STALLS
The Dress Circle overhangs the stalls at row J, the view from row O back is
slightly affected - the top of the stage not visible.The front row for
"Legally Blonde" (December 2009) is row BB.
It is worth avoiding the first and last four seats in rows
BB to P. In rows
BB to C the viewing angle from these seats is uncomfortable for the
price. From
row D to P the angle of the walls as they narrow towards the stage is the
problem.
Remember that the stage may be high - as for "Legally Blonde" (December 2009) and that the
conductor may be in view from some seats in the first rows (which can annoy the odd purist, the
monkey finds). To date, nobody has complained, though.
For "Legally Blonde" a reader says,
"Entered the preview performances lottery and was put in row BB 10 for
£10!!!! WOW! (£25 for performances from January 2010 - Editor). What a
view. You miss the tiniest little bits of the show, but for £10 it was
the bargain of the century. On a second visit we won BB7 stalls!
PERFECT!"
Another reader was less encouraging,
"I went down and looked at the front few rows where I normally sit by
choice, and (as others have commented) for this particular production
the whole of the front couple of rows look awful and may merit red, not
just the sides. The problem is the substantial height of the stage but
also they’ve got a very shallow orchestra pit between the front seats
and the stage, literally three feet max. I’m amazed that they’re selling
these front rows at full price as your diagram suggests."
The monkey felt it one for fans more than anything, really, as
another reader opines,
"My seat, BB14, was won in the lottery system and £25 could be
considered extortion given the incredibly poor view of the stage. My
neck was craned back so far that it hurt; the stage was so near and so
high that I couldn't see any of the dogs when they were on the stage
floor, nor could I see the performers from their waists down when they
walked toward the back of the stage. A stack of speakers are right in
front of this seat and make such a noise that the man next to me was
almost in my lap at times. Given that offers were available in which a
top-price ticket could be purchased for £20, I find it inconceivable
that the producers should dare charge £25 for lottery tickets when the
view is so appalling."
though a UK "Legally Blonde" fan records,
"I AM ADDICTED. Saw the show 3 times last month. Have sat in BB13, BB8
and L3, all of which I got from the ticket lottery wins. Personally for
me, BB8 was the best seat a fan of the show could ever want. I felt like
I was at a private viewing, the amount of eye contact and connection I
had with the actors. Just amazing. Sitting in Row L was great too for a
different reason in that I got to see the show on a more production
level than when sitting right up close and was able to enjoy the
choreography for Whipped into Shape a lot more."
The monkey was surprised about the "not seeing from the waist down"
comment, but not about the speakers. One for fans more than anyone else,
it thinks.
A a previous production, reader Danielle took advantage of a discount
on these seats and says,
"When sold cheap, I thought this was
amazingly good value as I have seen other shows in the West End on the
front row at top price. Once I got to my seat I was surprised there was so much room
between me and the stage! You do have to look up a bit, and can only
see the cast from the knee upwards when they are towards the back of
the stage, but this isn't often. You do get a few drops of water on
you during one scene but nothing major. The seats were great value for
money!"
Another reader agrees,
"When cheap, these were good; on the tickets it did say
about the stage so high, and when I sat down I was worried about this as
it was high... however it was fine -. you can see everything. What a
great view, to be sooo close to the four good-looking leads."
Reader FB comments for a previous production, when row AA was not in use:
"We bought seats 1 to 4 in row BB as the price was reduced for this row and one
at the back circle at the show we attended. We were told this row was second from the front, but
was, in fact the front row. We watched the orchestra rehearse, and did have to
stand up several times to let orchestra latecomers gain access through a gate!
We were concerned that the noise level might be excessive, particularly when we
saw lots of speakers, but we needn't have worried. The acoustics were perfect,
and we had a good view of the stage. This is at eye level so we were looking up,
but this didn't give us neck ache. I wouldn't have selected these seats at full
price, but at a discounted £20 they represented very good value for money."
