The plays the thing

Theaters, shows, and plays in Europe and how to get tickets

Whether it's the familiar tunes of Phantom or Mamma Mia on London's West End, the arias of Aïda in the ancient Roman amphitheatre of Verona, a rock concert in Berlin, or a chamber music performance in a baroque Prague hall, make a point of stepping out at least once in Europe and doing a full-blown High Culture night on the town.

The British Isles is where you can stoke your brain with the memorable lines and repartee of plays and such, if only because because Shakespeare's a bit harder to follow in Spanish or Slovenian.

That said, I did once witness a memorable performance of Macbeth on an Amsterdam stage that was put on by a troupe of Japanese actors kitted out in full samurai gear. I was also 12 at the time, and my advice is this: if you want a 12-year-old boy to be seriously impressed by Shakespeare, find some way to work in lots of samurai swords and furious yelling in Japanese, even—wait, especially—if it's Romeo and Juliet.

In other countries, it might be wiser to stick to the opera, classical concerts, ballet, or freaky experimental theater that makes no sense in any language.

Top venues

I'll do up a list of all top performance halls later, but for now, here are the best of the best:

There, that should hold you over.

Actually, as I am off to London tomorrow night—where I hope to enjoy many a show and play —I don't really have time to do a decent little essay on cultural nightlife in Europe right now. Packing, you see, takes priority. However, I have already put in the most important links below for securing tickets before you go.

Not that you really need to get tix before taking off for most shows, concerts, plays, operas, and other staged events (unless they're massive popular or one-time-only productions). For the most part, you can get tickets at the door of the theater around 1pm on the day of performance, and usually for less than the official rate.

Where to find tickets

Keith Prowse (www.keithprowse.com) — If missing that one show will spoil your trip, book ahead with KP. The agency has tix at all the important venues in London (including Wimbledon, soccer games, and the Chelsea Flower Show), Germany, Paris (cabaret, mostly), and Dublin.

London's Half-Price Ticket Booth (www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/tkts) — No trip to London is complete with standing in line (er, excuse me: "queueing") at the half-price ticket booth on the south end of Leichester ("Lester") Square, which in fall 2003 was rebranded TKTS (just like the ones in New York) to set ift off from the also-ran ticket pushers in the neighborhood. This Website is also the Official London Theatre Guide.

Le Kiosque Theatre, Paris—No Website, no phone, just half-priced tickets at a kiosk on place de Madeleine in Paris (with a second branch at the Parvis de la Gare Montparnasse). It's open Tuesday to Satruday from 12:30 to 8pm, Sunday 12:30 to 4pm.

HekTicket, Berlin (www.hekticket.de) Half-price tickets in Berlin. Two locations: in the entrance hall of the German bank on Hardenbergstrasse, near the zoo; and at the Alexanderplatz S-Bahn station on Alex Karl Liebknecht Strasse (cash only).