Help is at hand, however. Only a few weeks after the London Mayor Ken Livingstone opened his cheap theatre tickets season, the car parks are following suit. According to the Society of London Theatres (SOLT), the Masterpark Theatreland scheme will give theatregoers 50% off the usual parking costs. All audience members have to do is to get their car park tickets stamped at the theatre, then show it and their theatre ticket stub (which must be dated the same day) to the car park cashier when it’s time to pay.

Eight of the West End’s most popular car parks are participating with the scheme:
China Town (Newport Street, WC2)
Leicester Square (Whitcomb Street, WC2)
Marble Arch and Park Lane (W1)
Pimlico (Cumberland Street SW1)
Soho (Poland Street, W1)
Trafalgar Square (Spring Gardens, SW1)
Cavendish Square (W1)
Rochester Square (SW1)

For more information on the scheme, telephone (0)800 243348 or visit www.masterpark.org.uk.