A row back, when an orchestra pit is in use, a readers says,
"I also would not recommend seats in row A. (For "Fiddler On The Roof" in
2007) The stage is very high and I felt I
was missing some of the action particularly during the wedding scenes. I was
surprised to see so many empty seats but it did mean that I was able to move
back a couple of rows at the interval and the view was excellent from row D."
For "Legally Blonde" (December 2009) a reader adds,
"A16 and 17: Far too close to a fairly high stage, and right next to a
very big speaker, but I have sat in worse places. I don't feel that I
missed anything, and I didn't suffer too much with neck ache so it can't
have been that bad."
From row C, readers Jayne, Loz, Caileigh, Leanne and Natalie report,
"We were in row C seats 10 to 14 and had a brilliant view of the stage,
we age from 12 to 50 and all 5 of us thoroughly enjoyed it. The theatre
is small (similar to the Aldwych) but there is a fair amount of legroom
in the stalls, though the seats could do with a bit more padding."
Reader Sophie, in the same row for "Legally Blonde" (December 2009)
reports,
"I sat in C3, and was worried beforehand that it might be too far to one
side - I was completely wrong! I had a perfect view, and didn't miss one
thing. It was definitely worth £40 preview price for a ticket."
Another reader at the same show says,
"We sat in the centre of row C. Ideally three or four rows back would
have been a little better as you can't see the feet of the performers in
row C even though I am 6'2," but who is complaining as this time I
wasn't paying!"
In row D, reader Cathy says,
" D1and 2: Were very worried, being at the end of a row, but the Savoy
is such a cute, architecturally-beautiful and compact theatre it didn't
matter. We still felt the whole experience and sound wasn't too bad."
In row E a reader says,
"brilliant seats."
Best seats in the stalls are rows G and H 7 to 20 and J 7 to 23. Then take seats
around this - rows K, L, M, N, O, E, D in that order.
From F, a reader says,
"We sat in Row F14 and 15. Good seats with a full view of the stage."
to which another adds for "Legally Blonde" (December 2009),
"F17 and 18: Great seats, very close to the action without missing any
of the stage, which was about eye-level with us. Probably best not to be
further forward if paying top-whack."
Theatremonkey regular reporting reader James says,
"Sat in Stalls G16 for "Fiddler On The Roof" - what a fantastic seat. There is
a good rake so my view wasn't obscured at all by anyone and due to the high
stage I certainly wouldn't want to be any closer. The sound was great from here
and I could see everyone's faces very clearly. Definitely worth the top price."
For "Legally Blonde" (December 2009), some seats in J and K are
"premium priced." Monkey advice is try for seats nearby unless you
really don't mind paying the extra.
At a later performance, he opines,
"Sat in J22 and J23 for “Fiddler On The Roof”. Having previously sat further
forward, I preferred sitting here as the stage is quite high. Again, a good
rake and staggered seating ensures that people in front do not ordinarily cause
any viewing problems."
Reader Lizzie reports,
"Row H - great view and not bad on the leg room either."
Readers Brian and Margaret say,
"H 19 and 20, excellent seats. Other comment: the Savoy is a small
theatre, and I would say the view in the stalls is good from any row,
remembering that the stage is raised, so you will be looking up if you
sit in the first five rows."
A couple of rows back another reader adds,
"We had superb seats in rows J and K central stalls and with the seats angled so
you are looking between the two seats in front it wouldn't matter if there was a
tall person in front. If only all theatres did that and not just in the best
seats."
Another reader endorses row J 7 to 11 as excellent too.
A reader says,
"We were in seats L 5 and 6 which
were excellent. The front four rows are on the level and from the fifth row back
the rake is quite pronounced so the row in front of you is considerably lower
than most other theatres. It is also the first theatre I can recall that has a
raised foot-rest level to counteract the slope. I had two quite tall men sitting
in front of me but had no problem at all in seeing all of the stage (mind you I
am 6' 2" myself). The seats are firm but quite comfortable although it was good
to stand in the interval."
The opinion on L6 is seconded by another reader,
"Seat L6 had a great view and plenty of legroom"
while another reader rates M19 excellent too.
