If a West End performance is cancelled, you are owed a refund or an exchange from whoever sold you the ticket. If the star is off and an understudy goes on, you are owed nothing: London theatres' terms say in writing that a cast change is not a reason for a refund.
Those two situations feel similar on the night, and they are treated completely differently. A cancellation, a rescheduled date or a "material change" to the show triggers a refund under the theatre's or ticket seller's terms. An absent lead actor, an understudy or a later start time does not, however famous the name on the poster. This page sets out what the published terms actually say, who you claim from, and what to do when a show stops halfway through.
Our guide to West End theatre covers choosing and booking a show. This page starts at the point where something has gone wrong.
Cancelled, changed or recast: the short version
- Performance cancelled
- Refund or exchange from the seller you bought from
- Rescheduled
- Usually the same: move to the new date, or refund
- Star off, understudy on
- No refund. Not a "material change" in the standard terms
- Start time changed
- No refund under the ATG and Official London Theatre terms
- Stopped part-way
- The theatre decides; no published industry threshold
- You cannot go
- No refund as a right; tickets are exempt from the 14-day cooling-off period
- Your counterparty
- The theatre box office or agent that took your money, not the producer
- If the seller will not help
- STAR's free dispute service, if the seller is a STAR member
A cast change is written into the ticket terms
Every major London theatre group reserves the right to change the cast, and most say it in so many words. Ambassador Theatre Group's terms state that "a change of cast or the use of understudies" is not a material change. The Official London Theatre Ticket Booth, run by the Society of London Theatre, says the same: neither understudies nor a change of cast count as a material change. The Old Vic goes further and says it does not offer refunds if an advertised artist is unable to perform. Delfont Mackintosh Theatres reserve the right to alter the time, programme and cast because of circumstances beyond their control.
The notice you see in the foyer or on a slip in the programme, saying that a role "will be played by" another performer at this performance, is the theatre meeting its side of that arrangement. It is information, not an offer. A theatre is free to do more than its terms require, but none of the terms we read promises anything when a performer is off.
Booking to see one actor is a risk you carry. If the reason you are going is a particular performer, check the show's own channels on the day, and avoid the performance where a regular alternate or cover is already announced. Two-show days are when covers most often appear, as our page on matinees and day seats explains. Nothing in the terms protects you if they do not appear.
What "material change" covers instead
The terms reserve refunds for a change that makes the event materially different from what buyers could reasonably expect, in ATG's wording. A different production in the theatre, a concert with the headline act replaced, or a staged show turned into a reading would plausibly qualify. A cast change, an understudy and a new start time are named as not qualifying.
Who decides? The theatre. The Ticket Booth's terms say a change counts as material when "the venue's management considers" it so. That is why the right question to ask a box office is not "do I get my money back?" but "is the theatre treating tonight as a material change?"
When the performance is cancelled
A full cancellation is the clear case. The Old Vic credits the full amount to your account automatically, keeps the credit for 18 months, or gives a full refund on request. Delfont Mackintosh offers an exchange to another performance up to the value of your ticket, or a refund of the ticket and the booking fee. ATG refunds the ticket price including per-ticket fees, but not the per-transaction, collection or delivery fee, and says you must ask as soon as you know.
Two things are never covered. The theatre will not pay for your hotel, your train or the dinner you booked before the show; every set of terms we read excludes those costs. And it is your job to find out: ATG's terms put the responsibility on the customer to check whether an event has been cancelled or rescheduled, and say it does not guarantee to tell you before the day. Keep the booking email to hand and look at the show's own page that afternoon.
For the knock-on costs, the answer is travel insurance or a ticket protection product, if you bought one. Our page on travel insurance for the UK explains what policies usually say about missed events.
When a show stops part-way through
This is the case with the least published guidance. A technical failure, a fire alarm or an injured performer can stop a performance after it has begun. We found no industry rule that fixes how much of a show must have been played before the audience loses its refund, and none of the terms we read sets a threshold.
What does exist is the rule for agents. The Code of Practice of STAR, the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, says that if an event is cancelled or "not fully performed" and the event owner or venue agrees that the ticket price should be partly or fully refunded, the agent should make a corresponding refund to each customer. So the theatre decides whether a stopped show is refunded, exchanged or neither, and the agent passes on whatever the theatre decides.
If it happens to you: stay for the announcement, keep your ticket, and ask front-of-house staff before you leave what the theatre is offering. ATG's terms say complaints affecting a customer's enjoyment must be made to theatre management before or during the performance, or a refund will not be considered. Outdoor theatres have their own weather rules; the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre offers exchanges, not refunds, when rain stops a show.
