Photos courtesy of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and Craig Fuller
Are there ways you can save money on your pantomime trip this year... Oh yes there are!
Events such as pantomimes are expensive, and many people looking to save money on their festive celebrations might well consider cutting out a trip to the panto this year if money is tight, or maybe watch a panto on TV instead, which is free.
Still, for many families, a trip to watch a pantomime is a family tradition that really helps lift the Christmas spirit, in the same manner as watching the annual Christmas lights switch on in their home town. So, not wanting to miss out on the zany fun of watching the festive spectacular, are there any ways to cut your costs this panto season?
Panto season is likely to be the busiest time for theatres; often it's when the theatres make the money to cover the costs of running a theatre during the quieter months, and so, understandably, they aren't always keen to be heavy-handed when it comes to pantomime discounts, but that doesn't mean savings can't be made!
How can you save money on a trip to the Panto?
Cheaper weekday matinee - Monday to Thursday matinee (lunchtime) tickets are usually the most affordable ticket option. Monday to Thursday evening will be the next cheapest option, and if you want to pay more, go to a Friday, Saturday or Sunday performance as these are the premium-priced ticket performances, so avoid these if you can if you're trying to keep your costs low, although watching a panto on Christmas Eve is likely to be the best show to experience!
Pre-book/advance seats - Many theatres will offer discounts for early bird purchasers of tickets. My local theatre, The Yvonne Arnaud in Guildford, well known for its fab pantomimes, offers around 50 early bird tickets for selected performances, which can be as much as 50% off. These tickets are usually made available when the pantomime tickets go on sale mid-year, so you might need to be pretty quick to snap them up, but it's worth checking to see if any of these deals are still available.
Concessions - Often, for Monday to Thursday performances, people in receipt of benefits such as pension credit, Universal Credit, student, people under 25 etc, can often get discounts on the cost of tickets, as can essential companion tickets, which are often offered for someone accompanying an adult patron who might not otherwise be able to attend the performance.
Standby seats - are a less popular option for theatres these days, but some offer standby tickets, which are cheaper tickets made available just before the performance starts. You'd need to go and hope for a ticket, which isn't guaranteed! These aren't as popular these days as often people don't buy tickets for a performance in the hope that they'll pick up discounted tickets minutes before the curtain goes up, so theatres have become wise to this, and many theatres have stopped standby seats entirely.
This isn't just because theatres are being tight; it's because many theatres don't put on their own performances. They're put on by independent production companies, who'll pay the theatres a percentage of ticket sales. If tickets aren't selling, then they may cancel the production entirely, which leads to less choice for theatre users and potentially higher ticket prices in the future.
Bulk discounts - if you need to purchase tickets for several performances, you might be able to wangle a bulk discount, which might be as much as a 25% discount. This is useful if you want to go to more than one showing of the panto or perhaps want to book the panto and also tickets for other productions at the same time, as you may then be eligible for a bulk discount.
Join the theatre fan club: Many theatres offer a fan club or membership scheme where members get access to special ticket deals and prices, exclusive events, and often discounts on food and drinks as well, so its well worth becoming a member, which is often free, although some theatres do make a small charge for this.
Check local discount groups: You may find that local town councils, merchant organisations, or shopping centres offer discounted tickets for performances. A local retailer group (Experience Guildford) is currently offering free kids' tickets with a paid adult ticket, which can help you save a few extra pounds on your trip.
Theatre Tokens - You can buy theatre tokens on gift card cashback apps. As an example, Theatre Tokens have 6.5% cashback on JamDoughnut, which could be a significant saving when you take into account that panto tickets at my local theatre are around £30 for an adult and £15 for a child, so a family of 4 might look at £90 for tickets, (even more for premium performances such as Christmas Eve), which would be £6.17 cashback via JamDoughnut. Just make sure the theatre accepts Theatre Tokens before you buy them!
Groupon: It's always worth checking Groupon for discounted tickets. Some theatres offer discounted tickets for specific performances, which usually are at a less busy time, such as a Monday matinee during term time. It's a way for the theatres to get 'bums on seats'!
Relaxed Performances - These are performances designed for people with sensory issues, as the performances are normally better lit in the auditorium and may have less pyrotechnic effects, so there are fewer loud bangs and strobe lighting effects. These performances are often earlier on in the panto run and also at the very end of the panto run. My local theatre offers tickets for between £16 and £25, compared to £37 tickets if you go to a performance on Xmas Eve.
Snacks and drinks: Hugely frowned upon by theatres, is the option to take your own food and drinks with you for the interval. You'll struggle to sneak in an ice cream, but sweets and snacks could be taken with you to keep your costs lower. Don't take in hot food or strong-smelling food, and please avoid packaging that rustles when you open it - You'll get a strong glare from me if you are seated near me and rustle a crisp packet throughout the performance!
It is worth mentioning that, not unlike cinemas, theatres make their revenue from snacks and drinks. They may only receive a small portion of the ticket price, so they rely on the sales of snacks and drinks to help pay for staffing and theatre upkeep. Taking away the revenue can jeopardise future performances, plus some theatres, such as my local, are actually charities, and so a few extra quid for your bag of Maltesers from the foyer can help keep that charity afloat throughout the year.