The annual London theatre initiative Kids Week (www.kidsweek.co.uk) has achieved a 77 per cent year-on-year increase in first-day sales, with 85,336 tickets sold in the first 24 hours since going on sale on 17 June at 10am (compared to the equivalent period in 2013). Revenue from paid tickets surpassed £2 million.
Now in its 17th year and run by Society of London Theatre, Kids Week runs from 1–31 August 2014 with an exciting line-up of 37 shows offering free tickets for children. The initiative is all about encouraging young people and their families to experience the magic of live theatre. 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.
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 take a Billy Elliot ballet class, tap dance on stage with Top Hat or take part in an exclusive post-show Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Q&A. Under–fives are invited to attend a The Tiger Who Came to Tea tea-party or enjoy fun activities with Aliens Love Underpants and, for older children, there’s the chance to go backstage at Jersey Boys or learn the moves to the iconic Michael Jackson hit ‘Thriller’ on the set of Thriller Live.
Julian Bird, chief executive of SOLT said: “I am delighted Kids Week has achieved such robust figures in the first day of sales alone, with an incredible year-on-year growth. The London theatre industry really gets behind Kids Week to offer unrivalled opportunities for children to take centre stage every August, often giving them their first experience of the magic of live theatre.”
There are still more than 50,000 tickets available for Kids Week shows, and allocations are topped up over the summer months. Book online at www.kidsweek.co.uk or via the dedicated ticket hotline 0844 248 5151 supported by Ticketmaster. There are no booking or postage fees.
In addition to the free children’s tickets, families will be able to enjoy meal deals at selected London restaurants and take advantage of travel and hotel offers.
The shows taking part in Kids Week 2014 are:
All Ages 3+
Aliens Love Underpants, The Elephantom, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, What the Ladybird Heard
All Ages 5+
The 39 Steps, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Disney’s The Lion King, Hetty Feather, Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain Part 2, I Believe In Unicorns, Let It Be, Mamma Mia!, Matilda the Musical, Les Misérables, The Pajama Game, The Phantom of the Opera, Stomp, Thriller Live, Top Hat, Wicked
Parental Guidance
Billy Elliot the Musical, The Bodyguard, The Commitments, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, The Importance of Being Earnest, Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense, The Mousetrap, Shakespeare In Love, War Horse, The Woman in Black
15+
Avenue Q, Ghost Stories, Jersey Boys, Let the Right One In, Once, A Small Family Business
Please note: Shows are listed by age suitability but this is only a guideline. Information about the shows is available on the Kids Week website. Shows on offer may change throughout the promotion and all offers are subject to availability for specific performances (especially at weekends).
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