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STALLS
FUTURE CHANGE ALERT: From September 2013
"The Commitments" row lettering in the stalls will alter. Extra rows at
the front will be added, A, B and C. The former row A will become row D.
Then the rows will continue back E, F, G, H (where the circle overhangs), I, J, K, L, M, N. There
will then be no row O, with rows instead becoming P, Q, R, S, T, V, W,
X, Y and the former back row W being row Z. Seat numbers won't change.
A simple chart is available here, and
the monkey will post more revised details when available nearer the
production date.
Layout:
The Dress Circle overhangs the stalls at row E. The top of the
stage is not visible from row P back and is a real annoyance from row T
back.
Seats are divided into two blocks by a centre aisle.
Pillars disrupt the ends of rows C and D, affecting sightlines from
seats directly behind.
Rows AA to A are flat on the floor.
The rake
(sloped floor to help see over rows in front)
is noticeable from row E, and steepest in the back rows from
around row S.
Legroom:
Acceptable in most central seats for those up to around 5ft 10
or so, best in seats 15 and 16 on the central aisle of all rows.
One reader comments, that at 6ft 1 tall he had to sit bolt upright in
both rows B and J, and had his knees jammed against the seat in front.
He attributes this to the new seats with straighter backs that are also
not so well staggered to leave kneehole gaps. Reader James T. says of H
22, "excellent seat, though if you are over 5'10 I would avoid as the
leg room is pretty poor". Taller persons may find either side seats
without anything in front, or box seats, might be preferable.
The monkey would point out that central aisle seats only give stretching
for one leg, while only centrally located stalls have maximum legroom in
the area - though a 6ft person in C15 struggled with legroom even so.
Seats C27 and D2 (plus B 15 and 16 for the current production) have
nothing in front
The least legroom is found in the outermost 4 seats of rows I, J, L, N
and S on the "low numbers" side and I, J, L and T on the "high numbers"
side, plus the first 2 seats in row O on both sides.
Choosing Seats in General:
At "Day Seat" prices, the monkey is keen on the front
row here; at top price, it is less so.
For those who do like the front row to "see faces" it'll prove the usual
OK choice for regular theatregoers. For those who go less often, further
back may well be more to their taste - though row AA isn't seating to
discard from thoughts.
The front four rows are flat on the floor, so skip them if you are short
and / or wish to see the stage floor or if the alternative is sitting in row
O or further back.
The first seat and last seats in rows D to I are restricted view. The
seats are among pillars, outside the proscenium and offer a view of
about two thirds of the stage; the rear and side closest to the seat are
not visible. At low prices Theatremonkey likes these for being close to
the stage and offering more legroom than the same priced balcony. At top
or second price, though, the monkey feels them worth avoiding - get an
Upper Circle box instead for less money. Reader Chris Parker disagrees,
though,
"I notice you have B26 in the Stalls as poor value but the next seat B25
are fair, well I have sat in B26 and for £32.50 (as priced then) it is
much better value than B25 which is £50".
At top price, pick rows I then J to M alphabetically. The first and last
four seats in all rows struggle to maintain average value at top price –
that price does not really reflect the lack of being central. Though the
view is acceptable to many, legroom often isn’t. Theatremonkey feels
though that the Dress Circle rows B to D seats 11 to 26 are better than
the top priced stalls.
The rest of the stalls rows E to L offer clear views with a good rake.
Row G then H then F are prime seats.
Edges of rows from row O back may miss side stage action - avoid these,
feels the monkey.
Row P at top price is only average as they feel a little distant from
the stage for some.
Don’t pay top price for anything further back than row S, and try to be
forward of that is possible – row Q is really the limit for decent value
before prices drop.
Going further back, sound in these rear stalls is good, the view is
clear but distant (and the top of the set is missing).
At second price row T back is about fair, accepting that you will miss
anything happening at the top of the stage.
Rows V 20 and W 21 are usually beside the sound control desk and should
be avoided - V20 in particular as you will get the corner of the sound
desk pretty much "in your sightlines" at all times. Purists may also
want to skip T 16 to 23 in front of the desk too.
Row W offers a wheelchair space replacing seat 27, a very average (at
best) view.
General Hazard Notes:
The first seat and last seats in rows D to I, and J and K 29 are restricted view. The
seats are among pillars, outside the proscenium and offer a view of about
two thirds of the stage.
Rows AA to A are flat on the floor.
End seats in rows B to D miss a sliver of stage due to speakers in
sightlines too.
Legroom at the ends of some rows is miniscule.
Rows V 20 and W 21 are usually beside the sound control desk and should be
avoided - V20 in particular.
Changes for the current production:
Rows AA, BB and CC have been added. BB and CC are flat on the floor,
making it harder to see around those in front.
Central rows B to H are at premium prices. Your call, feels the monkey, who
would probably avoid them. The view is great, but very expensive, it feels.
Restricted view seats at the ends of rows A to G are bargains. Take
E3 first, then D3, then C, then B seats. Even those in F and G after
that have to be a good alternative to anything else available at the
same price elsewhere in the theatre, feels the monkey.
All rows back to T (except “restricted view” and “premium” seats are top
price - the monkey would skip T as it is a long way back for the cash.
Reader Comments:
"Stalls: All the seats here are very cramped! Those over 6ft will not
only feel uncomfortable but will also not be able to sit down. The only way
to avoid this is to sit in the first row of the stalls or any central aisle
seat. Never buy tickets which are inside the rows - only the aisles.
My experience in this was that I told my little problem to one of the staff
members who promptly asked one person from row A to move to row G (my former
seat was G22) and I got £5 back - what a deal. The show was amazing but this
little problem can destroy the whole performance. Nobody gave me as many
apologies as in this theatre. Think of this when buying tickets!"
“Row A: (Messrs Colin and Asa McCarthy-Burton). The seats were fine, but as
the stage is a little high you do miss some of the effects, but it is great
to see the faces so close as you can see expressions etc".
“Row A: "Spamalot" (2006), (Zena). The front row is fab. A little bit of
legroom and then a low wooden barrier between you and the orchestral pit
below. The stage looks like it slopes downward so no neck ache except for
during the scenes when characters appear high up."
“A14 and 15: (Matthew and Samuel). It was a bit close to the stage but the
show was at eye level and there was good leg room. We had a good view of
stage but perhaps a few rows back would be better."
"A22: “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”, (Suh). My seat did demand a crick in
the neck to see the performers, except for their feet."
“Row B: "I thought smugly that my seat in B row would be fine. WRONG! The
stage is built up high to accommodate a revolve, with the result that people
sitting at the front of the stalls have to strain to look upwards all night
– and there were indeed a number of places where characters were flown in
that also strained the necks of us poor souls at the front -- and we could
not see the feet of the cast who were at stage level, especially when
anybody went upstage. And the whole show is very ‘in-yer-face’, which again
was a bit overpowering for the audience in the front rows. Another problem
with the raised stage was that in the very funny scene, we at the front
could not really see something on the stage floor at all! (Singin' In The
Rain" (February 2012) has the same "high stage" issue, though with less neck
strain as the floor is lower - you still don't see it, though. Editor).
“Row B: I just revelled in sitting so close to the performers and being able
to hear their voices relatively naturally and not loudly amplified (because
the loudspeakers were projecting the sound way above and beyond where I was
sitting). Legroom was tight, though."
“B31 and 32: A perfect view, and I had no problem sat here at all. One of
the seats are marked red on the monkey's website seating plan but I don't
see why it should be, but feel maybe some would feel at top price it is not
central enough. Comfortable with enough legroom for a huge oaf like me."
“Row C: (Alun, from Essex). I was in the stalls, which I often find not as
good as the Dress Circle (I'm short at 5' '7'') and find the stalls often
mean I can see a head more than a stage. My seat was in row C which was the
3rd row (no AA, AB rows etc in the Palace) seat 7 (row starts at C5 - so 3rd
seat in) and was a good view - the stage was set back due to the orchestra
pit, and a good view in general.”
“Row C: (Marita and Michelle). Our seats were excellent...we had a good view
of everything going on."
“Row C 14 and 15: "Singin' In
The Rain" (February 2012). We paid £25 a ticket for Row C in
the Stalls seats 14 and 15, right in the centre on the aisle. These
tickets are only available on the day from the Box Office apparently -
and we were warned we might get wet! There are two ways I suspect to see
this show. Either from the dress circle, where you can appreciate the
choreography, or from the front of the stalls where you truly experience
audience participation. All the numbers in Act One are perfectly
executed and then......There's a nervous laugh rippling through the
front rows as we pick up our coats for protection. Adam Cooper looks at
us all with a devilish glint as he kicks away and we dissolve into
helpless laughter.