Reader James F comments, though,
"M15 and 16. View excellent but the floor
curls up so you can’t put your feet under the seat of the person in front,
despite the step (lots
of knee room though). The
seats looked good but became uncomfortable after 45 minutes as the arm
rests and the backs of the seat in front are just wood with no cloth on
for comfort."
Slightly along the row, another James, regular theatremonkey reading
seat connoisseur notes for "Legally Blonde" (December 2009),
"M23 and M24: Although they're a bit off to the side, the view was
excellent and a great rake certainly helps. One problem though is the
sound. Row M is not exactly the back of the theatre, but it all sounded
very distant from here."
That was in preview - so hopefully things will improve as the run
continues, feels the monkey.
At the end of the same row, for the same show, a reader says,
"M1: Discounted £35 Get Into London Theatre ticket: I had expected it to
be a pretty bad view due to the odd layout of the front of the Savoy
Theatre; but for this show at least it was great. Can’t see the right
hand side of the stage at all, but for LB most of the action is on the
front of the stage so it didn’t matter; in fact the show takes place
inside a large moving frame that quite often created a false proscenium
over on the left two-thirds (from the audience point of view) of the
stage anyway. Great legroom in all these mid stalls rows, and M was at a
nice elevation above all the other rows to see without any
obstructions."
Note, as the monkey does, that the reader was on a cheap ticket and
didn't mind missing part of the show... at full price there are still
better seats, it feels...
For "Legally Blonde" (December 2009), a reader says,
"I was in N17 and had a fantastic view. I would not recommend 'premium
price' seats if central seats in other rows as far back as R were
available, as I cannot think how the view could be any better. This is a
fairly intimate theatre anyway."
Reader Jill Dalton adds,
"We sat in row Q in the stalls - too far back to see expressions and so on, but
the 3 rows in front of us were empty, so we had a great overall view."
Reader Lorna comments,
"Row R seats 2 to 5: a good view from seat 3 with OK legroom, a hard
seat though (I can be fussy)."
In row T, a reader says,
"Seats 17 and 18. For the second row at the back, the view is still
amazing, as the theatre is quite small and it seems in the middle of the
action. The sound too is perfect. The seats are comfortable, though they
look hideous, and the legroom seems very little, but I actually didn't
have a problem at 5ft 7 (maybe I've got use to little legroom on my many
theatre trips). Recommend these seats for anyone. The overhang of the
Circle above affects nothing, but it depends on the show you're seeing."
In the rear stalls, the overhang affects the view. Reader Cath says for
"Legally Blonde" (December 2009),
"We got given T 1, 2 and 3 in the stalls. These weren't as far back as they
sound and being off to the side wasn't a problem at all; during the interval we
went to have a look at some seats in the middle of row T that didn't have anyone
sitting in them but then we moved back to our original seats (still in the
interval, we didn't disturb anyone!) because when you sit in the middle you have
people's heads directly in front of you whereas if you're sitting at the side
you're looking a bit diagonally so their heads don't get in the way (I don't
think I've explained this very well but I know what I mean).
The only problem with these seats is that you're very much under the
overhang of the dress circle. It only actually gets in the way
during the first couple of songs when people stand on the top of the
stairs: the top of their heads get chopped off a bit and there are
speakers stuck on the ceiling which get in the way a bit. This
wasn't really a huge problem, but I've never sat under the dress
circle before and it just made the whole stage feel a bit smaller,
but if you're used to this it's no problem. I guess in a very round
about way what I'd say that these seats are good, but if you're
paying top price then obviously get some seats further forward if
you can." For "Legally Blonde"
(December 2009) top price indeed goes back as far as row T. As Cath says, try for the furthest forward you can
- there is a short sequence at the beginning that takes place in an area
cut off by the circle overhang, making rows S and T seem a bit greedy at
top price (take S before T if that is all that is going, though).
Purists might want to avoid T6 to 16, plus U to W3 and 11 as a sound desk
wall might bother them.
