Looking for cheap entertainment? Ditch the channel surfing and head to a live recording.
We all know there's nothing like a night out, but sometimes the dual call of the couch and television is too tempting. It's easy, it's free, and unless you've accidentally flipped over to Britain's Got Talent, you're bound to see some decent performers. Fortunately, there’s a way to indulge your television addictions without becoming house-bound – join a studio audience.
Television and radio shows are recorded in front of live studio audiences across London nearly every day of the week. From panel shows to sitcoms (and yes, even trashy reality television finals), the vast majority of comedy and light entertainment programs are recorded in front of a live audience. And they're almost always free to attend.
You can’t simply walk into a taping, and booking a ticket doesn’t guarantee you entry, but there are a few things you can do to improve your chances. The first step is to express your interest in a particular show. Audience booking sites SRO Audiences and Applause Store host bookings for a number of popular television programs like QI, Mock the Week and Top Gear, while the BBC is the best place to look for tickets to radio shows.
Once you have selected the program you would like to see live, you generally have to pick several dates and times that are available before crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. If you’re lucky, you'll be emailed your tickets and details of the venue. But if you read the fine print you’ll discover there are yet more hoops to jump through.
Production companies like to overbook to ensure a full audience during tapings. It’s understandable (a half-empty studio looks bad on camera), but it means arriving early. Very early. If the gates open at 6pm, experienced audience-goers will be there at 5pm. It’s a long wait, particularly in the winter months, but arriving early not only ensures that you get in, but you’re also likely to get better seats.
After being given a coloured wristband and passing through a security check (try and avoid bringing any unnecessary metal objects), you’ll be taken to the audience waiting area. The size and set-up of the waiting room varies between different studios, but there’s always a bar with snacks and drinks. Try not to overdo it with the drinks; there’s no intermission and it’s generally frowned upon if you try and sneak out for a toilet break halfway through filming.
Eventually you’ll be sent into the studio in the order of your numbered wristband. If you’re given the choice of where to sit, choose wisely. Front row and aisle seats give you the best opportunity to spot your mug on telly when the show airs, but it also means having your immediate view blocked by wandering cameramen. Most of the seating is tiered (and quite comfy), but some shows like 10 O’Clock Live have a few rows of awkward block seating. Don’t be ashamed of folding your jacket into a makeshift pillow: you won’t be moving for quite some time.
Before the filming begins you’ll be taken through the basics of studio audience etiquette by the warm up guy. Phones off, location of emergency exits… it’s not unlike boarding a plane. The warm up guy’s job is to get the audience responsive, so expect a few naff pantomime games and clapping rehearsals. Don’t worry: as fake as it seems to practice spontaneous laughter, it will come true enough when the show begins.
From then on, it’s like watching a DVD with all the extras. The highlight of being in a studio audience is seeing all the pieces that usually end up on the floor of the editing suite. You might see ‘inappropriate touching’ between cast members in a Fast & Loose sketch, or the playful mocking of a panel host who’s misread the autocue for the fourth time in a row. Even live shows have their off-screen highlights, with Jimmy Carr and David Mitchell giving some of their best quips during 10 O’Clock Live commercial breaks.
Being in a studio audience isn’t for everyone. You can’t heckle (or change the channel), and you often have to sit through retakes of bodged lines. But for guaranteed laughs and big-name acts, you won’t find a cheaper night out.
See more As Seen on TV comedy
See more Established comedy
Return to the London Comedy homepage
Image credit: Nationaal Archief
Add an event
Review: The Company You Keep
Robert Redford, an iconic face of Western cinema whose influence for decades has weighe...