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BARBICAN HALL |
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This venue runs a mixed programme of concerts and other events.
www.barbican.org.uk
is their website, with the latest details.
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The monkey advises checking performance times on your tickets and
that performances are happening as scheduled, before travelling.
Varies by event, see www.barbican.org.uk
for details.
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www.barbican.org.uk,
run by the venue itself,
provide the service for this theatre.
A brilliant box office system lets you select the actual seat you
require from those available. Colour-coded by price, some day all booking
systems will be this way, the monkey hopes.
A reader notes, though, that you can't buy concessionary priced tickets
online - you need to telephone for those. Booking fees per ticket for
online bookings:
Online is cheaper than booking by phone. A mere £2 per transaction, not per
ticket, fee applies.
Other Online Choices (with
S.T.A.R. genuine ticket
agencies):
Independent S.T.A.R. ticket agencies
may also offer an alternative choice of seats.
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Box Office Information: |
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Tickets offered differ between outlets. Outlets also may offer
different seats via their phone and online systems. Offers may be
available click here. |
Theatre Box Office:
Telephone: 0845
120 7500.
(020 7638 8891 if you cannot
use the 0845 number)
Operated by the venue's own phoneroom.A reader notes that you can't buy concessionary priced tickets
online - you need to telephone for those. Booking fees per ticket for telephone bookings:
Online is cheaper than booking by phone. By telephone, a £3.50 administration fee is added to the total
TRANSACTION cost for telephone bookings.
For personal callers or by post: Box Office, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London. EC2Y 8DS
No booking fee for personal callers.
Postal applicants pay a per transaction for use of a Barbican
envelope, or can include their own, with stamp and pay nothing.
Special Access Needs Customers:
Wheelchair users and other registered disabled
theatregoers can book their seats on 020 7638 8891 and enquire about
concessionary prices that may be available to them.
The wheelchair users line connects
directly to the venue box office in London. Wheelchair hire bookings on 020 7382
7021. See Notes.
www.barbican.org.uk
is the
official venue website. |
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Venue Seat Opinions: |
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Please remember that cheaper seats often do not offer the same view /
location quality as top price ones, and that ticket prices are designed to
reflect this difference. |
STALLS
Layout:
Five rows of seats are in front of the stage, flat on the ground.
The rest of the stalls is
divided into a central and two side blocks on raised steps. The central block
faces the stage, the side blocks are at shallow angles to the centre block,
focussed on the stage.
Legroom:
Good in all seats, best in row G with nothing in front of it.
Choosing Seats in General:
Row C at a lower price than the rest of the stalls offer best value,
followed by rows D and E felt the monkey, but you do have to look up.
In the rest of the stalls, you pay for the angle you view the stage from. Frankly, the cheapest seats are best value here
though paying for central row G does give you a super view and legroom.
Those seats with a restricted view are a bargain when at orchestral concerts,
as it matters not a jot - take these seats as a
bargain. For soloist performances, these seats are a bargain if seeing the
performer all the time is unimportant.
Wheelchair spaces are at the rear of the two side blocks. The view and sound
are excellent.
General Hazard Notes:
The view of the stage is restricted in row G seats 4 to 7 and 71 to 74,
H 3 to 6 and 72 to 75, J 2 to 5 and 73 to 76, and K 2 to 5 and 73 to 76.
This is due to the angle of the seats preventing viewing of one third of the
recessed stage.
There can be underlying noise of wood vibrating during loud passages of
music.
Reader Comments:
"Rows B and C:
I agree about the stalls Rows B and C normally, but the other night we were at
an ENO concert performance and there is no doubt that we were too close
to the soloists. Such concerts are rare but when the front of the platform is
heavily populated I recommend D and E."
"rows B and C: tend to be lower priced as they are too close to the stage
and so the view is not as good. From Row D backwards the view is much better and
they are better in value."
DRESS CIRCLE
Called the CIRCLE in this auditorium
Layout:
This is split into central and two side sections by aisles. Central
section faces the stage, the other two are angled towards centre stage.
Legroom:
Good in all seats.
Choosing Seats in General:
The centre block offers the best views, the side blocks better value for
money. Allow your pocket to decide.
General Hazard Notes:
None.
Reader Comments:
None.
UPPER CIRCLE
Called the BALCONY in this auditorium
Layout:
This is split into central and two side sections by aisles. Central
section faces the stage, the other two are angled towards centre stage.
Legroom:
Good in all seats.
