Skip to main content

Criterion Theatre


218-223 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1V 9LB 033 33 202 895

  • Where to buy tickets
  • Best seat advice
  • Seating plan/s
  • Getting to the theatre

Buying tickets online

www.criterion-theatre.co.uk 

Booking fees per ticket:
A £1.25 per ticket booking fee is charged. 

About the show:
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

 

Other Online Choices (with genuine S.T.A.R ticket agencies): 
Ticket agencies offer an alternative way to buy tickets, with booking fees differing from those charged by the theatre box office itself. They may have seats available or special offers when theatres do not.

Ticket agency prices vary in response to theatres implementing “dynamic pricing”  - which alters prices according to demand for a particular performance. Prices stated here were compiled as booking originally opened, current prices are advised at time of enquiry.

ALSO SEE Tickettree.com for great value "hotel and theatre ticket" packages.
Other Independent S.T.A.R. ticket agencies may also offer an alternative choice of seats.

TheatreMonkey Ticketshop

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
When the theatre does not have the tickets you desire available, it is well worth trying the Theatremonkey Ticketshop agency, telephone 020 7420 9778 (0044 207 420 9778 if calling from outside the United Kingdom), charge £17 on £85, £15 on £75, £13 on £65, £11 on £55, £8 on £40, £7 on £35, £5 on £25, £3 on £15 seats Tuesday to Friday / £19.80 on £99, £17.80 on £89, £13.80 on £69, £11.80 on £59, £9 on £45, £7.80 on £39, £5.40 on £27, £3 on £15 seats Friday and Saturday / £9.80 on £49, £7.80 on £39, £5.80 on £29, £5 on £25, £4 on £20, £3 on £15 preview seats to 22nd April 2024 booking fee per ticket - moderate by agency standards, though higher than box office fees, worth trying as they often have an alternative choice of seats available! Note that this system will confirm exact seat numbers prior to purchase. A £1.95 per booking, not per ticket, handling fee may apply on some transactions by telephone. NO handling fee applies for online purchases.

See Tickets

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Another alternative is www.seetickets.com which charge £17 on £85, £15 on £75, £13 on £65, £11 on £55, £8 on £40, £7 on £35, £5 on £25, £3 on £15 seats Tuesday to Friday / £19.80 on £99, £17.80 on £89, £13.80 on £69, £11.80 on £59, £9 on £45, £7.80 on £39, £5.40 on £27, £3 on £15 seats Friday and Saturday / £9.80 on £49, £7.80 on £39, £5.80 on £29, £5 on £25, £4 on £20, £3 on £15 preview seats to 22nd April 2024 booking fee per ticket, and £2.75 per booking (not per ticket) postal charge.

Ticketmaster

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Alternatively, Ticketmaster charge £16.75 on £85, £14.75 on £75, £12.75 on £65, £10.75 on £55, £8 on £40, £7 on £35, £5 on £25, £3 on £15 seats Tuesday to Friday / £19.50 on £99, £16.50 on £89, £13.50 on £69, £11.75 on £59, £9 on £45, £7.75 on £39, £5.50 on £27, £3 on £15 seats Friday and Saturday / £9.75 on £49, £7.75 on £39, £5.75 on £29, £5 on £25, £4 on £20, £3 on £15 preview seats to 22nd April 2024 booking fee per ticket.

Encore Tickets

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Encore Tickets charge £17 on £85, £15 on £75, £13 on £65, £11 on £55, £8 on £40, £7 on £35, £5 on £25, £3 on £15 seats Tuesday to Friday / £19 on £99, £17 on £89, £14 on £69, £12 on £59, £9 on £45, £8 on £39, £6 on £27, £3 on £15 seats Friday and Saturday / £10 on £49, £8 on £39, £6 on £29, £5 on £25, £4 on £20, £3 on £15 preview seats to 22nd April 2024 booking fee per ticket.

Discounts and "Meal and Show" packages may also be available.

London Theatre Direct

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Londontheatredirect.com charge £18 on £85, £15.75 on £75, £13.75 on £65, £11.75 on £55, £8.50 on £40, £7.50 on £35, £5.25 on £25, £3.25 on £15 seats Tuesday to Friday / £21 on £99, £18.75 on £89, £14.50 on £69, £12.50 on £59, £9.50 on £45, £8.25 on £39, £5.75 on £27, £3.25 on £15 seats Friday and Saturday / £10.50 on £49, £8.25 on £39, £6.25 on £29, £5.25 on £25, £4.25 on £20, £3.25 on £15 preview seats to 22nd April 2024 booking fee per ticket. Optional Ticket Insurance is also available. Discounts may also be available.

Box office information

Telephone: 033 33 202 895
Operated by Quay Tickets on behalf of the venue.

Booking fees per ticket for telephone bookings:
A £1.25 per ticket booking fee is charged. .

For personal callers or by post:
Piccadilly Circus, London. SW1Y 4XA
No booking fee for personal callers.

Special Access Needs Customers: 
Wheelchair users and other registered disabled theatregoers can book their seats and enquire about concessionary prices that may be available to them on 020 7839 8811.

