Theatre on a budget: a short guide

Conservative politicians haven't shown the greatest sympathy towards people affected by the cost of living crisis lately. In response to growing numbers of people turning to food banks after inflation and energy cost hikes this year, MP Lee Anderson blamed the increase on poor cooking and budgetary skills. "There's not this massive use for food banks in this country," he claimed. "We've got generation after generation who cannot cook properly... they cannot budget." Anderson came under fire for his remarks, but fellow Tory MPs backed him up. "Absolutely spot on," tweeted Brendan-Clarke Smith; "you're not going to be able to break the cycle of poverty... if you aren't honest about poor basic skills around cooking and budgeting," argued Ben Bradley.

Comments like these make it clear that we cannot rely on the people in charge to understand the pressures that many of us are under. And when we're being encouraged to make meals from 30p a pop, and feeling the squeeze when it comes to energy and inflation, it's easy to understand why artistic activities can fall by the wayside. But, as Judy Collins once sang, 'give us bread, but give us roses': art is good for the soul, and shouldn't be the preserve of the wealthy. So, in an attempt to make the best out of a bad situation, we've rounded up some of the ways you can see theatre on a budget – to keep that soul of yours well fed and watered as times get dark.

Check in with your local theatre
Some theatres have schemes where you can get heavily discounted tickets if you live in the area. Glasgow's Citizens Theatre building may be shut right now for refurbishment, but they are still staging shows at the nearby Tramway. If you have a G5 postcode and a Gorbals Card, you can get tickets to any Citizens show for just £2. Over in the city's East End, Platform offers £4 tickets to members of the free Local Links programme, eligible across 8 postcodes.

Comb through free festival programmes
Summer is on its way, which means the arrival of Festival season. You've probably heard of the Free Fringe, EFF's more budget-friendly counterpart. It's a fantastic way to see shows without spending a penny. Keep an eye out for smaller local community festivals too – touring productions will often hit them en route. The Govanhill International Festival, an anti-racist festival in Glasgow's Southside, has a diverse, annual programme of free events, sometimes including theatre and dance. The Southside Fringe, Glasgow Mela and Leith Festival  also tend to programme theatre and dance, for free or at affordable prices.

Head to the previews
Previews, meaning the first few days of a show, are always cheaper than the rest of a run. Why? The show technically hasn't opened yet, at least not to critics. Think of it as getting an exclusive look at a show in its purest form, before press have had the chance to break or make the entire company's hearts.

Check out concessions and affordable ticket schemes
Are you young, a student, a senior, unemployed, a person with a disability, receiving low-income benefits or someone with an Equity or other Entertainment Union card? You'll be eligible for a discount at most major theatres in Scotland. The Traverse offer limited £1 tickets to people under 25 or people receiving low-income benefits. The Citizens also offer a great 50p ticket scheme for full capacity show runs. It's available to everyone – punters just need to queue up outside the theatre the Saturday before the show opens.

Become a reviewer
OK, this one's a bit different from the others: you do actually have to have a keen interest in arts journalism and strong writing skills to become a reviewer. You can't just do it for the free tix, but, if you do tick the first two boxes, and are up for swapping your labour for a free show, it could be a good option for you. Whether you're a student, aspiring critic, or a worker with some spare time who enjoys writing, numerous publications are often looking for new contributors. Check out sites like A Younger Theatre, Broadway Baby and The Wee Review to see if they're recruiting: you don't need to be an expert to give it a go, especially if it's on a voluntary basis. We're always keen to hear from new writers here at The Skinny too.

Become friends with a reviewer
Better yet, make friends with a reviewer – they sometimes get +1 tickets. If you haven't got a reviewer friend already, they're quite easy to identify. Just look out for the people desperately trying to write in notebooks in a dark theatre, or annoying everyone else by tapping on their Notes app during the show's most significant silences. Then corner them at the bar afterwards.

Don't feel like it's fair to have to go to these lengths? Reckon that high-quality theatre should be accessible for all without having to scrimp, scheme and schmooze your way into one of those plush, upholstered, restricted view seats? Shame on you, you lazy culture fiends! We've given you the tools, now you just need to budget better! Of course, the government could always introduce a windfall tax, scrap the National Insurance rise and introduce a universal basic income to target rising energy prices and stop theatre tickets from sky rocketing. But that would be making it too easy.