The Society of London Theatre (previously The Society of West End Theatre) is an umbrella organization for West End theatre in London.
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The Society operates tkts, the only official half-price London theatre ticket booth in Leicester Square and can now also be found at Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Half Price and discounted tickets for a number of shows can be bought on the day of the performance, as well as up to 7 days in advance. Tickets can only be purchased by personal callers - there is no telephone number. There is a service charge of £3.00 per ticket. [1]. Tkts Leicester Square is located in the clocktower building at the centre of the Square. It is open Monday to Saturday: 10:00-19:00 and Sundays: 11:00-16:00[2]. tkts at Brent Cross Shopping Centre can be found on the Upper Mall next to M&S and is open Monday to Friday: 10:00-13:30 and 14:00-16:30, Saturdays: 10:00-19:00 and Sunday: 12 noon-13:30 and 14:00-16:30.
After the official ticket booth in Leicester Square was set up, a number of other ticket agencies nearby put up large signs calling themselves official half-price ticket sellers, perhaps to attract those who knew that there was a booth in the area, but not its exact location. These are unrelated to the official sites, and should not be relied upon.
The society organize the annual Laurence Olivier Awards. Up until, and including, 1983, the awards were popularly known as the SWET Awards.
The Laurence Olivier Bursary was established by the Society in 1987, in honour of the actor's 80th birthday, to support talented students starting their final year of drama school. Such students often face financial difficulties because intense contact hours mean there is little time for students to do paid work. The Society invites about 20 drama schools to each nominate two exceptionally talented students for financial support. A judging panel then choses the winning candidate. In addition to the main Olivier Bursary, other smaller prizes are awarded in the form of the Mary Selway Bursary, Carmen Silvera Bursary and Behrens Foundation Bursary. The annual awards total about £60,000.[3]