With high ticket prices and a reputation as the pastime of choice for the middle classes, to many, theatre can seem elitist. And yet, more so now than ever, the huge array of different types of theatre being seen all over London and indeed the world, along with the ability to find theatre shows at low cost or even for free means that almost anyone can find something that is right for them and not be expected to pay through the nose for it.
However, the image that theatre still carries means that it is often hard to shed the reputation of pretension or frivolity, a reputation that came about due to the most talked about shows often being the mainstream extravaganzas or the bizarre experimental theatre pieces most often performed by those feeling that their craft was too important to sully with the commercial use of television.
However, today, there are a huge number of young and talented writers and directors who are aiming shows at an audience weaned on television. Not only this but the plethora of
cheap theatre tickets available for all shows now means that almost anyone can afford to enjoy any form of theatre, from the easily accessible to the most bizarre or profound.
The elitist image is a stereotype and one that will hopefully start to be broken now that
discount theatre tickets are so widely available. The costs associated with certain shows can be extremely high and, in turn, tickets may have to be more expensive. However, the majority of shows are now able to use cheap theatre tickets to lure in a wider audience, lengthen their run and in turn make their money back in a different way.
For those who still aren't convinced, why not hunt down some of those
discount theatre tickets and find out for yourself - after all, you won't know if you don't try it.