When we return after the interval, I point out to some of those around
us that there is a reprise at the end of the show mentioned in the
programme. The reprise involves the entire cast and this time no mercy
is shown as they splash to the left, splash to the right and we emerge
from the theatre well and truly soaked. I felt sorry for those who
weren't near enough the stage. I wouldn't have missed that for the
world. Try and get tickets near the front but take a raincoat!"
"C17 and 18: "Priscilla" (March 2009), (HB). Had to look up a great deal
especially as there were people suspended frequently. Also the opera number
was very hard to see with Felicia on the top of the bus. I'd go for a few
rows back if you can get it or maybe front circle. Point of warning from Row
D back: be careful not to get tickets in the last two or so seats as there
are post/ pillars that will get in the way, and after all, even at a lower
price you want to see the show not some post. be careful of Seat D1!"
“Row D: "Singin' In The Rain" (February 2012). Rather like the Old Vic the
Palace stalls actually has an 'anti-rake' for the first 4 rows. Rake only
begins in Row E. I was in Row D and most of my view of the stage was
obscured by the person in front of me due to this. (The monkey didn't notice
this on its own visit, though the seats in those rows did seem a tiny bit
lower set than the rest).
“Row D: (Martin – regular reader). I am not keen on row D as the whole
thing, but on the other hand I consider seats 14, 15, 16, 17 as the best
seating in the house. To be on the safe side: very close to the action,
while seeing the whole stage including feet at the behind and the top, but
no neck aches after the performance, outstanding sound balance and conductor
in the view but not distractingly, very good rake."
"D4: I'd be happy to pay for D4 at a reduced price only. You miss the corner
of the stage, but nothing much seems to happen there so it does not matter.
Yes, it is a restricted view and £32.50 (as it was then) is pricey by any
standards, but as restricted view seats go, this is one of the better ones,
I think, though others may disagree."
“D7: (Cristopher). Highly rated – the cast and the grail were so near!”
"D24 and 25: (Stuart Mulholland). Slightly to the left of centre, but not
too close to the orchestra, I would recommend these seats, but at £50 (for
the production we saw) quite pricey."
“D seats 26 to 28: (James F). Excellent leg room (I'm 6ft 1) and sight
lines"
“D27 and 28: “Priscilla”. Unfortunately found that D28 is behind a pole
which restricts the view of the stage by at least a quarter. Several times
during the show I lost sight of performers as they went in to the blind
spot. I will just put it down to experience but I thought I would let you
know. (The monkey would welcome comment on this, as it hadn't noticed
that).”
“D28: "I would like to add my two pennies worth to the D28 discussion. I
have to disagree with James F who includes seat D28 in the description:
"Excellent leg room ... and sight lines". Although seating plans put pillar
in front of D27, the pillar is actually directly in front of D28.
Legroom: In theory you could put your legs on either side of the pillar -
unless of course the occupant of D27 decides that the space on one side of
the pillar would be an ideal place to put their bags and coats!!
Sightlines: The pillar causes about 25% of the stage area to be permanently
obscured. So as far as I could tell, only two of the three drag queens made
it to the top of Ayres Rock at the end of the show. I think my diagram
(below) gives a fair representation of the area of the stage that was used
in this production and which can't be seen from D28 (the red area).
The stage does extend slightly further back than shown, but this area wasn't
used (thankfully). In my opinion, this should be designated as a Restricted
View seat (although that would make D29 an "Even More Restricted View" seat
- or perhaps "Audio only").
This all may sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not. I paid next to nothing
for the seat, so from that point of view I felt I got excellent value for
money and thoroughly enjoyed the show. But I certainly would object to
paying the standard price for that seat."
“Row E: I was very pleased that I had managed to get seats in the fifth row
but it was a tad too close and we couldn't always see the bottom of the
stage."
"E18 and E19: (JB). Neither of us being overly tall, we were well pleased
with the seats and the clear view of the performance on stage."
"E28 and E29: (Mark and Nicola Dunsford). Took these on advice of the box
office who said: "Pretty good but off to the side a bit". However, no
mention was made of the pillar which blocks visibility of about 1/3 of the
stage for E29"
"Row F: "Singin' in the Rain" (March
2012), (Julie, Maureen & Arthur of Middlesbrough (250 miles away).
Warning! If you're sat in the first few rows in the stalls you will get
a bit of a soaking but it was all good fun. We were sat in the centre
aisle of Row F which gave us a brilliant view of the stage. We were told
that these seats were "Out Of The Line Of Fire" by the box office but
managed to get drenched at the end. If the seats directly in front
hadn't been empty, we may have been "protected". But it was all in good
fun and added something extra to the show!"
"F2 and 3: "Singin' in the Rain" (March 2012), (Mark - regular reader).
Excellent 'day seats' for £25 each! Great value."
“F3: "Singin' in the Rain" (March 2012). Discounted, and a little bit to the
side but still a really good view of the stage! It's lovely to sit that
close to the actors!"
"F4 and 5: “Singin' in the Rain” (March 2012), (Debbi). The only action we
missed was Don Lockwood hanging off the lamppost in the theme tune to the
show but otherwise I can't fault the seats. Oh, actually, okay, so I can
fault the seats but these are minor issues and I can't really complain
because myself and a friend got the tickets for less than half price!
Bargain! Okay, so the minor issues are that the legroom is not exactly
generous, but then again it wasn't uncomfortable. The only other issue is
that - and this is not the fault of the theatre or anyone really - but it's
frustrating having to constantly stand up to let others through to their
seats further down the aisle - this is something unavoidable
unfortunately... but it really does annoy me! Oh and one more thing for me
to mention, the air conditioning was awful! It was probably around 27
degrees the night we went and it was stiflingly hot. Just make sure you wear
something cool when you go to see this show. PS: You do not get wet in Row F
of the Stalls - except the odd stray drop of water, but further forward than
that you DO get wet! Be warned!!! It's all part of the fun though."
"F6 and 7: “Singin' in the Rain” (March 2012)”. I literally could not sit
with my right leg straight in front of me, my upper leg needed to be about
two inches shorter to get it in so I had to sit with my legs both to the
left so my right leg was between the two seats in front. (The reader is tall
and had an injured leg at the time – Editor).”
"F14 and 15: “Priscilla”, (James – regular reader). A little close for my
liking but you do see every expression. Great sound here but perhaps sit a
couple of rows further back for a more comfortable viewing experience."
"F22: A great seat for the access (disabled) rate of £25.75, with plenty of
leg room for me. I would say do not sit much further to the left of this
seat because the restriction from the circle and boxes will spoil your view
of one of London's great shows."
“F26 and 27: worthwhile tickets at the sides, provided actors are not
positioned to mask the view of other performers.
“Row G: “Priscilla” (March 2009). Stalls are the best for this show - the
furthest back I've sat and been fine is Row K, on the edge, and although I
couldn't see the edge of one of the Divas as she descended from the ceiling,
that was the only thing I missed (and it's not that important). Otherwise,
Row G is fantastic."
"G6 and 7: (Jamie Coniam). Excellent seats, great view and very close to the
action."
"G8 and 9: perfectly good seats and the view was fantastic. I have to say
that the legroom is appalling for a theatre in this day and age, as others
have mentioned if you are any taller than 5'10" you are going to find it
tough going."
"G11: "Spamalot" (January 2009). Got on the day for £25. Fantastic seat
could see everything very clearly."
"H8 and 9: The leg room was a bit lacking for my 5'9" frame but the view and
the proximity to the stage made a little discomfort worth it."
"H16 and H17 offered both a great view and plenty of legroom."
“H22: (James T). I can safely say that this is an excellent seat, though if
you are over 5'10 I would avoid as the leg room is pretty poor."
"H22/23: All seats around here are fantastic - near enough so that you can
enjoy the spectacle of the show yet far enough away so that you can absorb
fully appreciate the set".
"H23 and H24: I think I can safely say these were the two best seats I have
had in the West End – a perfect view."
“H24 and 25: (GJ). Perfect position to see all the facial expressions and
everything. We were both very pleased with these seats that are rightly
highlighted green on the monkey, although I wouldn't have wanted to have sat
any further to the left and would of preferred a position a little more
towards the centre. The seats cost £60 each and I think well worth it."
"H24 and 25: These were good seats with an excellent view of the stage. You
could see the performers getting ready to come on and see them going off at
the back of the stage as the seats are off centre. If you can handle this
they were excellent seats, but if you prefer to be engrossed and not being
slightly distracted by the performers going on/off the stage then maybe go
more central."
“I5: Splendid seat in I5 in the stalls. By splendid, I mean the view and not
the extremely cramped legroom"
"I 22: "Pricilla" (March 2009), (Adam). Had a perfect view (as well I should
have for the ridiculous amount of money they charged for it). I also note
that acoustics in the theatre were bad, the orchestra overpowered the
singers; sometimes I could hardly hear them."