Choosing Seats in General:
In the centre section, Theatremonkey likes row D. This row has a wide ledge
behind it which is handy for storing stuff not stowed in the cloakrooms. The
view is clear, if distant from the stage, and sound is good too. Normally these
seats are well priced offering great value for money. Choose these if the front
stalls are more expensive or unavailable.
The side blocks offer good bottom price value in rows A to D seats 13 to 25
and 60 to 72.
Beyond these seats the viewing angle is poorer for the same money
though sound is not affected. Just take the named seats first.
General Hazard Notes:
Safety rails in front of the aisles affect views from aisle seats.
Wide front wall may mean having to lean over to see the front of the
stage from row A.
Reader Comments:
"Row A: will always be a restricted view unless you lean forward to look
over the edge. The seats adjacent to the two aisles are likely to have
safety bars partly obstructing view."
"Row D: We tried seats in the balcony in the middle of row D on
Theatremonkey's recommendation but I would disagree they are good value. They
are too far away from the stage and also the brass section of the LSO sounded
almost tinny from up there. There are baffles on the ceiling which felt a bit
low; this may account for the poor sound quality. Not a good experience for my
very musical partner or for me." (The monkey notes that it recommends these
because they are cheap, and feels price is in proportion to sound)."
Notes
Total 2026 seats.
Air-conditioned auditorium.
Infra red headsets available. Dogsitting facility. Adapted toilets available.
Easy access through centre for wheelchairs from car park. Wheelchair users get
free parking in centre. www.artslineonline.com
has comprehensive details. A "venue access guide" from the team who created book "Theatremonkey: A Guide to London's West End ," is available to download in PDF format
by clicking here.
Bar, Restaurant, Café and Toilet facilities shared with the rest of the
complex.
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Nearest Underground Station:
Two choices; Barbican - Circle Line (yellow), Hammersmith and City (light
purple), Metropolitan (dark purple). Theatremonkey prefers Moorgate - Circle
Line (yellow), Hammersmith and City (light purple), Metropolitan (dark purple)
and Northern (black).THEN:
From Barbican, follow the yellow line to the centre along walkways.
From Moorgate the walk is shorter, at street level, for the adventurous. This
monkey's route is to exit the station on Moorfields. It prefers the "West
Side" exit. If you can use this one too (take the left hand exit), you will
emerge facing a road, with a building opposite to the right. This building is
called "Tranter House". Turn to your right and cross the road to
it....pause a moment.
If you came out of the "East Side" exit of Moorgate Underground
Station, you too will have a road in front of you, with a "Clinton
Cards" on the far side of the road. Ignore it and look to your left. A
"Dixons" shop is here. Turn to your left and walk in front of it, and
keep going until you come to "Tranter House". Meet your friends here,
and continue together to the Barbican Centre by...
Continuing along past "Moorfields House" until you come to the end
of the street. There are no signs telling you, but you have come to
"Ropemaker Street". Turn left into it, and walk along. You pass a
pedestrian area on the left containing strange metal pyramids. Wonder at them as
you pass. Keep going until you see ahead of you on a wall (across a roadway) a
"Corporation Of London" Crest and signage. To the right of that is a
tiny "Moor Lane" sign. Good news, you are in the right area!
Cross the road to this set of signs. Turn to your left and walk on passing a
loading bay area. Just past this, is the turning into Silk Street. This is on
your right. Take it and cross to the other side of the road.
Continue down it, passing blank walls with car park vents in them, to the
Barbican Centre main entrance at the end of the road where it curves round. The
centre is on the right, under the canopy with the statues on it. Careful the adjacent stage door
and car park access ramps! Ignore the curved entrance. Instead turn down the
slope to the left immediately in front of it. Keep going, and the entrance to
the centre is through the set of doors on the left at the bottom of the slope.
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Buses:
8, 11, 22B, 25, 26, 56, 133, 141, 214, to Barbican / Moorgate. Follow yellow
lines from Barbican, or directions above from Moorgate. Be aware that no buses
stop outside the centre or close to it.
Taxi:
Worth booking in advance. Hail one if you can by walking to Moorgate -
chances are low.
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Car Park:
Within the centre. Make careful note of the car park number and bay numbers
before leaving or you will probably still be searching for your car until next
year. Also note the public foot exits from the car park to the centre are hard
to find and narrow. This feature amuses theatremonkey as it seems the builders
were embarrassed about having a car park linked to their nice arts centre.
Strange. |
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