Most won't mind, though. Rows here have
better legroom than the equivalent Dress Circle seats, worth considering. At
second price, these rows
again offer a cheaper choice with more legroom - avoid seats next to the sound
desk if sensitive, though. The rake in the rear stalls is good but the theatre is
large and the last three rows feel far from the stage.
Legroom is acceptable in all seats for all but the tallest.
DRESS CIRCLE
The Upper Circle overhangs the Dress Circle at row G and blocks the view of
the top of the stage from row K back. A metal bar runs across the front of the
Dress Circle, slightly affecting the view in row A.
The Dress Circle is split into front and rear sections by an aisle across the
front of row G. A high metal bar runs across the front of row G, badly affecting
the view in rows G, H and J. Further back, the overhang of the Upper Circle
doesn't do much for sightlines from row L onwards...
In the front section it is worth especially avoiding rows A to C seats 1 to 3 and 28 to
30 as they are towards the edges of the theatre and offer the least value for
money. A 1 and 30 also have a rail in view.
A reader comments,
"A30: On the ticket it says, not very clearly, 'rail in view'.
WELL...I'd say quite clearly 'restricted view'. The seat has a great big
safety rail blocking a third of the stage."
Other seats except Row A offer a clear view and fair value,
but theatremonkey prefers the front stalls for being closer to the stage. A
reader strongly disagrees, though,
"A16 to 21: a marvellous view of the stage and possibly the most legroom
a west end theatre is able to offer. Certainly more than I have been
used to in recent visits to theatres.
Be warned, do not try to put your coats over the balcony you will get
told to remove them as it is a fire hazard, we all did!!"
In row D, a reader says for the preview of "Legally Blonde" (December
2009),
"D5 of the Dress Circle - £40 being the most expensive West End ticket
I've ever bought. I loved it! Worth everything just for the atmosphere
of being first preview."
Two seats along, reader Kirsty reports for the same show,
"D7 in the dress circle. it was kind of central, but I could see
everything and I heard everything too."
A reader says,
"We sat in the dress circle, row D, which was perfect. The sight lines were
excellent even for very small children with no boosters seats."
For "Legally Blonde" (December 2009), central seats in C, D and
E are
"premium priced." Totally your call if you choose to pay more, feels the
monkey. Great view... but other seats around them are pretty similar -
and cheaper.
Two wheelchair positions at F1 offer a poor value view of the stage. See notes.
Of row F, reader Hannah M comments, for "Legally Blonde" (December 2009),
"F 1 to 5: The view was brilliant because of the steep rake, and leg room was
fine. Due to being a student monkey I wouldn't pay the normal £55 price for
them, but if my bank balance allowed I would say the view is worth the money."
Further along, at another show, reader Lorna says,
"F7 and 8: a fine view and quite comfortable."
Further along the row, theatremonkey regular seat aficionado James says,
"Sat in F14 and F15 for “Fiddler On The Roof”. The seats
may be a bit uncomfortable (particularly as Act One is almost two hours) and
you do feel a tiny bit distant from the stage, but the view is very clear
and the sound is great from here too."
another reader adds for "Legally Blonde" (December 2009),
"F20: This is in the last row of the front section of the Dress Circle.
A reasonable rake provides a good unrestricted view from here and
although the middle section would be even better, most of the action in
this show takes place in the middle and front sections of the stage so
you will not miss anything.
Behind is the aisle that separates the Dress Circle in two. I would
avoid the back section if possible because the seats are the same price
as the front but to me they seemed a lot further away. I also heard
someone complain that the metal bar that runs in the front of the back
section, restricted their view."
The rear section is divided into two uneven halves by an aisle.
In row H, a reader says,
"H12: Got this in the "Legally Blonde" (December 2009) Lottery for £25,
good value for that price. Nice clear view, However at full price
definitely go for something closer to the stage."
Reader Katie agrees,
"Centre H in the dress circle: The view was great but was too far away
and too high up from the stage and the performers all look out to the
stalls, so it is difficult to feel involved or engaged with the show. At
£60 for that seat, it is daylight robbery - fortunately I only paid £25,
but still felt short-changed!"