“I27: (Chris May). No problems with the view and seats had O.K. legroom."
"Row J: Disappointed with my view this time as due to the poor cambering I
wasn't able to see some parts of the show as I had somebody of about 6 foot
sat in front of me, and I'm 5 foot 10."
"J2: "Singin' In The Rain" (February 2012). Just under the overhang. Perfect
view of everything, aside from two moments: You can't see Don hanging off
the lamppost during 'Singin' in the Rain' and you can't see Lina and Zelda's
entrance when Lina finds out Kathy's seeing Don in Act 2. Also, bloke next
to me in J3 had very little legroom, I was fine."
"J2: Bloke next to me in J3 had very little legroom, I was fine."
“J14 to 17: "Singin' In The Rain" (February 2012).”SPOILER ALERT: May be
worth a mention that the stalls gets a good look at the “movie stars”
arriving for the premiere down the central aisle; and the very central seats
I and J 14 to 17 are going to get a great closeup of Kathy at the end – for
anyone who has seen the film it’s just like you would expect. SPOILER ENDS."
"J16 and 17: “Priscilla”, (Musical Lover). Fantastic. Lots of legroom and
great view."
"J16 (on the aisle) and J17: “Priscilla”, (Michael). For the first act we
had the bonus of 2 empty seats directly in front of us. But 2 people moved
along for the second act (he of the Very Large kind), meaning a switch of
seats for us. His large frame and head blocking my view. Still, very worthy
of the Green on the Monkey's plan under normal circumstances. Row G was
clearly the optimum row as the rake increased significantly there (judge by
the high change of the arm rests) but at over £100 quid (with booking fees)
for Premium Seats, you really do have to be serious making that choice. "
"K16 to 20: (David Allen). We couldn't really have asked for better seats -
no restriction on the view at all, I'm 6ft and the legroom was OK, not
great, but I didn't especially feel cramped in. This theatre is a lot
smaller than you'd think and so it felt very intimate."
“Row L: "Priscilla,” (N Ansari). We were sat in row L to the right hand side
and the seats offered a great view, especially when the actors were at the
front of the stage. The show is highly entertaining and just good fun!"
"L2: "Singin' In The Rain" (February 2012). Terrible legroom by the way even
on the end of the row, but in my experience this entire theatre is
particularly bad). Considering this is a top price seat I was pretty annoyed
to find, like another reader, SPOILER ALERT that you totally miss the
lamppost bit in the title scene, and Zelda telling Lina about Kathy. It’s
not whole scenes that you’re missing, but given the show follows the film so
closely, these are still both key segments to be effectively happening “off
stage” (as that’s how it looks). I think this must affect the first 3 seats
or so of every row – my advice would me to sit the other side of the
theatre. Personally I would red-square the first couple of seats down the
entire audience-right side because of this. I also found it irritating that
the orchestra are high above the back of the stage and can barely be seen.
The cast point at them during the curtain call, but you still don’t really
get to see them. SPOILER ENDS."
"L7 and L8: "Pricilla" (March 2009). Had a perfect view, although any
further back and you may miss some of the action."
"M15 and M16, N8 to 17 and O14 to O22: “Priscilla”, (James – regular
reader). Everyone said they could see really well and the overhang didn't
restrict any action except for one very short section in the first act where
taller people in row O missed a tiny bit higher up. Sound is great from here
too. I still prefer the Dress Circle only because you are looking down on
the action a bit more."
"M18: "Priscilla" (March 2009), (Jackie). Paid £47 (face value £66). As the
people who were due to sit in row L did not turn up I had an absolutely
brilliant view of the stage, didn't have to peer around people's heads at
all. There is not much room though and at 5ft 9 inches and with my leg in a
brace (torn ligament) it was rather a squash and a little uncomfortable."
"N2 and 3: “Priscilla”. This was ideal for me because I'm a 6ft 7" tall lad
and my seat was at the end of the aisle, which meant I could dangle my legs
out slightly. Leg room (in row N at least, but it seemed to be the case for
all the stalls) was painfully cramped, more so than any other musical I've
been to. Tall people like myself need to seriously consider this, as even my
5ft 7" mate found this to be a problem for his legs.
In terms of viewing the stage, we were up close enough and could easily see
what was happening. However, the top right of the stage is blocked by the
overhanging royal circle and some of the performances which are brought out
of the stage (you'll understand what I mean when you watch it!) eventually
disappear from view, no matter how far you stretch your neck! The theatre
have displayed television screens to combat this problem - but the blurry
quality of them was almost insulting. Surely a production this expensive can
do better?"
"N16 to 19: What an amazing view you get from these seats! No action is
missed at all. I know a lot of people have complained about the views in
this theatre but this is a very very old theatre and there is not a lot the
management company can do about this so they have installed screens to let
you see some of the action that happens above and that is about as much as
they can do, so try if you can to book seats in the stalls or in the dress
circle."
"N18, 19, 20 and 21: (Linda O'Reilly). Theatremonkey is correct in saying
these are great seats!... The seats ramp slightly at this level so we had
perfect view of the stage. Leg room was OK too, even for the men."
"O6: Offers a good full view of the stage. A tiny upper corner of the stage
gets blocked out but there's not much action going on high up there anyway.
Leg room is limited but not cramped."
"P8: I had no problem with leg room or the view - apart from the mirrors
that line the side of the theatre and occasionally had reflections of the
action. A minor distraction."
"P20: “Priscilla”. Had seen it twice before from the upper circle and whilst
I like this seat more I wouldn't have liked to be any further back. The only
thing I missed was when the shoe comes forward in the opera section. I would
rate these RED for value (that is if they cost you ;) ). I'd still say for a
99.9% unrestricted view to go for E10 / 11 in the upper circle for £25 over
these seats in the stalls."
"R8 and 9: “Priscilla”. Top price seats, but much of the top of the stage
was out of sight due to the circle overhang - and this show has quite a bit
of the action at high level. There were several top price rows behind us and
their view must have been even worse. Whilst we are on a negative note, we
must mention the legroom or lack of it! It must be one of the worst we've
encountered and several of our neighbours mentioned it too. And it was so
hot!"
"R8 and 9 (top price): (Jay Hunt). The leg and knee room was so tight that I
could barely sit down. I am 6ft 5 so never expect much room, but I have
never sat in any theatre seat this tight After realising that there was no
way I would last the first Act, let alone the whole show sitting with my
legs jammed against my neighbour and seat in front, I spoke to an usher, who
moved us to a box at the left rear hand side of the stalls. The view from
here was terrible- as other reviewers have pointed out, the back third of
the stalls, including the rear boxes, are distant from the stage. From this
particular box the top two thirds of the stage was obscured, as was a good
third of the lower part of the stage! So we insisted on moving yet again,
this time to Box A, at the front of the theatre and accessible from the
Dress Circle. Here we enjoyed a fantastic view. If I go to see this show
again, I'd be tempted to book the same box or the front few rows of the
dress circle. By the way, the Usher did admit there are several rows of
seats in the stalls that do have particularly tight legroom- I can certainly
vouch for Row 'R'!".
"R26 to 28: "Singin' In The Rain" (February 2012). With GILT discount
tickets, our seats in the back stalls were further away from the stage than
we would have liked - under the slightly oppressive dress circle overhang
and with the side of the stage to our left out of view, we felt a bit
‘disconnected’. Having said that, neither were problems for us with this
production because no action takes place up high, nor on the left hand side:
both lamp-post and cast’s entrance are on the right and we all had good
sight-lines. Knee room is generally limited, but there was no sign of the
mirrors, which appeared to have been covered up."
“Row S: “Priscilla”. We paid £62.50 to sit in Stalls row S. I am so glad it
is marked "Red" on the Monkey's plan! The seats were cramped and I could not
put my knees together and I am only 5'11" tall! I ended up with my leg
jammed up against the lady sitting next to me. The overhang of the circle
means you miss a lot of the action. The TV screens at the side at next to
useless when you sit in the middle."
"T25: "Singin' In The Rain" (February 2012). View of the stage is near
perfect but I am 5'9" and the legroom is just awful. My knees started to
hurt way before the interval and I had to bother the person left to me,
because there was no way I could fit my left leg in front of me. I'd rather
stand for the whole show than sit in this place again. Would I have worn
heels instead of sneakers I would have had to walk out in the middle of the
show. I paid £62 for 'Singin' In The Rain' and, while the show is awesome, I
couldn't enjoy it at all so this is overpriced. I would definitely mark this
as a red seat in your map."
"T 25, 26, 27: (Richard Bradbury). Gave a decent view of the lower half of
the stage but the entire top half is blocked by the circle". Reader Heath
concurs with this.”
