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FAQ's
About the theatremonkey website
For "Frequently Asked Questions" about London
Theatre in general, click here.
For "Frequently Asked Questions" about theatremonkey
mailing list, click here.
Who are you?
Theatremonkey is a Londoner who knows the major West End theatres like the back of his paw.
See its' autobiography - a tragic but true
story.
Why the name?
Theatremonkey likes to think it is "monkeying about" with a
respected institution - the secretive world of London Theatre! The other reason
is personal and emailing a large sum to the monkey's bank will reveal it!
Why this site?
Theatremonkey has spent years talking to fellow audience members and has noticed how often
we get a raw deal as customers. From high prices for poor seats, to sitting through a third rate performance of a supposedly ' Top ' show, Theatremonkey
compared notes and, using the wonders of technology, put them on this unofficial private fan site.
So what is it getting out of this?
Theatremonkey loves London's theatres and is keen to encourage the world to share
the passion. And get the best deal they can when they do.
This site is totally independent,
managed by an enthusiastic amateur site owner, and as such says what it likes.
So it works in the Industry?
Nope, never. Theatremonkey is just
ordinary customers who, over the years found their own ways around.
How reliable is its Opinion?
Information on this site is
Theatremonkey personal, subjective opinion, based on what has been seen and heard over the years.
Nobody knows everything and contributors are welcome
and strongly encouraged to add to the knowledge here. This site aims to be a
place for theatregoers to share ideas and experiences, not be a personal
"soapbox" for the owner. Theatremonkey's own opinions "calls it as
it sees it" and sincerely hopes not to steer you wrong. Also, please see What
Guests say about this website.
Explain your Seat Ratings?
Everyone is different and has their own preferences and opinions on what
constitutes good value. For this website, the seats
to buy / avoid ratings by the site writers are compiled based on a person five foot six tall, paying
full price for a ticket. Recommendations are based on view of the stage, value for
money and (dealt with in greater detail elsewhere) comfort
- often expressed as the "legroom" factor.
Some folk are confused by the colour codes employed on the seating plans. As
one regular reader puts it,
"I take green seats to be the ones that might
be worth choosing first, white ones a second choice and red
a third because the monkey has a comment to make about them".
And that about sums up the intention of the site. The idea is NOT to grade
seats "good, not so good, bad" but instead to highlight those that
merit particular comments to be made about them.
The monkey takes a cautious and conservative approach to this charting, and
for that reason some comment that tickets are better than the site guide
indicated. Great! The monkey is delighted that a reader felt they had
experienced "added value" in thier outing. Far better to be pleased
than disappointed...and if you are pleased, do share with other readers: contact
us.
Can you help me pick between / describe the differences between two seats?
The site offers an overview of every venue, plus as many comments as it receives
about each one from other readers. Only you can decide if it is worth handing
over your hard earned bananas for a seat, so personal instinct is honestly the
best policy! Consider your own needs in terms of legroom, price and whether you
are trying to have a special or simple evening out...and the answers should
become clearer than even "Mystic Monkey" could help you with!
I'm larger than average, can you help on locating suitable seats?
A page of advice is available by
clicking here.
No Fancy Graphics?
The monkey has to be careful about copyright. Where it has obtained
permission, it uses graphics. Otherwise it generates its own!
Seating Plans - not like in the theatre?
Again,
seating plans are copyright. To avoid any conflict, Theatremonkey has created
its own using carefully written notes from site visits rather than copying in
any way existing plans.
How often are pages updated
/ what happens if they are not?
Theatremonkey has the ability to update pages at any time during opening
hours - and does so whenever it has new information to add. Changes that result
from a production closing are usually made late on a Saturday afternoon.
Occasionally, for technical reasons, it isn't
possible to update pages as quickly as it would like. In those cases, please
excuse outdated / incorrect information - it will be altered as the earliest
opportunity.
Pop / Music Venues too?
Long overdue for comment in Theatremonkey's opinion and while being honest about the theatres, why not use the space.
What No Opera Coverage?
The Royal Opera House Covent Garden has a large and devoted following who are often forced by high prices to seek only the affordable seats - Slips at the very top edges of the theatre and the farthest recesses of the Amphitheatre. They know these are at least cheap and offer a way to hear the music and see what they can.
The official Royal Opera House website also has an interactive seating plan now,
allowing visitors to check the view from many seats all over the venue.
Also, the monkey knows nothing about this specialised art form, so does not
feel it can attempt to cover it!
A reader says,
"I must say that the http://www.roh.org.uk/
interactive seating plan is wonderful....it is incredibly honest and even lets
you know if a head may be in the way.... Oh, and for the record I saw a ballet
there from row T of the amphitheatre - and although I was far away I had a great
view (I remembered the binoculars!!) the legroom was great but my view of the
stage un-obscured and being that far away, you really do appreciate the
choreography.(£15 a seat). Also note that there are NO binoculars in the seats
so people may be disappointed. this is not mentioned anywhere on the ROH site.
