Here are the most popular theatre experiences for ‘date night’
A scene from The Nutcracker by The Royal Ballet @ The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. (Opening 08-12-15) ©Tristram Kenton 12/15 (3 Raveley Street, LONDON NW5 2HX TEL 0207 267 5550 Mob 07973 617 355)email: [email protected]
by Jim Dixon, Theatre Bookings Expert at SeatPlan
Whether you’re planning something special for Valentine’s Day or simply want a fun date night with your partner, we’ve listed the best theatres, seats and most searched for shows on Google* for a romantic night out with your partner this year.
Best romantic location
Returning to the theatre after its launch on Valentine’s weekend in 2020, there’s a lot of hype around Pretty Woman: The Musical with it being our most searched for ‘date night’ show. There’s currently an impressive average of 8,800 people searching for tickets every month in the UK.
The stage production adds music from Bryan Adams and takes place at The Savoy Theatre, located on the Strand, next to the historic Savoy Hotel. It’s the perfect location for pre-theatre drinks in the luxurious Beaufort Bar, or alternatively there are plenty of cosy, romantic restaurants for a couple’s evening meal.
Best for a bit of cheeky fun
Mamma Mia!
Set on a beautiful Greek island and weaving ABBA’s musical hits into its story, Mamma Mia! is about a young, bride-to-be who discovers that any one of three men could be her father. She invites all three to her wedding (without telling her mother), with both hilarious and heart-warming consequences…
Mamma Mia! was our second most-searched for date night show with an average of 5,880 searches a month. It’s running at The Novello Theatre with tickets available from £18.00.
& Juliet
Imagine if there was life for Juliet after Romeo…
… well, in this modern retake, we see Shakespeare’s tragedy reimagined with Juliet avoiding her fate, dumping Romeo, and setting off with her friends for Paris. Despite only opening in 2019, & Juliet makes the list of top ten date night shows. It’s in seventh place and is searched for an average 1,510 times a month.
Set to a pop soundtrack including Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” and Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way”, & Juliet is showing at The Shaftesbury Theatre from £24.60.
Best romantic ‘classic’
The Phantom of the Opera
Despite it running for over thirty years, The Phantom of the Opera is still our third most searched for show from our list of front-runners, with an average of 5,550 people searching for its details every month.
Based on Gaston Leroux’s novel, the show follows the story of the masked musical genius – the Phantom – and beautiful, soprano Christine. When the young singer becomes the object of his affections, the Phantom will stop at nothing to possess her, even as she falls for childhood friend Vicomte Raoul.
Running at Her Majesty’s Theatre, tickets for this tale of jealousy, obsession and desire set amongst an incredible score are available from £26.80.
Best romantic musicals
Moulin Rouge
The stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 iconic film Moulin Rouge! The Musical is showing in the Piccadilly Theatre until the 28th of May 2022.
Bringing Parisian exoticism, show-stopping sets and heart-breaking romance to the West End, this show is guaranteed to get you belting out a medley of pop hits. It’s fourth in our list of most searched for date night shows too, with 4,360 searches taking place, on average, each month.
For the best deals on tickets, check out the show’s performances in February, which are currently available from £42.00
Dirty Dancing
Based on the classic ’80s film, Dirty Dancing the musical is the story of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman, whose life is turned upside when she encounters dance instructor Johnny Castle on holiday with her parents. It’s the sixth most searched for show with an average 1,850 searches a month.
In the infamous ‘I carried a watermelon’ scene, Baby stumbles across an unexpected all-night dance party in staff quarters. She soon finds herself a new role as dance instructor Johnny’s partner – but what starts as onstage chemistry soon takes over in real life…
Dirty Dancing the musical is showing at the Dominion Theatre with tickets for the show currently available from £23.80
Best date night prices
To find the best prices for date night theatre tickets certified online sellers and ticket platforms frequently offer discounts on seats that need filling.
To find these discounts, look for the discount deals page, typical for ticket platforms. Here you can find the latest cheap tickets for the week, where you can get your hands on the most sought-after seats for the best available prices.
And for even more money off theatre tickets, many online platforms offer rewards schemes too. For example, SeatPlan enables consumers to upload reviews of their seating arrangement when visiting a theatre, which they can trade for digital theatre vouchers.
Booking online in advance is another great way for you to save money.
Figure out which show you want to watch and be flexible with your dates, this will allow you to shop around and find the best deals.
By being organised, you are likely to find better seats without paying through the nose for them.
Old or young, there are several schemes for discounted access to theatre performances, with some even offering bargains such as 25 percent off all food and drink. If you’re under 26, many theatres offer discounts as little as £5 per ticket.
Lots of theatres offer a student discount, as well as access to many other events and creative opportunities.
And if you’re over 65, many theatres will also offer you a concession.
