Kids Week 2018

Kids Week is back this August and now in it’s 21st year it’s bigger and better than ever, with a fantastic array of West End theatre, workshops and backstage fun on offer.

Here’s all you need to know and top tips on booking your tickets for this summer.

What is Kids Week?

Kids Week has been running for an incredible 21 years and is one of the longest running audience development initiatives.  The aim of Kids Week is to introduce young people to the magic of West End theatre at an incredible price. During Kids Week a child aged 16 or under can go free to participating shows when accompanied by an adult paying full price. Up to two extra children’s tickets can also be purchased at half price, per transaction.

What is going on this year?

There are 43 shows to choose from this year and Kids Week also has a fantastic range of free activities and events – many new ones and others that are back by popular demand! Children can join in an Aladdin or Matilda show workshop, meet the cast of Metta’s Little Mermaid, take part in a Q&A with the cast and creative of Jacqueline Wilson’s Double Act. Under 8’s can go on an adventure in a We’re Going On A Bear Hunt workshop and for older children, there’s the chance to go on a ghost tour at the home of The Woman in Black, or re-create the famous barricade scene from Les Mis and plenty more.

The Kids Week show and activity listings can be found here.

Top tips for booking tickets?

Here are a few tips to bear in mind when booking opens for Kids Week 2018.

• Booking will open at 10am on Tuesday 12th June, for performances in August.
• Create a Ticketmaster Account before 12th June. This will save you time when booking.
• When you are booking tickets, be flexible by having at least two or three show options and several dates available. Allocations for certain shows do sell quickly.
• Remember not to promise your children any tickets before you’ve booked them.
• On the first day the website and phone lines are always busy. Try booking online at another time or call back later – it pays to be persistent.
• Bookmark https://officiallondontheatre.com/kids-week and check it whenever you can. It is constantly updated with the latest ticket allocations and activity availability.
• Join Kids Week on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates, news and chat. You can also sign up to their Family Bulletin here.
• If you need access requirements, you will need to book through the theatre directly but can still benefit from Kids Week rate or the access rate (whichever is cheapest). Find out more here.

Who supports Kids Week?

Kids Week is run by Official London Theatre and supported by members of Society of London Theatre (SOLT). SOLT is the not-for-profit organisation, which provides a collective voice for the theatre owners, producers and managers of all the major commercial and grant-aided theatres across London. SOLT also administers the audience development initiatives like Kids Week and Get Into London Theatre, and supports a number of theatrical charities including Stage One and Mousetrap Theatre Projects.

Why is the theatre so important for children?

Kids Week is all about introducing young children to the theatre and giving them a great experience, which will carry through to adulthood. Theatre is not just important but can be incredibly fun. The West End has long been family friendly but we are finding that more and more producers are scheduling children’s shows for Kids Week.

To get a flavour of what to expect this August, have a look at this fab video featuring characters from across the West End.