“T28 and 29: "Priscilla" (March 2009). Almost at the back and right on the
side. As there is as much action at mid height and at the top of the stage
as there is at floor level those seats were awful, as we could only see the
bottom of the stage as the Circle is very low and cuts out the view of most
of the stage - and for this show it must apply to seats much further forward
than we were. It would have been impossible to see the Divas singing who
were high up and had great voices, and for me were the best part of the
show. We only saw them because for some unaccountable reason after about
five minutes we were asked to show our tickets and were told we were in the
wrong seats and they moved us to row H or I which were much better, but
still very tight on the knees."
“V26 and 27: (Shona). Our seats were right at the back and left hand side of
the stalls I was impressed with the legroom and the view was fine.”
“W9 and 10: (Jonathan Bridges). Both of these had excellent viewing. You
couldn't see the top right corner of the stage."
“W23: “Spamalot” (Brian McKinney - former Goodshow.com owner and
Theatremonkey friend). Wasn’t impressed”
Stalls Boxes
Layout:
At stalls level box X is in an alcove halfway along the sidewall of the
theatre.
Box Z is at the back of the stalls behind row W.
Legroom:
Acceptable, as movable chairs are used.
Choosing Seats in General:
Box X: The view is poor with a third of the stage missing, but sitting
in the far right side of the box improves it slightly. Choose these only
if box Z and the restricted view stalls are not available.
Box Z: The view is restricted to the lower two thirds or the stage, but
it is clear. Choose box Z as a comfy cheaper alternative to a seat in
the Upper Circle, IF you are not worried about missing the top sections
of some scenes.
General Hazard Notes:
Missing the top / sides of the stage.
A reader notes that box Z had an "odour problem" ("hint of drain" is the
scent again) pointed out at time of booking! Hopefully the building work
since then has cured it permanently!
Changes for the current production:
Take box Z first for an overall view - you could miss a lot of side
stage action in box X. Still, the monkey would take box X over any upper
circle seat at the same price for the comfort alone.
Reader Comments:
"(Jay Hunt). The view from here was terrible - as other reviewers have
pointed out, the back third of the stalls, including the rear boxes, are
distant from the stage. From this particular box the top two thirds of the
stage was obscured, as was a good third of the lower part of the stage."
“Box X: “Priscilla”: "Box X offers an impressively obstructed view with two
thirds of the top of the stage missing. All the main action can be seen, and
it feels close to the stage. They've installed two monitors - left and right
the auditorium - to catch the stuff that it missing... a shame that the
image quality is worse than youtube videos though. Okay seats, comfy with
lots of room but not worth their usual price. It's a joke they sell them for
£45."
DRESS CIRCLE
Layout:
The Upper Circle overhangs the Dress Circle at row C, cutting the view of
the top of the stage from row H back.
The Dress Circle is split into left and right blocks by an aisle.
In all rows, except J, seats 18 and 19 are next to the centre aisle offering
extra comfort and a good view.
Row J is set between pillars, behind the outer corners of row I.
Legroom:
Outstandingly awful in row A, and most readers agree.
Adequate in rows B to J (though may be tight for those over 5ft 10 or
so).
The restricted view seats in row B have far more legroom than C, though
those in C36 can turn slightly to one side to make the most of aisle
space for one leg.
A 6ft tall reader reported no issue in E24 however, and another (in G31)
advises "My partner is 6ft and found he had adequate legroom, aided by
the aisle to stretch into."
Choosing Seats in General:
The monkey really, really hates row A, with its cramped legroom and
sightlines potentially affected by lights hanging from the front of the
circle. but others feel differently. If the lights are absent, the view from
the central seats is excellent... for the short legged...
Theatremonkey rates the Dress Circle rows B to D seats 11 to 26 the finest
in the house. Accept that the seats feel oddly upright, but the view of the
stage is great.
Further out in these rows, the first and last few seats in rows A to C are
restricted view. A safety bar at the front corners of the circle might worry
those in the end two seats, but it’s intrusion of boxes / speakers / lights
into sightlines that cause real problems. Prices allow only a VERY little
for the interference. Still, at second price those in rows B and C may be
worthwhile if no better cheap box seats - or only Dress Circle row J - is
left. B has more legroom.
Strange architecture and ornate metalwork at the ends of row E back make the
first and last four seats in rows D to I worth avoiding.
Row F back the monkey had felt overpriced at top price. Reader Edward, notes
that row F25 was "stunning" when available at a discount. With reader
feedback, the monkey was convinced to raise those in F and G to "white" in
the end...
One reader even felt H23 fine at a discount, with a clear view, good sound
and not too much intrusion by the circle overhang.
Row J is tucked on its own shelf at the edges of the circle. The roof feels
low and the value is poor. These are the last resort at top price.
General Hazard Notes:
In row A, sightlines are often affected by lights hanging from the front
of the circle.
A safety bar at the front corners of the circle might worry those in the end
two seats.
End seats in all rows lose a tiny sliver of stage nearest to them due to box
/ speaker protrusion - hence its advice to sit further in.
Strange architecture and ornate metalwork at the ends of row E back; another
reason to “go central.”
Changes for the current production:
Most of central rows A to D are at "Premium" price - your call, feels
the monkey, who would go for the two seats next to them in all rows. In
particular, it would skip row A for potential lighting in view and
legroom if over 5ft 5 or so issues, though some readers have been happy
here.
All other rows back to J are top price. The monkey would skip rows I
and J, and only take H if the only other option is upper circle or
stalls row T at the same price.
The outermost pairs of seats in rows A to C are discounted. Those in
B and C are a bargain at the price, feels the monkey. Take those in B
first for comfort if taller.
Reader Comments:
“Dress Circle: (Siobhan): Dress circle are the best
seats.”
“A13: The leg room is not as bad as that described by Theatremonkey. The
view is superb but certain seats have lighting units affixed to the front of
the balcony that project forward. At £50 a ticket you don't expect that.
Watch out for A13, which was one of ours."
A 13 to 16: I took advantage of an offer which saw me paying £35 for £60
seats. I didn't find it too bad, we were in 13 to 16, and I wasn't
uncomfortable.. but as some people mention you cannot stretch out as much as
in the other rows. The seats were fairly central and had a great view of all
the action."
A19 and 20: "Singin' in the Rain." Marked red on the seating
diagram. Surprisingly, I found this position to be great. The
legroom was a little narrow but I have had much worse (and expected
much worse)– I think it gets narrower the further from the centre
you get. However, it has to be said that being of well above average
height, I could see over the railing without any of the lights
getting in the way, or having to lean forward. Obviously I can't
compare this with the view anywhere else in the circle for the same
money but I was very pleasantly surprised." “A19 and
20: “Singin’ In The Rain,” (Chris B). The view cannot be faulted and
has to one of the best on the West End, in what has to be the most
grand theatre. Centrally located, a clear, unobstructed view and the
perfect distance to appreciate the whole stage, yet still see all
the facial expressions. However, the legroom is a little cramped
(fine for me at 5'8" but any taller you might struggle) which is the
only drawback to these amazing seats. A19 is an aisle seat though
allowing a bit of extra legroom if needed.” “A25 and A26: (K Favelle). The legroom in was so tight that I was finding it
uncomfortable at just 5 foot 6 inches in height. My husband, who is 6 foot 6
inches tall with much of that height in his extra long legs, was absolutely
crammed in and was forced to spread his legs so wide he was intruding into
the space of his neighbours. A25 also had the added disadvantage of a metal
strut (for the lights, attached to the front of the dress circle balcony)
reaching up and over the balcony which meant it was not possible to lean
forward and rest ones arms on the velvet balustrade. Which is a shame as the
seats were so tight they gave me backache and I had to keep changing
position in order to avoid cramp. I absolutely second Theatremonkey’s
comment about dress circle row A seats being "outstandingly awful."
“Row B: (Celia Robinson). Had an excellent view of the action.”
"B7 and B8: “Priscilla” (March 2009), (James – regular reader). It would
have been nicer to be a little more central but at a discount this seats
were fantastic!"
"B19 and 20: (Jayne). We booked these after reading the Theatre Monkey
reviews. The seats in my opinion are the best in the house, you feel so
close to the stage even though you are upstairs. You can see everything and
are central to the stage - better seats than row A in front of you. Without
Theatremonkey I would have booked tickets in the stalls, but I'm so glad I
read the monkey reviews first. I paid £64 each for the seats, plus the usual
booking fee, but for me it was well worth it. I understand how costly this
can be and there are cheaper tickets available - but all I will say is,
'just go the once and splash out.'"
"B 19, 20, 21 and 22: “Priscilla”, (K Braithwaite). As recommended by
"Theatremonkey." Would sit here again. We had an excellent view of all the
action."
