). A few of the crowd are 10p regulars, which I take as a positive sign that it's an experience worth repeating. Come 6.30pm, all the standing tickets are snapped up - though an usher says this isn't always the case. With another hour to kill, I enjoy a slap-up meal in the Royal Court. Well, if your ticket costs 10p there's no excuse not to - I recommend the peach crumble.
Situated on the circle level, there are four standing positions on the slips at either side of the stage. You share a sort of peek-a-boo window space with a neighbour; squeezing in and peering out feels like being in the stocks. Sadly, from here you can see only half of the set, which is done out as a state-of-the-art living room. My neighbour eyeballs the empty places in the circle - "They're rarely full," he whispers, but adds that it's only proper to wait until the second half before pouncing on them.
By the interval, I've got a crick in my neck from craning to see the stage and am ready to put my feet up. I think about suggesting that all the standers swap sides for the second half - to even out the neck pain - but re-entering the theatre I find that everyone's left to nab the spare seats instead. It's a bit of a moralistic minefield, but I follow suit. On a full night, though, I could happily have stayed at my perch in the slips.
Reasonable prices are, of course, essential for a theatre showcasing new work. A star name might attract the crowds (tonight's lead, Matthew Macfadyen, is well known thanks to Spooks and Pride and Prejudice) but it's a decent price that really allows people to take a risk on a production. Offering an evening's entertainment for the princely sum of 10p makes the Royal Court really stand out for me - if future productions sell out, it's also nice to know that you can just turn up early on the night and stand it out.
Next week, I've got a date with the Royal Opera House's upper echelons. But in the meantime, which theatres get your vote for work by up-and-coming writers?
Chris paid 10p and stood in the left-hand-side slips