Please remember that cheaper seats often do not offer the same view / location quality as top price ones, and that ticket prices are designed to reflect this difference.

This theatre is underground. It is a very long walk down to the stalls and longer back up to the surface. The infirm or those not related to mountain goats (theatremonkey fortunately has a caprine third cousin) should consider the Upper Circle, which is only just below street level!

One reader says,
"I thought the theatre was rather nice. Deep under the ground and very old, you could sometimes hear the tube rattling above you. To me, it just added to the magic!" 

  • Stalls
  • Dress Circle
  • Dress Circle Boxes
  • Upper Circle
  • Upper Circle Boxes

Stalls

Layout

A single block of seats face the stage. 

The Dress Circle overhangs the stalls at row H at the sides, K in the centre. Circle overhang noticeably affects the view of the top of the stage from row M back.

Pillars in rows J, K, N and P further affect views from the rear stalls.

The rake (sloped floor to help see over rows in front) is shallow throughout the stalls. In fact, the monkey felt rows B to D were slightly lower than A, before the rake came back at row E.

Row S is on a plinth raised around 4cm above the row in front.

Legroom

Legroom is adequate throughout the Stalls - including row A - for all under 6ft or so if willing to put feet under the row in front. Those over 6ft might "check their legs into the cloakroom" according to one reader in row M, though. The monkey agrees knee space isn't great if over 5ft 10 or so.

B 3 and 4, C 23 and 24, L 2 and P 22 have nothing in front; B 5 is 90% clear in front; D 1 and J 28 around 50% clear in front.

Choosing seats in general

Rows A to H seats 5 to 20 offer at least fair value - central seats near the front - E to H 5 to 20 being prime. Sitting here minimises the risk of both the shallow rake and pillars at top price.

For bargains, forage at the edges of row A to E (A to F on the "high numbers" side). Often officially "restricted view" stalls seats are: A 4 and 21, B 3 to 6, C 2, 3 and 24; D 2 and E 2. An extended proscenium wall seems to be the cause and some readers may want to avoid the seats next to these too. On the other hand, the view is pretty good unless the actors stand far over to the side of the stage... and the price is lower too...

Some feel that C3 and 23 and M 4 and 21 are worthwhile at fourth price, despite restricted views, and a few others are happy with the first seats in rows D, E, L and M too at the same price.

Rows J to L seats 1 to 4 (L 2 to 4) and 19 to 22 should be avoided as the first pillars interfere here. Accept row J to L seats 5 to 18 grudgingly - frankly, the rest are better, just because that rake is shallow.

In the rear stalls row P 12, 15 and 16 normally combine second price with a reasonably pillar free view. All other second price seats are not on this monkey's to buy list unless legroom is a factor.

The rest of the Stalls seats can cheerfully be ignored by most, though, is the feeling. If you must, then go as central as possible between the pillars, and don't go less lower than seat 7 or higher than 18 from row Q back, though R23 isn't terrible at lowest price, the monkey feels. The pillars are narrow but the same price restricted view dress circle edges them for view, it feels.

Seats K1 and 21 are worth considering for the anti-social. Nothing directly beside or behind them, and only missing the top corner of the stage (if it is ever used) plus the side wall of the set.

General hazard notes

A shallow rake frustrates shorter folk everywhere in the stalls.

Pillars throughout the rear stalls: affected seats are K 1 and 21; L 2; M 2, 4 and 21; N 1, 3, 4 and 20; P 1 to 4, 7 and 17 to 22; Q 1 to 7, 11, 14, 15, 18 to 24; R 1 to 7, 11, 12, 15, 16 and 19 to 23; S 4 to 7, 10, 11, 14, 15 and 18 to 21.

Changes for the current production

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
The front row is not confirmed. The first row may be B or C - C is currently first on sale.

Central rows D to H are "premium seats," with central F and G at "super premium." To avoid them, take seats beside them or row J first - in this theatre being front and centre is the way to go, and a turntable on stage could make C a bit of a neck-ache.

Skip rows L to N as they are a long way back for top non-premium price. There are two good rows of second price seats, central P is worth having, and those on row Q seem fair value.

Cheaper, it would even skip these to take the restricted view fourth price ends of K, L or M then fifth or sixth price restricted view seats at the ends of D or C, then M back, instead anyway, or explore row C of the upper circle rather than rear stalls.

To go into detail about these cheap ones:

The front corners are the way to go. Ends of rows C and D are fifth price, with a single on E behind a price above that. First pick, feels the monkey, as you will see more from these than any upper circle seat.

At the back, for those happy to accept severely restricted views, there is some moderate acceptable stuff. 

The monkey likes K1 and 21, missing only the side wall of the set usually.

P17, 7, Q 11 and 15, P 2, Q2 and P1 are sixth price, making them worth having, in that order if you don't want to go at the sides of the cheaper front stalls. Stepping up a price, M and N 21 and L2 are also worth a first look to the monkey mind. The monkey would skip row S seats (if put on sale) priced more than the lowest band - and even then it would look at the upper circle for the same prices for a clearer view.