"B30 and B31: "Priscilla", (James – regular reader). Despite being quite a
way off on the side, the view was perfect from here and you don't miss any
of the action, although you do have to turn slightly towards the stage."
"C15 and 16: (James – regular reader). Amongst the best seats in the house."
"C17 and C18: “Priscilla” (James – regular reader). The seats were perfect
for the view and the sound. I went during the preview period and was lucky
enough to get them for £50 by booking early. However, I’ve since discovered
that these seats are in the designated premium zone which means they now
sell for £82.50 and a staggering £92.50 at the weekends, excluding booking
fees! It seems that there a large amount of seats like this for this
production so it’s definitely worth checking out the ticket price seating
plan on this website and then searching for seats just outside these areas."
"C 23, 24 and 25: (Paul Nicholls). Just about the best seats you can get."
"C25: (Paul Nicholls). Excellent view, plenty of leg room. If you were to
take your own seat into the Palace Theatre, this is where you would probably
put it!"
"C33 and 34: (James – regular reader). A little far to the side at top price
as you start to lose a little bit of the action but take them at a bit of a
discount."
"Row D: "Priscilla" (March 2009), (Jess B). Brilliant seats and had a
perfect view of what was going on."
"D6 to 9: “Priscilla”, (CC Queen N.Ansari). We were not disappointed (apart
from one bit in the show where we wished we had sat in the stalls!).
Previous reviewers commented on the lack of visibility on these seats but
the view was great. Not obscured at all, and sitting in the front few rows
offers a really good view of the stage whichever end you sit."
"D9 and 10: "Singin' In The Rain" (August 2012), (N Ansari). We had a
fantastic view of the entire show."
"D12 to 14: The Dress Circle is my fave place in this venue. D12 to 14 were
perfect in every respect, so I'll say no more... apart from we were told by
the guy on the door that Bette Midler had sat in these seats / or one of
them anyway!"
“D18 and 19: “Priscilla”, (James – regular reader). I managed to get them at
regular top price, which was fair, but these seats are usually in the
premium allocation and would then be very over-priced."
"E18: "Singing In The Rain," (Faris). This has no obstructions to the
top of the arch an has an excellent clear view of the stage. I normally
prefer seats in the stalls but sitting in the circle gives a nice
overview of the dance routines and action."
"E18 and 19: The most perfect seats ever. Clear view, comfy, lots of legroom
and an aisle to lean into. Well worth the 55 quidies we paid!"
"E24: I paid £35 per ticket through the GILT ticket offer (runs January to
March each year). I'm 6ft tall and felt that I had plenty of legroom. I was
able to see the entire stage, except for a couple of occasions when the
person in front of me lent forward, but that wasn't really an issue.
Overall, great seats!"
"E29 and E30: The best we could get at short notice. Excellent seats albeit
with a slightly sideways view and a very tiny amount of stage not visible
from E30."
"F 23 and 24: We found the view excellent, with a full view of the stage
including the very top (which is important for this show). Your plan shows
these seats as red which we don’t understand. We thought they were good with
adequate (for West End) legroom."
"F23 and F24: “Priscilla” (June 2011). These were fantastic seats, more leg
room than I thought, and we could see everything that was going on, no
problem seeing the Divas descending. I think they would have been worth
their full price (£66.00), but we got them on a special offer for 47.99."
"G11 to 13: Excellent view of the stage and the booster seat provided for my
ten year old helped a lot. Only criticism was that it was very hot and
stuffy in the Dress Circle. Had it been a serious play I would have been in
danger of nodding off!!"
"G30 and 31: Seats were really good. View wasn't at all obstructed by the
wrought iron metal work as commented by one of your readers. Upper circle
was over hanging us which meant you couldn't quite see the top of the pros
arch, but only just and for this show you didn't miss out on much of the
action. My partner is 6ft and found he had adequate legroom, aided by the
aisle to stretch into. On the whole really good seats, although I did get a
discount through the GILT promotion (January 2007) so didn't pay the full
whack."
"H15: "Singing In The Rain," (Faris). Got through the annual "Get
into London Theatre" offer. I was in the dress circle seat H15. Which is
currently marked red. For previous productions the top of the stage may
of been missed but for SITR nothing is missed as they don't use the full
height of the proscenium arch. ("Red" as it just isn't great at top
price, editor). Politely asking the steward got me moved to seat E18. I
wouldn't pay full price for row H but it is perfectly fine. If at full
price go for a few rows forward."
"H 15 to 18: “Priscilla”. Have to say they were great seats especially on a
discount, we paid £40 rather that the top price of £60.
There was only one row behind us, and they would have been affected by
sightline issues, but only when the divas descend from above; we just
managed to see them all. There were no sightline issues from where we were
situated. Leg room was adequate, bearing in mind I am 6'+, and found them to
be pretty comfortable too. I think I preferred being up in the dress circle
to being in the stalls from where I saw' Spamalot'. I would agree with the
monkey's opinion that some of the best seats in the house would be up here.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy seats in the dress circle again."
"H 19 to 22: Although these seats are classed red in your opinion I can say
that they were great seats which had good leg room and a superb view of the
stage. Although the Grand Circle does intrude into the sight-line, only the
very upper part of the set is lost - but in 'Spamalot' this is only clouds.
(Helpful to know, comments the monkey, who would also sit here if there was
a substantial reduction - even consider at top price as a final choice -
Editor).”
"I5, 6 and 7: "Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert" (March 2009), (Vicki).
Legroom was acceptable but it's worth noting that seat 5 is more tucked in
behind H6 than the seating plan suggests, so if you're choosing that one to
stretch out in, it's really no better than any other end-of-row seat. With
regards to this particular show, I think I would actually categorise these
seats as having a restricted view, as the over-hang of Upper Circle really
does obscure some fantastic bits of the performance. I think the view
improves towards the middle of these rows as seats are definitely higher at
the sides. Avoid row J at the back as these seats sit a lot higher than row
I, so their view must have been very disappointing. Selling these seats at
top price is pretty scandalous if I'm honest.
Please warn people that if they are paying this top price for the Dress
Circle (and who on earth can afford those premium priced seats??!) that they
should choose seats towards the middle of the rows and as far forward as
they can find. 'Priscilla' is a gorgeously visual show and so it's worth
picking your seat carefully so you don't miss an inch of the sparkle."
"I21 and I22: "Singin' In The Rain" (February 2012). Offered a good
view of the stage (this was the back row of the Dress Circle). However,
if someone is sitting in front of you, the view is quite easily
obscured. The legroom is restricted - I am 5'8" and I wasn't too cramped
but my partner is 6'4" and was quite uncomfortable and wasn't able to
have a lot of room to move his legs at all."
"I29 and 30: “Priscilla”. Since you asked about sight line issues at
Priscilla, I thought I would mention that most of the Dress Circle should be
fine except for the back three rows. We sat in I29 and I30 almost at the
back and to one side and could see most of the show although we did have to
lean forward to see a few things like the faces of the performers when they
are on top of Uluhru in the climax. A couple of rows in front no one was
leaning forward so I believe they had no issues."
Dress Circle Boxes
Layout:
Boxes A, B, C and D are either side of the stage.
B and D are closest to the stage.
Box J was the old seats J18 and 19
- a theatre secret, rarely appearing on seating
plans. Tucked against the back wall at the end of the central aisle.
Legroom:
Acceptable, as all seats in boxes A to D are movable chairs. Box J are
fixed seats with nothing in front.
Choosing Seats in General:
B and D are closest to the stage and lose a quarter of it, A and C lose
around an eighth.
B and D are thus second choice, as they lose so much of the view.
All offer moderate value and are a choice for those requiring more
legroom than is available at the same price elsewhere.
The monkey’s readers prefer cheaper upper circle boxes.
Box J has a view like looking down a tunnel to the stage. Only the centre of the
stage is visible and the seats in front muffle the sound. If you MUST see
the show, take these if EVERYTHING else is gone (and the box office won't
sell them until then anyway - if at all). Useful to know about, but to sit
in?
General Hazard Notes:
Loss of view of nearest side.
Boxes may be shared with lighting / speakers, making them noisy.
Changes for the current production:
Boxes B and D are not on sale.
Reader Comments:
“Ask the box office what seats they have in Dress Circle Box A or box C.
Seats 1, 2 and 3 in both these boxes are sold as restricted view but the
view from them is really excellent so they are great value for money
(for "Priscilla Queen of the Desert - The Musical" they are top price,
though, so perhaps less value). If they only have seat 4 available in
these boxes then don't take them as they are at the back of the box and
you don't get to see much. The box office also warns that these seats
are not for those who dislike loud noise, as speakers are situated among
them.”
"(Jay Hunt). Here we enjoyed a fantastic view. If I go to see this show
again, I'd be tempted to book the same box or the front few rows of the
dress circle."