Folding paper binoculars are available in the shop for £2 and actually do an
alright job!"
From what readers have told the monkey, the following applies to the London
Coliseum, if it helps:
"the central stalls are good, the stage boxes have a one-fifth restricted view
but are great for close viewing, the top balcony cheap with bars in the way but
a value-for-money view of the stage for £5, and the sound and air-conditioning
are variable! The Upper Circle seats are now spaced as well as the stalls, but
the front row lacks legroom.
Another reader adds, in November 2007,
"It may be worth mentioning that kids appear to go half price as standard. Aside
from the fact that the prices of the tickets, if you want something decent, are
high, it does make taking a child more appealing (even more so when your ten
year old turns out to really enjoy 'The Magic Flute'!!). There is also something
strange at work, at least with an online booking that I haven't quite fathomed
which meant went I last booked I actually paid a third of my seat price for my
daughter. I booked two shows at the same time and I'm on their mailing list.
However, that doesn't quite explain it and I don't like to ask too many
questions!!"
The monkey is saying nothing either, but finds
the information interesting...
Beyond that, the official website is at
www.eno.org - - and the box office is on
020 7632 8310 (often answered by See Tickets).
Why don't you cover the Globe Theatre?
The Globe has a unique and wonderful website www.shakespeares-globe.org
which actually allows you to look at the stage from every section of the theatre seating. With coverage like that,
a theatremonkey report seems a little unnecessary! Look under
"Booking" on their website for this useful information. A seating plan
is also available
www.londontheatre.co.uk, showing numbering.
One reader says of the place, following a first visit,
"must remember next time to get seats in Row A where you can lean forward, or
Row E where you can lean back. We were in Row B in the middle on the lowest
level which was a great view but the lack of back support was a bit of a problem
for us."
Why don't you cover other particular London venues?
The reason alas is time, space and cost. The monkey has only limited amounts
of all these, and it has to draw a line somewhere. While it would be great to
cover more places, the monkey simply can't afford the resources to do so. It
would hate to add somewhere and then not be able to monitor changes as they
happened. Rather than post information that could be years out of date, it
currently would rather not disappoint readers...so it "sticks to the
knitting" for the time being.
Some venues are now improving things for themselves. A reader writes,
"Cadogan Hall:
http://www.cadoganhall.com/seatingplan.html now have a ‘’view from seat’
function, which enables you to ‘see’ the sightlines to the stage from various
seats
(As it is primarily a concert venue, I would have thought the most important
thing would be the sound, but that is another matter) From a brief view, and my
own knowledge of the hall it seemed pretty helpful.
On the venue itself the reader continues,
"As the Cadogan Hall has been relatively recently renovated into a venue, they
have been able to pay attention to the seating, without structural compromises –
the seats are comfortable and ‘good’ everywhere so they are proud to show them –
though I would personally avoid those right down the front, because you either
get a fabulous view up a soloists armpit or strain to see the back region of an
orchestra"
The London O2 arena at the Millennium Dome:
Due to the size of the venue, the monkey isn't planning
full coverage at the moment, but will keep the idea under review. Meanwhile, the
venue has (unusually for a large hall) made fairly comprehensive numbered plans
available online with their main ticket agency, Ticketmaster.
Click here for the venue page, and select a plan from the "View a
Seating Chart"
drop down box to the right of the big "O2" graphic title. The graphics
show row, seat and block numbering for most of the events planned, where it is
known and confirmed. Don't forget that seating in the centre of a venue often
isn't fixed until the very last second as stages are portable and nobody quite
knows where equipment will go - hence nobody has total plans online because
crystal balls are in short supply, alas!
A reader reports,
" personally I wouldn’t go for the upper tier seating – it is very steep and not
particularly pleasant – you know it’s bad when you see people coming down the
steps backwards (true I swear!)"
Is there a New York and Broadway version of this site?
Not by theatremonkey, no, but some sites exist that offer much of the same type of
information.
www.theatremania.com
offers some comments about seating, highlighting the best seats by price.
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/eopinions/browse.php?cat_id=3 offers a public
forum to post opinions of seats they have had.
www.nytheatre.com
is a near equivalent, offering listings, general seating plans and a little
advice on disabled access and air-conditioning etc. Sadly, the few comments
about seating have disappeared from their site. For simple listings and disabled
access advice, www.livebroadway.com
and www.ilovenytheater.com
are also helpful.
www.broadwaybox.com like
theatremonkey's "current special offers" page, lists local discount
offers to Broadway shows and how to obtain them. It also has "advice" seating
plans too. http://home.nyc.rr.com/frugaltheatergoe/
is an excellent summary of what must surely be almost all possible discount
sources and sites about shows on Broadway. www.tdf.org
lists the shows likely to be available at Broadway's TKTS Half-Price Ticket
Booth for the week. www.bcefa.org
and www.actorsfund.org
offer donated tickets to sold out shows at high prices, with the funds going to
charity.