Face value, booking fees and the restoration levy
Three different amounts make up what you paid, and a refund may not cover all of them.
| Part of the price | What it is | Refunded on cancellation? |
|---|---|---|
| Event price | The price set by the theatre or producer, including VAT and unavoidable charges | Yes: STAR members must refund at least this when the organiser authorises refunds |
| Restoration levy | A charge built into the ticket for theatre upkeep, such as the Old Vic's £1 | Yes: STAR counts it as part of the event price |
| Per-ticket booking fee | The agent's own charge | Depends on the seller; if not, its terms must say so |
| Per-order or delivery fee | Transaction, postage or print-at-home charges | Often not, once tickets have been delivered |
STAR's own guidance is plain: some sellers refund per-ticket booking fees on a cancelled event and others do not, and a seller that does not must say so in its terms before you buy. STAR puts typical booking fees at between 5% and 25% of the event price. Buying at the theatre's own box office in person is often the way to avoid them, as our guide to cheaper theatre tickets describes. The Official London Theatre Ticket Booth in Leicester Square charges £3 a ticket (November 2026).
Claim from the seller, not the theatre
Your contract is with whoever took your money. If you bought from the theatre's box office, that is the theatre. If you bought from an agent, that is the agent, even though the theatre made the decision to cancel. STAR tells customers to contact the ticket seller first, because most problems are settled at the point of purchase.
There is one catch in the STAR Code. If an event is cancelled after the agent has already passed your money on to the event owner, the agent is not responsible for refunding it unless the organiser returns the money to the agent. In practice the large agents handle this, but it explains why refunds through agents can take longer than refunds from a box office. Our wider guide to complaining and consumer rights in Britain explains how this fits with other purchases.
STAR's dispute service is free but only covers its members. Once a member has given its final answer on your complaint, you have up to a year to take it to STAR, which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute for alternative dispute resolution. It cannot award compensation, and it may not consider a booking you are also disputing through your card provider. If the seller is not a member, STAR points you to local Trading Standards instead.
Tickets from a resale site
A ticket bought on a secondary site is where the protection thins out. STAR warns that if an event is cancelled or rescheduled, someone who bought from a reseller without reliable guarantees may not get the same refund or rebooking as the original buyer, because promoters often deal only with people who bought from the venue or its authorised agents.
Some theatres go further and cancel resold tickets outright. The Old Vic says tickets resold in breach of its terms will be cancelled and the buyer will not get in. A resale platform that is itself a STAR member must, under the Code, refund you or help find replacement tickets if you are refused entry through no fault of your own. Our page on common tourist scams covers the fake-ticket pattern, and the same logic applies to the big ticketed events in our guide to how event ballots work.
If you simply cannot go
Illness, a cancelled flight or a strike on the day are your problem under the ticket terms, not the theatre's. STAR notes that tickets are exempt from the 14-day cooling-off period that covers most purchases made online. What you can sometimes get is an exchange: ATG offers exchanges to another performance in the same run for £4.95 a ticket if you ask at least 48 hours ahead, and Delfont Mackintosh allows exchanges for productions with at least eight scheduled performances on similar notice. Delfont Mackintosh will also try to resell a ticket bought directly from it, for £10 per ticket sold and without a guarantee.
If a rail strike is the reason, our guide to visiting London during a strike covers the alternatives for getting into Theatreland on the night.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a refund if the lead actor is off?
No. The standard London theatre terms say a change of cast or the use of an understudy is not a material change, and the Old Vic states it does not refund when an advertised artist cannot perform. A theatre may choose to do more, but none of the published terms obliges it to.
Do I get the booking fee back if a show is cancelled?
It depends on the seller. STAR members must refund at least the event price, and some also refund per-ticket booking fees. A seller that keeps the fee must say so in its terms. Delivery and per-order fees are often not refunded once the tickets have been sent.
Who do I ask for a refund if I bought through a ticket agent?
The agent. Your contract is with the business that took your payment. If the agent is a STAR member and will not resolve the complaint, you can use STAR's free dispute service after the agent has given its final response.
What happens if a West End show stops halfway through?
The theatre decides whether to offer a refund, an exchange or nothing, and there is no published industry threshold. Stay for the announcement, keep your ticket and ask front-of-house before you leave, because some terms require complaints to be made on the night.
Is a theatre ticket covered by the 14-day cooling-off period?
No. Tickets for events on a specific date are exempt from the cooling-off period for online purchases, so there is no right to cancel because your plans changed. Exchanges are sometimes possible for a fee, depending on the theatre.
Sources
- STAR - Code of Practice (refunds, cancelled tickets, disputes) (checked November 2026)
- STAR - Ticket buying advice: frequently asked questions (checked November 2026)
- STAR - Dispute resolution (checked November 2026)
- Official London Theatre (Society of London Theatre) - Terms of sale (checked November 2026)
- Official London Theatre (Society of London Theatre) - Frequently asked questions (checked November 2026)
- ATG Tickets - Terms and conditions (checked November 2026)
- Delfont Mackintosh Theatres - Terms and conditions (checked November 2026)
- The Old Vic - Terms and conditions (checked November 2026)