“Box A: (Annie Gross). We had tickets for Box G and were upgraded to Box
A, which was fine. Sideways view, but you don't miss too much, and you
are almost close enough to touch some of the performers. All the seats
in the other 2 Dress Circle boxes (B and D) are very restricted so if
that's all they have then you'd be much better off elsewhere, unless
legroom is a factor. The second time we bought tickets from TKTS and got
tickets for the stalls, full price £60 but we got them for £30. Row F
seat 3, a little bit to the side but still a really good view of the
stage! It's lovely to sit that close to the actors!”
UPPER CIRCLE
Called the
Grand Circle
in this theatre
Layout:
The balcony overhangs the Upper Circle at row C, affecting the view of seats
from row E back. The Upper Circle is high above the stalls.
The Upper Circle is split into left and right blocks by an aisle.
Rows A and B extend a long way around the sides of the circle towards
the boxes and stage.
In all rows except H seats 22 and 23 are next to the centre aisle
offering extra comfort for one leg, and the most central view.
Row H is set between pillars, behind the outer corners of row G.
Legroom:
Poor in all seats and worst in row A.
Some seats in rows A and B are sold at lower prices to compensate for
legroom issues. The ends of both rows are particularly tight where the
circle bends to meet the boxes.
The "high numbers" side of B and C seem to have the most legroom of all
seats here, though that is STILL VERY LIMITED and cramped for anybody
over 5ft 6 or so, it felt.
The monkey notes that C8 has no legroom at all.
Seats E9 and 36 are only for contortionists – though they’ll find
legroom that way.
Choosing Seats in General:
Metal bars guard the aisles at the ends of most rows and are intertwined
around the extreme ends of rows B and C, and in front of each row of
seats there too, prices and restricted view warnings reflect this,
though the fact legroom is also restricted is a far greater worry,
thinks the monkey.
Row A seats 3 to 8 and 37 to 42, and row B seats 1 to 10 and 35 to 43
are designated “restricted view” as they are sideways to the stage too.
Pick row B over A, but also consider the balcony for other bottom price
seats.
Other seats in row A are normally discounted due to the dire legroom.
Take any discount as a warning not an enticement, unless you work in a
diamond mine and house share with Snow White, feels the monkey. Anybody
else should be genuinely willing to put up with the pain for three
hours. These tickets are best left alone in the monkey's opinion.
The best seats in the Upper Circle are in rows B to D in that order. It
is worth avoiding the first and last four seats in these rows for best
value. Even third price is quite a bit pay for little legroom and
distance from the stage, if nothing else, though.
Row E back feels high up and combined with the low ceiling above cutting
the view, the value for money is dubious at best.
Row E seats 9 and 36 are sideways to the stage, and peer through bars.
Creative contortionists should find that twisting gains them a bit of
legroom to the side, but not in front.
If you must, pick row F or G seats 15 to 30, but they are the same price
as E for similar views...
One box office staff member's opinion is that the single restricted view
seats at the ends of rows F and G are worth considering as they are next
to "full price" seats and have little viewing problem.
Row H has similar problems to row J in the Dress Circle, being on a
shelf at the back of the circle, again a last resort at the price - take
an Upper Circle box instead.
General Hazard Notes:
Row A seats 3 to 8 and 37 to 42, and row B seats 1 to 10 and 35 to 43 are
restricted view.
Metal bars guard the aisles at the ends of most rows and are intertwined
around the extreme ends of rows B and C.
Those leaning forward block views for anyone behind.
Changes for the current production:
Row A to E 19 to 26 are top price. Sheer madness to buy these, feels the
monkey. You will pay the same as folk miles below you and nearer the
front in far less cramped seats.
B to E 12 to 33 (E32) are far cheaper. If you are under 5ft 6 and
can't get row V central stalls, you'll get about fair value in these.
Beside these seats, most others in rows C to G are the same price.
Not great choices for view or comfort - and watch for trick seats E9 and
36 at the same price as other seats which actually face the front.
Don't bother with the £21 seats here unless very short indeed. The
balcony seats at the same price have slightly better views and an aisle
balcony seat provides a possible way of gaining an inch of legroom you
won't find here.
Reader Comments:
"Upper Circle: (Gem) The seats in the front rows are cramped but the
sightlines are superb and completely unrestricted, and at the reduced
price I think they are very good value for money".
"A15 and 16: (June). I would not recommend these seats. The ticket did
alert us to the restricted leg room although at 5ft tall this is not an
issue for me. The lack of restricted view warning was much more of an
issue for me. I lost about one third of the stage if I was sitting back
in my seat as one should. The only way for me to have full view of all
the action was to lean on the cushioned area in front of me. Hence I had
a really sore back next morning."
I would not recommend the seats 15 and 16 in row A of the Grand Circle.
The ticket did alert us to the restricted leg room although at 5ft tall
this is not an issue for me. The lack of restricted view warning was
much more of an issue for me. I lost about one third of the stage if I
was sitting back in my seat as one should. The only way for me to have
full view of all the action was to lean on the cushioned area in front
of me. Hence I had a really sore back next morning."
“A23, 24 and 25: "Priscilla" (March 2009), (Jos Hockley). Make a note
because these are probably the best seats to get. Once we made the climb
down stairs that rivalled the Himalayas (most people went sideways), we
wedged ourselves into the seats (my friend is 5' 0" and she struggled to
find legroom), petite comes to mind when describing the space around us,
but the simply there wasn't any. Despite descending mountains and being
shoehorned into our allotted space, we had the perfect view. Sitting
back I could still see the edge of the stage (I'm 5'3"), and were
perfectly situated for the aerial views and the 'shoe' where, at 15 foot
away from the performer, we had direct eye contact! Simply, we missed
nothing.
However, I would advise caution in buying tickets as this performance
involves a slightly higher stage apparently - and lots of aerial and
performances on top of the bus. People lower down will miss the
fantastically funny shoe by being underneath it, and have to crane their
necks to see up. Those sitting too far back will be obscured by the
overhangs from the balconies above."
“B 30 to 34: A small corner of the stage couldn't be seen without
leaning forward, but not enough for it to be a problem. Any further
round and it may have been."
"B31 and 32: Good value tickets, and the comments about the seating plan
where spot on. We had to lean forward slightly to see the front LHS
corner of the stage once or twice but otherwise the seats where fine."
"B34 and 35: (Jan). The view wasn't bad - except the usual problem of
the people in front of us peering over the top of the ledge, caused us
all to follow suit! It seems that the trend to bring the set out into
the auditorium, which looks good, also cause the audience in any of the
front circle seats to have to lean over to see any action going on down
the front near the Orchestra pit causing the wave of 'peerers' and 'leaners!'
I hope they realise this and start raising the stages higher!
But, even though the Grand Circle is the third level up, it is on top of
the Dress Circle (some would say the best seats in the house) so the
general view is OK. "
"B35: "The Woman in White" (December 2004). The view was perfect really
- especially when it is only £15"
"B41: “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”, (Mark – regular reader). Quite
restricted, but when I leant forward could see most of the stage,
missing about 25% at the front (You only see 1 of the people when the
phone calls happen etc). The good thing with these is when you lean
forward there is nobody behind you so you aren't obstructing their
views."
"Row C: Although I could see everything that was happening high up, I
was not happy about what was going on near the front of the stage! These
old theatres like the Palace were designed in the expectation that the
front of the stage would end at the proscenium arch, but when the stage
is extended out six feet or more beyond that into the auditorium and any
action takes place right at the edge of the apron, then there are
problems for people sitting in the higher levels, especially when the
people in the front row lean forward and further obstruct the view of
the people sitting behind them!"
"D 8 and 9: Priscilla" (March 2009). Upper Circle Restricted seats at
the edge aren't actually too bad - though I would advise sitting on the
left side rather than the right (D8-9) as quite a lot of action takes
place on the right hand corner but not much on the left. They also cost
£25, £20 less than the seats directly next to them. Bargain."
"D16 to 18: "Singin In The Rain" (February 2012). The view was
spectacular! Only one problem, any action happening downstage - like the
bench scene ending -happens downstage of the corner that is obstructed
sitting on this side, my advice would be to get tickets with higher
numbers than these if in the upper circle as we could see the other
downstage side but nothing happened down there. (It's due to the stage
extending over the orchestra pit, the monkey and reader jointly
concluded).”
"D20: "Priscilla" (March 2009). Great seat and great view!"
"D23 to 26: (James – regular reader). You do feel very high up but as
long as people don’t lean forward in front of you, it’s a fantastic view
and the sound is great from here too. I only paid £1 per ticket which
was a bargain ("Spamalot" December 2008 promotion price - editor) but at
regular price (£42.50) it seems a bit on the pricey side. Also, it was
quite hot and legroom was not great here.”