Row G seats 1
to 5 and 24 to 26, rows H to L 1 to 6 and 25 to 27, row M 1 to 6 and 21 to 23, N
1 to 7 and 23 to 25 and O 7 to 9 are all very much in the corners of the theatre
and offer worst value - especially remembering those prime central seats in the
front section are the same price as rows G to J here... The very first and last 4 seats in
particular are worth skipping in the monkey view.
Furthermore, reader Will Cooper notes that:
"I sat in Dress
Circle seat N7. Theatremonkey readers will be interested to know that the
rear row of this circle is not so much a collection of seats, as a long line
of unnecessarily compact instruments of torture.
The seats are right
up against the wall, so the seat backs are flat rather than curved. This meant
that the only way I (5'10") could find comfort was to sit perpendicular to
the seat in a most unorthodox manner, this meant I had to strain my neck in
order to see the stage and went home with quite bad neck pains.
Normally, I
am prepared to put up with discomfort if I really want to see a show or the
seats are particularly cheap but I found that, not seeing the show would be
preferable if these were the only seats available. I also think that these
seats were fairly expensively priced considering the view they gave and the
discomfort suffered, even with a 33% under 16's discount."
Rows L to O in the larger block offer slightly better value, as they are
slightly discounted. The rear stalls have a slightly
better view and legroom in the monkey's opinion. At second price, the
monkey might particularly consider row L 7 to 24 and M 8 to 20 - same view as top price row
K, but slightly cheaper for "Legally Blonde" (December 2009). Your choice if you
feel missing a little of the top set is worthwhile - it is only a couple of
moments at the very start of the show, and nothing of importance happens. Alternatively, the Upper
Circle is cheaper still, and way more comfortable and with better views than row
O in particular.
Reader Nigel Sitwell comments,
"We were in the back row of the dress circle, which was a bit too high up and
far back, so we were glad we brought our binoculars. We are planning a return
visit later in the autumn, when we shall aim for near the front of the Dress
Circle or midway back in the stalls. Hang the expense!"
another reader agrees,
"They are very high and a long way from the stage and inevitably the actors are
looking at the Stalls audience not right up above their heads where we were."
Legroom is poor in row G, acceptable to many in A, better in B to D, barely adequate in rows K to O
- except H6, M7
and N8 on the aisle where the seating is
staggered, with nothing ahead. The last two are averagely priced too, though N8 suffers the upright seat problem
mentioned above!
Dress Circle Box
Between the stage and front of the Dress
Circle. Two seats, with a view of about a third of the stage without leaning, as
it is in a wall which slopes back from the stage towards the side of the
theatre. Avoid -
easy to do as they are often not sold to the public - lighting etc is positioned
here instead. Very expensive at top price, for little view.
UPPER CIRCLE
Called the "Grand Circle" in this theatre.
This is high above the stage, and the rear section feels distant from it.
A metal bar runs across the front of the circle affecting the view in row A.
The Upper Circle is divided into front and rear sections by an aisle in front
of row F. More metal bars running across the theatre affect the view in the rear
section.
In the front section rows A to E seats 1 to 6 and 20 to 26 offer least value
for money being at the edges of the auditorium. You pay the same for rows B to E,
so pick these first. Value for money is fair in the centre seats of
these rows. Row A is normally cheaper to account for the sightline problems, as
for "Legally Blonde" (December 2009) - and is
probably worth missing for this production unless you can tolerate the legroom
and accept the obstructed view. For those who can, you do get much closer to the
stage for the same money as those at the back are paying.
Reader Jon reports,
"A25: Minimal "rail" intrusion to vision, a slight lean forward to see total
front of stage and the orchestra entombed below. Whilst direct front legroom is tight, as this is the end
seat it gave the opportunity to swing legs to the left with no problem.
One reader says,
"I was sitting in the centre of D row and found the height above the stage made
me feel quite vertiginous, although the actual view of the stage and all the
action was fine."
In the rear section rows F to H seats 1 to 5 and 24 to 28 are at the edges of
the circle, and rows J to L are isolated blocks either side of walls. Row F's
bar may well annoy some people in row G too.
