When you crave a night filled with the performing arts, take the time to experience London’s theater. Prices for shows vary from £18 to £70 ($33-$130), depending on where you go to view a performance and how far away you sit from the stage.

To inquire about tickets, contact the British Visitors Center, located at 1 Regent St., (020/7014-8550) or the Harrods ticket desk at 87-135 Brompton Rd. (020/7589-9109). If you haven’t booked go to Leicester Square on the day of the performance in the late afternoon and queue for half price tickets for almost all the major shows – telephone (+44 0) 171-836-0971 or check with you hotel reception about the best time to do this (you need to go earlier for the chance of tickets for the top west end productions).

Almeida Theatre (Fringe Theatre)
Almeida St., N1
Telephone: +44 0171-359-4404
Here you will find a mixture of new and classic plays to ease your desire for a night with the theater with reasonable prices. Past productions have featured Ralph Fiennes in Hamlet and Dame Diana Rigg in Medea, both of which ended up at Broadway.

Apsley House, the Wellington Museum
149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner, W1
Telephone: +44 0171-499-5676
Here you can tour the home of the first Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. The house is decorated with paintings by Goya, Rubens, Correggio, as well as Brueghel. One of the main attractions you must check out is the massive marble statue of Napoleon created by Canova, wearing only a fig leaf.

Royal National Theatre
South Bank Centre, SE1
Telephone: +44 0171-928-2252
There are three theatres which make up the National Theater, including the Olivier, the more traditional Lyttelton and the Cottesloe. Here is where you come to enjoy classic drama, as well as award-winning new plays. Come and check out the comedy, musicals and shows for young people. Six plays usually are offered at any one time. This full-time theater also features many bars, cafes, restaurants, music, exhibitions, book shops and terraces to explore.

Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore SW7
Telephone: +44 0171-589-3203
You will find that this attraction is most often used for classical concerts. You can also enjoy a variety of entertainment, including boxing matches, comedy and rock concerts.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, SE1
Telephone: +44 0171-928-6406
Come to this theater and you will enjoy a wonderfully reconstructed replica of Shakespeare’s original theater-in-the-round. Located on its original site, you can catch a great performance of one of the Bard’s masterpieces.

The Society of London Theatre
Leicester Square
Telephone: +44 0171-836-0971
When you are looking for a discount ticket to a show you really wish to attend, this booth sells tickets for numerous shows at half-price. Note that there is a service fee. You can only obtain a ticket on the day of the performance. There is a limit of only four tickets per person.

Barbican Theatre-Royal Shakespeare Company
Silk Street, Barbican, EC2
Telephone: +44 0171-638-8891
Here you will find the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, which is considered one of the world’s best theater companies. Choose from one of three different productions offered each week.