Reader Jaime Coniam says,
" D29, 30 and 31: (Jaime Coniam). Clear view of the stage, however the
"looking down" on the stage is a problem if the view of a vast black
stage floor detracts from the scenery."
"E10 and 11: The strange thing about these seats is they are on a very
noticeable slope, but for £20 they would have been absolutely fine."
“E10 and 11: "Priscilla" (March 2009)."We had the "Restricted View"
seats in the Upper Circle; these were NOT restricted view in the
slightest. Could see everything apart from a tiny corner in the bottom
of the stage, which really didn't matter at all. Considering we paid
half the amount of the people sitting next to us, I would make these
seats GREEN for value for money. You can see everything extremely well.
Would rather have sat here than the back of the stalls where I have
heard there is so much restriction from the overhang. Probably the best
value seats I have had in quite a while."
"E16: Good seat, and I only paid £20 for it off a woman who had double
booked and was selling outside of the box office (bad practice but she
was obviously genuine, and I got a £45 ticket for £20). Was just about
to book a restricted view one for £5 more so was very handy! I don't
think these are worth £45, I'd rather pay £20 less to sit 4 more seats
to the side, but hey I was happy getting it at a bargain price. (A risky
gamble indeed, feels the monkey).”
"G 29 and 30. The view from here was ok, there was no restriction apart
from the very front left corner of the stage, and the legroom was fine.
However, it did feel like a long way from the stage. I would think it
worth it to pay the extra £15 for top price seats for a closer view if
available - £45 seems very steep for this position, although as so much
of the action takes place high on the stage, I would think it is better
to sit here than the restricted view seats lower down."
"G30: "Pricilla" (March 2009): Bad value at £45, much better seats to be
had in the upper circle."
"G31 and 32. They were not restricted view, and we could see everything
up to the top of the stage very clearly, apart from only the edge of
stage right that was slightly obscured by the curve of the front of the
Grand Circle itself."
"G31 and 32: Booked via the get into London Theatre Promotion - January
to March each year - so I only paid £35 pounds for each seat). Seats
were okay, a bit distant from the stage but not really obstructed.
However it was pretty tight, which is why we were moved to Box X in the
stalls."
Upper Circle Boxes
Layout:
Boxes E, G and H are either side of the stage.
3 seats in each.
Box K is the old row H seats 22 and 23 - a theatre secret,
rarely appearing on seating plans. Tucked against the back wall at the
end of the central aisle.
Legroom:
Acceptable
in all seats, as movable chairs are used in boxes E, G and H. Box K has fixed
seats with nothing in front.
Choosing Seats in General:
Boxes E and H lose about a quarter of the stage view, Box G about an eighth.
Choose box G first, but all three offer fair value at low prices and are
preferable to the stalls boxes for view and to balcony seats for comfort.
Box G in particular is a Theatremonkey readers’ favourite, with many buying all
the seats there to either have privacy or a “box party” depending how sociable
they are feeling.
Box K looks down the central aisle - like a
tunnel to the stage. Only the centre of the stage is visible and the
seats in front muffle the sound. If you MUST see the show, take these if
EVERYTHING else is gone (and the box office won't sell them until then
anyway - if at all). Again, useful to know about, but to sit in?
General Hazard Notes:
Loss of view.
Boxes E and H may be shared with lighting / speakers, and be noisy.
Sound muffled in box K.
Changes for the current production:
Boxes E and G are great value for the taller at second price. Take before stalls boxes for
a better box based view.
Box H is not in use.
Reader Comments:
"Box: At 'Spamalot' (2006) we sat in a box to the left of the stage and
even though we sat pretty close to the stage we couldn't see half of it. We
also sat just next to the confetti-blowing-cannon wich came as a shock in
the end, but they did warn us about loud bangs, they just didn't tell us
when :)"
"Box: (Jake Brunger). View not great at all - had to stand to see a lot of
things, but I saw all their facial expressions and heard it perfectly thanks
to a speaker next to me - not bad for £20"
"Box G: I booked all 3 seats in Box G as I wanted something a bit private /
special for a birthday treat, and, after reading Theatre Monkey’s review
about losing 1/8th stage, I was happy to pay £20 per seat, so £60 for both
of us … I think this price was very fair for the view we had, and would
happily book again."
“Box G: (Yvonne). I booked Box G (after reading a review on Theatremonkey)
and was really pleased with it. Great value for money. Although a slightly
restricted view it was well worth the £60 for three of us. I always prefer
the privacy and extra leg room of a box and this one is a bargain."
BALCONY
The front of this circle is over sixty feet from the stage - straight
down. Row P, 104 feet away, has warning lights to deflect aircraft that have
achieved cruising altitude. Oxygen tanks and snowshoes may be hired in the
foyer.
Joking apart, those prone to even mild vertigo should sit
elsewhere, and everyone should know that from row J back the steep rake
and height take some getting used to. If vertigo does strike, walk
upwards in this theatre away from the drop. There are enclosed back
stairs here leading down safely.
Layout:
The circle is split into a wide central and two narrow side
blocks by aisles.
In the side blocks, an aisle replaces row D, cutting rows A to C are
cut off from those behind.
Thick bars cage the public in and every aisle seat has a metal post
at the end of it.
The rake from row J back is particularly steep.
Pillars appear between seats in side blocks row L.
Legroom:
Very poor in all seats, worst by far in row A, a bit better in
row M seats 8 to 21 and in the aisle seats where one leg can get a bit
of space - compromised view or not!
Choosing Seats in General:
One reader goes so far as to say don't even consider sitting in the Balcony
as the view is so poor.
The public is safely caged in behind thick bars that run across the width of
the circle, affecting the view drastically in rows A to C. More metal pops
up at the outer ends of many rows, notably B, C, E and G.
Centre Block:
Rows G to H were worth considering first, as they offered a clear view and
the best value for money - relatively speaking of course...£20 plus is not
cheap, but the monkey has to judge on what it is given. Just don't expect
TOO much for the price.
Rows N and O are short rows at the rear of the theatre. The view is clear
but the height is noticeably vertigo inducing and £15 seems a lot...
Decide between a relatively clear, but very distant, view of the stage in this block;
and restricted view seats for the same price in other parts of the theatre.
Theatremonkey chooses Upper Circle boxes ( or rear / front row-ends Upper
Circle if the legroom isn't an issue), then stalls boxes, then the balcony.
This is mostly based on legroom and proximity to the stage, not clarity of
view. There isn't a lot of choice in the £30 or less range, so it is a real
case of making do as you can.
Side Blocks:
Metal posts at the end of the row disrupt the view for the first seats
off the aisle. Seats 7 and 22 in all rows suffer this problem worst and
should be avoided.
Row E has a wall / bars in front of it restricting legroom and intruding
on the view of anyone five foot three or shorter.
Take rows F to K - as near too the central aisle as you can, but NOT
actual aisle seat numbers 7 and 22 if possible...unless legroom is a
factor and you accept the compromised view. Also remember that the
outermost 2 seats in rows F to K are perhaps not as great as seats
further towards the centre aisle.
Row M seats 24 and 25 have a pillar in front - avoid them!
Rows N to P feel like private colonies at the back of the side blocks.
The view downwards is heart-stopping and the performers look like ants.
Sit here if your Sherpa allows you a rest period; and plant a national
flag. You can say you saw the show, you got a seat! And you lived to
tell the tale.
Use any seat in the side balcony to see the show if on the tightest
of budgets. Enjoy the music and what you can see of the rest. These
seats are no bargain but if taken this way is at least an honest attempt
at theatregoing on a shoestring.
General Hazard Notes:
Vertigo, both from the view from the circle to the stage, and from the
steepness of the steps to your seats.
Bars galore, at the front, in front of row E in the side block, at the
ends of all rows.
Heads in front in view from most seats. Accept nowhere in this circle
has a decent view, basically...
A reader reports that those in row D have been annoyed by people in
the rows in front leaning forward.
Pillar in side block row M.
Changes for the current production:
Sensible pricing at the front makes rows B to D 8 and 9, B19 and 20 and
C and D 20 and 21 possible fair value for bargain hunters who don't mind
bars in view. Take the aisle ones if taller, for a means of sitting sideways
to move a leg into.
Next, the sides of row C 4 to 7 and 22 to 25 are also worth a glance
for the same reason.
At next to bottom price, the monkey rates rows behind about average -
you really get what you pay for.
At bottom price, rows from M back have to be a final choice. Try for
the same priced ones mentioned above in B to D first, it feels. Then
take row M 7 or 22 next if you have to. The only advantage of sitting in
these back rows is that they are less affected by bars or those in front
leaning forwards, the monkey and reader reports both note.