A very helpful site at: broadwaytv.com/shows/guide_seat_locator.asp
seems to have vanished. This site allowed readers to inspect a fairly good computer generated view of the stage from
any particular seat in a venue. A great system
that London could do with, feels the monkey.
The book, "The Back Stage Guide To Broadway" by Robert Viagas
published in October 2004 is also worth a look. Available at
online in the U.K. (click on the above blue banner to visit the site, then use the search facility provided to locate the
item). It contains many useful tips and hints, plus a VERY brief guide to best /
worst seats in theatres (sounds familiar!). For seating plans, "Seats - 150
seating plans to New York Metro Area Theatres, Concert Halls and Sports
Stadiums" by Jodé Susan Millman (Applause Books) may prove helpful. Amazon.com
stock this one.
Deadly sharp re-written versions of shows are available at: www.broadwayabridged.com.
You decided to sell theatre tickets on this
site?
Yes. The monkey finally capitulated.
Theatremonkey Ticketshop is run by LoveTheatre - a STAR member.
The monkey agreed to start selling tickets because it was satisfied that the
company meets it's own very high standards of customer service and conduct.
It may not be the cheapest option - and the monkey will never shrink from
saying so; but often offers and availability are unbeatable, backed up by a high
quality sales team. The monkey hopes guests will be happy with this feature.
LoveTheatre are open Monday to Friday 10am until 8pm (Saturday
10am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm) on 020
7907 7000 (quote "theatremonkey ticketshop" when calling), and online
at Theatremonkey
Ticketshop.
Other ticket agencies are also mentioned on this site. All are S.T.A.R.
members offering a choice of genuine tickets backed by "fair trading"
policies.
The phone number for my theatre is different from others
I've seen on leaflets / listings elsewhere?
Theatres use central telephone rooms to take bookings, rather than operating
small box offices within each individual venue. This means that when you dial a
particular theatre, you get put through to a single office owned and operated
either by the individual theatre chain or by an agency on their behalf. For RU
and Nimax Theatres, their phoneroom has the brand "See Tickets"; for Live Nation
owned venues, "Ticketmaster" is used, while Ambassador and Delfont-Mackintosh
Theatres both answer their own telephones during the day, then transfer calls to
"Ticketmaster" and "See" respectively overnight.
Sometimes the phones will be answered using the brand name, rather than the
individual theatre name. Theatremonkey always lists the most appropriate
telephone numbers, though, and never knowingly provides details of sub-agencies
in place of contact details for the the actual central phoneroom acting on
behalf of the box office.
Why Can't you comment on ticket availability?
Simply, the monkey is a regular theatregoing member of the public and is not
privy to box office information.
Unlike Broadway, London is secretive and does not reveal anything publicly
about how well a show is doing.
The best way to find out about availability is to call the box office direct
and ask. Mention specific seat numbers and see if they can offer them to you.
Even ask directly if seats go to Leicester Square to be sold at half price. They
will often tell you.
Leicester Square TKTS booth post their
day's ticket availability online. Go to www.tkts.co.uk,
and look to the "ON SALE TODAY" link on the left sidebar, or scroll
down until you reach a text link "click here" to get you to the
"today's availability" page.
Overseas visitors might also try using the online ticket agency systems to
see what they are offered. The monkey notes, however that on occasion these
systems only offer poor quality tickets. An international phonecall can prove a
good investment.
Where does Theatremonkey sit when it goes to the theatre?
Wherever it can get a cheap seat! Seriously, given the choice the monkey
likes either the front row of the stalls, or the ends of rows where there are no
seats in front so that it can stretch, or aisle seats with a bit of space. This
is personal preference, nothing more.
What are the Theatremonkey Opinions?
The opinions are currently just that. A reflection of the views of an ordinary ticket buying member of
the public who chooses to comment on a show they have seen.
They are NOT written or drawn from professional critics (unless stated) or by anyone connected to the
industry or who is biased by being "star-struck" or having a personal
agenda.
Those who contribute and / or compile the Opinions (the monkey and a small group of others)
follow a code of reviewing only the work on the stage, free of influence from
past performances, whatever the medium.
Readers are always welcome to add their comments too. Contact
Us.
Can I post information from Theatremonkey on my own website?
Sorry, no, not without the express permission of Theatremonkey.com. The
seating plans and text on this site are subject to the international laws of
copyright.
Can I Contact Theatremonkey?
Sure! Contact
Us.
This site wants to offer a catalogue of visitor experiences. Tell
it your opinions of the tickets you bought, the people who sold them to you, the show you saw and the theatre you watched in, the place you ate in beforehand, the hotel you stayed in. Anything not
libelous will be added to this site. Theatremonkey
Contact Policy.
Material contributions are always gratefully received.
Thankyou's and Credits Page
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