Rows F to J offer poor value in terms of both view and remoteness from
the action - especially considering the seats in the front section are the same
price. When better seats are unavailable, accept the sides of row H then G
(unless bars bother you)
before J for at least being closer to the front.
One reader underlines this at "Legally Blonde" (December 2009),
"After sitting in row G I would say that this row should be a last
resort row - and any row in the upper circle is better than G. There are
2 bars in the way, and I did not appreciate that it is the bar behind
row F which is about 2 metres away that is the huge problem. Loved
'Legally Blonde' but the seats couldn’t have had a much worse impediment
and the theatre ought to offer them free to under 18s."
Reader James reports,
"The difference between rows E and F of the Upper Circle is huge - the
theatre design seems to emphasise the distance from the stage. Rows K
and L seem a long long way away. However, would recommend row E heartily."
Reader Jon says,
"J11: This is just to the side of the spotlights booth, but wasn't "tight" ( I'm
20 stone and xxl 5'11"), there was enough room by the right hand side of this
seat next to the booth for not only my coat but also the couple sat next to me,
rather than stuff under the seat. Leg room O.K. (feet room tighter!). The view
is good, but I would question seats 11 in rows behind and 12 through 15 as you
go back, and the front of the stage is unseen."
For "Legally Blonde" (December 2009), the whole rear section, plus
row A are the same price. For the legroom and bar tolerant there's A.
For the rest, rows H and J avoid the worst of the bars at the price.
Usually, rows K and L have only a little wrong with the value for money, feels the
monkey but don't expect any miracles. These are often the cheapest seats in the
theatre, and there is a good reason - distance and view. On the other hand, if
offered only row J, you may as well save an extra few bananas as the view is
fairly similar. For "Legally Blonde" (December 2009), at the same price as the
rows in front, they are a last choice.
A reader comments,
" L2. I would warn that you need oxygen at this level and vertigo sufferers
should stay clear. Otherwise the seat was a good buy - high enough to give a
clear view above the horizontal bars that affect some lower rows. In addition
the sound system is heard to wonderful effect with one's head against the back
wall."
to which another adds, for "Legally Blonde" (December 2009),
"L 1and 2: These seats cost us £20 each from TKTS on Leicester Square on
the day. I thought they were fair value for the highest row in the
theatre. The row is a short one and L1 and 2 are up to a wall. You have
no problems with people needing to get past you. So this is good. My
husband is 6 foot 4" and usually struggles for leg room, but he had
plenty. I felt a little removed so high up from the action, and think
the sound could need tweaking, but it was OK; and I was please we got to
see the show. Don't sit here if you have any fear of heights. It is very
steep and you can touch the ceiling! However, if you want a cheaper
night out or just want to see this show then go for it."
another reader says,
"I bought seats K16 and K17 and the view seemed quite good. My friend got a bit
dizzy but we were able to move forward to row G which was fine although the bar
was a minor nuisance."
The view in the rear section, as mentioned by the readers, is interrupted by the bars, and some may well
feel that the price (despite being lower than elsewhere) does not compensate sufficiently.
Legroom is cramped in all seats, worst in row A.
Notes
Total 1157 seats.
Air-conditioned auditorium.
An infrared loop with headsets available. Guide dogs are allowed in
auditorium or dogsat by arrangement. Two wheelchair spaces in the Dress Circle. Only problem is steep
hill outside to push a chair up. The adapted toilet is nearby.
For fuller details,
call the box office on 0844 8717 677. 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.
Four bars; Stalls, Lounge, Dress Circle and Upper Circle.
The adjacent Savoy Hotel offers the famous Grill and other restaurants. Ice
cream and confectionery only in the auditorium.
7 Toilets; Stalls 1 gents 3 cubicles, 1 ladies 9 cubicles; Dress Circle 1
gents 2 cubicles, 1 ladies 9 cubicles, 1 unisex disabled; Upper Circle 1 gents 5
cubicles 1 ladies 6 cubicles.
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