Treat Membership gives you 50% off at restaurants, special offers at theatres, hotels and much more. Have a look at their website!

www.treatcard.co.uk

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This is a fantastic London institution. In the centre of Regent's Park it is a little piece of magic. You enter through a small gate and the softly draped fairy lights around the bar, the smell of barbecued meat and the excited buzz of over 1,000 fellow attendees makes for a really exciting night. Many start with a picnic on the lawns outside in the park which is a fab way to feel really summery. Tickets start from ten pounds. Every year performances include Midsummer Night's Dream, a children's play and something contemporary (this year it is the Boyfriend). It also stages comedy nights and concerts on Sundays. Comedy Store Players is fantastic but sells out quickly every year. It is a completely unpretentious night out, you can take wine and crisps etc. into the auditorium. Advise that you also take warm clothes and possibly waterproofs, depending on the weather!

openairtheatre.org/

Regents Park, 10 minutes walk from Baker Street tube.

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Sited on that increasingly buzzing area, the South Bank, this reproduction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is a refreshing change from the theatre district of the West End. It's an opportunity to see great plays performed by superb actors in the setting in which they are meant to be seen; oh, and the only way to see it is as a 'groundling' standing in the open area in front of the stage - where else can you get a good night's entertainment for a fiver?!!

Watch out for other events as well, as the Globe has been used in the past for musical events and the London venue for a certain Mr Billy Connolly on his 'World Tour'.

www.shakespeares-globe.org/

Shakespeare's Globe
21 New Globe Walk
Bankside
London
SE1 9DT

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It's almost impossible to find a seat in most pubs in the West End area between 5 and 8pm, but the Nell is handily equipped with an upstairs area which most people seem to ignore. If you're off to see a show at
Drury Lane, The Coliseum, The Donmar or the ROH, the Nell should provide you with a drink and a seat beforehand.

29 Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5JS; Tel: 020 7836 5328

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Re-energised since Nicholas Hytner became the artistic director two years ago, The National has finally begun to reflect 21st century Britain, with productions as diverse as Henry IV, Jerry Springer: The Opera and Elmina's Kitchen. As a result, the whole place is buzzing again, with the most diverse and vital audience of any major artistic venue in Britain. £10 tickets for the TravelEx plays make the whole package even more attractive.

South Bank, SE1 9PX; Nearest tube: Waterloo or Embankment; www.nt-online.org/

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The birthplace of Jerry Springer: The Opera is the spiritual centre of London's fringe theatre scene. BAC's success has been founded not just on the quality and diversity of its programme, but also on establishing the building as a cultural crucible. Scratch nights, where untested ideas can be shown to audiences who are encouraged to give feedback to the artists in the bar later, along with an extensive set of festivals mean that this is where to go to find the most cutting-edge theatre in the city.

Lavender Hill, SW11 5TN; Tel: 020 7223 2223; www.bac.org.uk

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Only a couple of years old and already firmly established as one of the most exciting and consistent fringe theatres in London, the Menier Chocolate Factory should be high on the must-see list of culture vultures everywhere. The programming is eclectic, but not perversely so, and with hits like Fully Committed already transferring to the West End, this venue has a sure touch for both commercial and critical success. The fact that it also boasts an excellent restaurant improves an already attractive proposition.

51/53 Southwark Street, SE! 1RU; Tel: 020 7907 7060 ; Tube: London Bridge; www.menierchocolatefactory.com

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