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Most London theatres are closed on Sundays, with most open Mon - Sats. Most theatres are also open normally on UK Bank Holidays, except Christmas Day, when all theatres are closed.
Generally, the theatres are divided into West End , Fringe and repertory like The National Theatre (NT).
WEST END
These theatres are commercial, mainly putting on big productions with a lot of money spent on them. Prices can be high, sometimes as much as £60 for top price tickets, and much more if buying from an agency. However, the cheapest can be as low as £15 depending on the day of the week (although it may not be a great view). The West End does have a lot of musicals playing, but there are still many good plays featuring superb actors/actress . I don't think you will find as much diversity anywhere else in the world.
NT and GLOBE THEATRE
These theatres, National Theatre (NT) and the Globe Theatre are two of the most popular repertoire companys in London. The NT is subsidised. This means they are not as commercial as the West End. They can take a risk with new and unknown writers, and plays that may not appeal to a wide audience. Having said that, probably the best plays are shown here. Some get transferred to the West End if they are very successful.
The Royal National have three theatres, The Olivier, The Lyttelton and The Cottesloe. Most performances are in repertory, so you can see quite a few plays in one week. The Globe Theatre season is performed from April to September.
THE FRINGE
These plays are generally in smaller theatres, mostly pub theatres in and around London. Some can be very small and run as clubs, where a membership needs to be paid. However most of these theatres include a days membership in the price of the ticket.
You can see some superb plays in these theatres and prices are much lower than the West End.
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