Reader Comments:
“Balcony: We all
suffered neck and back ache because the only way to see the show was to lean
as far forward as we could manage. Normally, I would be conscious of not
getting in the way of the views of the people behind, but sadly on this
occasion leaning forward was the only way we could see any of the action on
stage. A lot of the performance took place towards the very front the stage
so we had to sit back and just listen to what was going on and watch the
people back-stage set-up the props!! I will be writing to the theatre to
express my concerns, I have been to many theatres and I feel these are the
worst seats I've sat in."
"Balcony: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" in March 2009). My friend booked
this show for a Saturday evening in March 2010, but could only get £25
tickets mid-way back in the Balcony (top tier in theatre). I have only one
comment to make - CLOSE THE BALCONY FOR ANY FUTURE SHOWS!"
"Balcony: All the seats here are very cramped! Those over 6ft will not only
feel uncomfortable but will also not be able to sit down. The only way to
avoid this is to sit in the first row of the stalls or any central aisle
seat. Never buy tickets which are inside the rows - only the aisles."
"A14 and 15: "Singin' In The Rain" (Lynn). I'm only 5ft 4" but my knees were
jammed up against the edge. However, considering we had two bars in front of
us we didn't have a bad view. By looking down we could see everything on
stage except the steps at the front of the stage and not a lot happened
there. Then when they showed clips on the screen at the back of the stage we
just looked up and could see it perfectly. The seats were £34 each, but I
was happy with what we got. When we got upstairs we were offered an upgrade
to best available seats for £10 each. don't know if this is common practice,
but might consider next time, depending what's on offer."
"A 21 to 23: "Singin' In The Rain" (February 2012). I managed to get very
cheap seats in the Balcony, row A 21 to 23, and they were brilliant! Perfect
view."
"A 24 and 25: "Priscilla”, (Jenny). I took a gamble and bought two seats for
a tenner from a certain online organisation that specialises in things of a
last minute nature. I did think that it would be a bit of a waste, and when
we picked up the tickets we saw they had "partially restricted view" on
them. Well, this wasn't the case at all. We had a fabulous experience! We
felt every bit of the atmosphere, had no-one in front of us blocking our
view (ha!) and all in all had a brilliant time. I would say to anyone on a
budget - go for it!"
"D9 to 14: £22.50 each. Once we had acclimatised to the altitude and made
sure our parachutes were correctly packed, we settled down for a good
afternoon out! Seriously though, the stage is a long way down and it's a bit
off-putting to be looking at the top of the heads of the cast, but we soon
get used to it! None of us are terribly tall, so there was a bit of
neck-craning going on as well. We couldn't see the top of the stage, so we
missed some of the cartoons and imagery and the far downstage left front
corner was out of sight as well, but as there wasn't much action there, it
didn't matter too much!"
"E16: "Singin' In The Rain" (February 2012). For only 30 minutes I seemed to
have one of the better views, as I would have been able to look straight
down on the tops of the actors' heads. People behind me were complaining
that they couldn't see anything but the back of the stage.
The seats went up at such an extreme rake that they were set very high from
the floor. At 5'9", my feet barely touched the floor. That's so
uncomfortable on the lower back. The aisle getting to the seats was very
narrow, and one had the feeling of falling forward even when the aisle was
empty of other guests to work around. The seats were hard and narrow, with
little padding. They would have to pay me to watch an entire performance
from that balcony!"
“F12 and 13: We were in the balcony and from what I could see all the seats
were bad. I would avoid the balcony at all costs if you want to see the show
or if (as someone else has commented) you're over 5' 10". Row F was VERY
cramped. Row E and Row G seemed to have better views as the rows in front
were lower. Row E was not a lot lower than F, and the drop almost vertical,
so ANYONE sitting in front of you will obstruct views. For me, the best
seats would be in Row E 3-7 and 22-26 as there is no-one sitting in front of
you and you can dangle your legs over the barrier in front. Cannot comment
on the views from these seats but it cannot be any worse than F12 and F13."
"F10 to 13: "Singin' In The Rain" (February 2012), (Vicki). Bought 4
balcony tickets from Ticketmaster for £30 each plus usual booking
fees. Nothing was mentioned about a restricted view, just 'high and
steeply stepped'. What a waste of money, seats10 to 13 in row F barely
have any view of the stage as the rows are tightly packed, hardly any
legroom - and all I could see from seat 13 was the back of the head of
the lady in front. From what I could gather most of the balcony seats
have a very poor view, the people behind were also complaining. Most
disappointing night at the theatre ever, complete rip off."
"Row F22 to 27, Row G22 to 26: "Priscilla" (10 friends). We paid £26.24
each. All I can say is "avoid these seats at all costs!!" About a third of
the stage cannot be seen simply because the balcony and bars are in the
way!”
“H10: "Spamalot,"(2006). I booked in the balcony on Ticketmaster before
looking at Theatremonkey’s opinion, but actually it wasn't that bad. Yeah I
could've done with a little more room and seeing some things a little
better, but I was anticipating being up with airplanes and it actually
wasn't that bad. I could see some facial expressions and they were made
PERFECTLY clear with the binoculars that I only had to use occasionally. So
for an American student saving up for a 5 week trip around Europe, 20 pounds
was an amazing price for a pretty good seat to an incredible show!"
"Seats H 19 and 20: "Spamalot" (2006). I thought that describing them as
unrestricted was a bit off which I am going to raise with the theatre. Quite
a bit of the action takes place towards the front of the stage and is
totally obscured by the safety bars etc at the front of the balcony.
It doesn't help that if the people in front of you are both tall and chose
to lean forward - you may as well sit back, close your eyes and imagine what
is going on!
I remembered this theatre from Jesus Christ Superstar donkey's years ago I
went quite a few times and didn't ever have a problem seeing from up
there... I don't think I would bother booking in the balcony again unless I
could get A or B - from H the top of the set is obscured by the lighting rig
and as I said you may as well give up on anything that happens at the front
of the stage..."
“Row L: (James – regular reader). I originally sat in the middle of row L -
I didn't find the distance any worse than the back of many other theatres,
but the view was absolutely appalling. The rake, whilst being steep, wasn't
steep enough, and if you have anyone above midget-height in front of you,
you will be struggling to see the stage. .As it was only two-thirds full, I
tried a few other seats, with the same problems. Bars block the stage view
from all side block seats. I usually don't mind cheap seats far away, but I
would not sit in these seats again as view was so bad. Whole block should be
red..."
“O5 and 6: “Priscilla Queen of the Desert,” (Chris B). Avoid these
seats at all cost! I only got these tickets as we really wanted to see
the show and it was the very last performance. True, they were very
cheap but I can see why. You would have felt closer to the stage being
sat on the moon, they are so ridiculously high up and with the very
steep rake, if anyone leans slightly forward you can’t see the stage.
Making out the actors was practically impossible and we could only just
see the enormous bus. This is the one time I’ve hired the binoculars and
even then it wasn’t a clear view. If you HAVE to sit around here, I’d
suggest the back row as then you can stand up and not restrict people
behind. The only good thing was we could hear all the music and the
sound was good, but may as well have just listened to the soundtrack at
home.”
Notes
Total 1480 seats.
Air-cooled auditorium. A reader reports in 2003 that this is temperamental
and the theatre gets stuffy as a result - something those in April 2005 concur
with. Refurbishment has not really helped - rented portable units still sometimes substitute for the permanent fittings!
In August 2012 reader Debbi says from stalls row F, "The air conditioning was
awful! It was probably around 27 degrees the night we went and it was stiflingly
hot. Just make sure you wear something cool when you go to see this show."
Infrared loop with headsets available. Occasional audio described and signed
performances, only once a year or so. Guide dog sitter available. Adapted WC in
Stalls. Access for wheelchairs via side door, up a shallow step and down a
gentle slope to seat W27 in the Stalls. Users may also transfer to any other
stalls aisle seat. Large print programme available. This theatre tries. Specific
information from
www.seetickets.com
or 0844 412 4648 or e-mail customer.relations@seetickets.com. 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.
Café in basement. Ice cream and confectionery in auditorium.
Four Bars; Stalls, Dress Circle, Upper Circle and Balcony.
11 toilets; Stalls 1 gents, 1 ladies - both accessed via front of stalls,
rear stairs. 1 unisex disabled at rear of stalls, next to wheelchair entrance;
Dress Circle 1 gents (beyond the bar), 1 ladies (on main foyer stairs, through
first set of doors); Upper Circle 1 gents, 1 ladies - in the same positions on
Upper Circle level as the Dress Circle ones are; Balcony 1 gents, 1 ladies -
both at the very top of the stairs, plus 1 gents on the left hand side of row C,
1 ladies on the right hand side of row C.
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