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Did you know that children can go and see West End shows for free in August?

Every August, Official London Theatre, the not-for-profit organisation that helps promote London’s Theatreland, offer children the opportunity to go and see some amazing shows for free when they go with an accompanying adult.

For the youngest theatre goers there are a huge variety of shows on offer, from Aliens Love Underpants to Zog. If your children are a bit older the you might want to try out a west end classic such as The Lion King or Wicked.

Booking opens in June, and you will need to be quick to book the more popular shows. It’s a good idea to register with Official London Theatre through their website or facebook page. You will receive a list of shows that will be be available so you can get planning. We recommend sitting down with your diary a few days before tickets go sale, work out which would be your top three favourite shows to see, and which dates and times you can make (remembering not all shows are on everyday). If you do want to see one of the big musicals such as the Lion King, you will have to be ready to log on as soon as tickets go on sale as often the allocation for the more popular shows is limited. However, there are many tickets still available as late as July for some amazing shows, including Wicked the Musical, which we recently really enjoyed with our three children. If you can’t find the tickets you were hoping for first time around then remember to register with the site so you will be first to know when new shows are added.

Each show has age guide, and information on the content which can be really helpful if you are trying to work out which shows would work best for your family. If dates are a problem, you can use the calendar to select the day you would like to go and you will be given a list of shows with tickets available that day.

For every full priced adult ticket you will be able to book a child ticket for free. And don’t worry if you are outnumbered by your children as we are, up to two additional children tickets are available half price.

Many of the shows are also offering activities such as behind the scenes tours and q&a’s with the reduction team or performers on certain dates. There are also tickets available for a behind the scenes tour of the National Theatre, and a tour of Shakespeare Globe, which sounds great fun.

Once you have bought your tickets, don’ forget to also browse the ‘kids eat for free’ offers so you can enjoy a pre-theatre meal too.

Finally, remember there are lots of theatre reviews available on Mini Travellers if you need help deciding what to see. http://staging.minitravellers.co.uk/category/theatre/. We will also send you a reminder through the Mini Travellers London facebook page.