Usually (but not confirmed yet) there are a mixture of fourth and fifth price seats in rows R and S, again worth a look - though at third price upper circle row C will probably have a better view for those who don't see so well over heads in front. Some seats in rows Q to S are yet to go on sale - the monkey will update as available.

Readers comments

"A 10 and 11: "The 39 Steps," (Rebecca). I'm 4ft 11 and I have seen it twice now from row A, seats 10 and 11: It requires some looking up, but I really enjoy the close proximity of the actors, and getting to see every bit of subtlety in their comedic performances. I found leg room here to be average. The seats are a little uncomfortable, but as a comedy the show is shorter than most musicals, so it's less noticeable."

"A15: "The Comedy About A Bank Robbery" (May 2016). Sold relatively cheaply, this is a great seat. Looking slightly upward, as is expected, but within reason. Except for a few moments here and there clear view of everything. Legroom is quite good (I'm 6'2''), even slouching in the seat my knees had plenty of space."

"A16: OK, it’s very close to the action – but it was great!"

"B5: "The Comedy About A Bank Robbery" (February 2016). Tonight confirmed my view that if you're doing restricted view, high numbers are much better than low. Definitely missed more from B5 than from my usual B22."

"B 5 and 6: Permanently cheaper because of the restricted view. Sitting in the seats and looking directly forward you are looking at a wall; seat 6 is where the wall ends so that was the better seat. In seat 5 I couldn’t see about 10% of the action, and at the scene in the hotel lobby which is at the far right of the stage I could hardly see anything. I could see the stagehand, though. Seat 6 had no such problem. Some of the action also takes back at the far right back of the stage which is impossible to see from seat 5.

The saving grace is that row A ends at seat 5 so seat 5, 4 and 3 have acres of leg room, albeit with a side view. For 90% of the show though the view is superb, and well worth the £22.50 instead of £47.50 ticket price when we saw it (August 2010). The theatremonkey seating plan is slightly wrong as seat B4 has no seat in front of it (not wrong, just unable to show it for technical reasons - editor). With the seat colour, carpet and wall paint I always feel like I’m sitting in some one’s lounge at the Criterion! (The monkey raised the rating of B6 for view, and left the rest 'fair value' for comfort reasons if nothing else).

"B22: "The Comedy About A Bank Robbery" (February 2016). I don't understand why B22 isn't coloured green when the rest of the seats along that edge are. I'm practically resident in B22!" (because seats further back have a better angle, feels the monkey).

“B22 and 23, “2:22 A Ghost Story” (October 2022), (Bob Pickett). Loads of legroom, comfortable enough… but they’re past the side of the stage. This close, you lose a chunk of the left (as you look at it). At a discounted price they’re worth it (for 2:22 most action takes part centre stage so it wasn’t too much of an issue - thankfully clocks were mounted both sides), but be aware you’re losing part of the stage and do look across.  B22 gets a marginally better view.”

"Row C: neck-ache!"

"C3: "The Comedy about a Bank Robbery" (March 2016).My daughter had this seat, and rates it good value at £11. It was high enough that she could see all the stage, including the actors' feet (she is 5'1"), the legroom was superb (half the seat has nothing in front of it), and the restricted view was slight to moderate. She said that there were a couple of visual gags that she didn't get, but overall she was very happy with the seat for this price."

"C9 and 10: "Unbelievable" (September 2023). We were second row Stalls (C 9-10) and in hindsight a bit on show, so I would have preferred to be further back as also some of the close up magic tricks were slightly blocked by cameras or the cast. They did have screens but they were at an awkward angle for us to look at. I think further back there would be a better overview of the stage and the screens."

"C13: "Close to You" (January 2016). An excellent seat, with good leg room and perfect view of the stage, bang in the centre. Rows A and B are a bit close, whereas C is far enough back to avoid neck ache."

"C22: Although this was not a bad seat, I felt that it was difficult to see the actors when they were standing at the edge of the stage. It was not so much a restricted view, but instead a poor view. As this was a full price seat it offered poor value for money and would be best avoided in my opinion."

"E3: The seat was awful. There is no rake, meaning that if a tall person, or a person with a very dodgy hair-do sits in front of you - you've had it. This meant that I missed much of the first act, as I couldn't see the performance clearly, and also without the people behind poking me saying that I was blocking their view!. In the interval, I spoke to an usher, and they kindly let me sit in the Dress Circle - which again had lots of pillars in view, but was much better than my stalls seat."

"E11: (Tom). I got this at a reduced price. This is a small, pretty theatre and E11 is an excellent seat. I wouldn't like to sit further forward as it's a rather 'shouty' performance. There is almost no rake at the front and the seats aren't staggered here so someone tall in the row in front would cause a problem. The seats also seem to be strangely noisy, and if half a dozen people choose to re-settle at the same time it is a bit distracting! By London standards the seats and leg room are reasonable."

"E 16: (Jon B). My seat in the stalls was fine with a good close view of the stage and reasonable leg room. There's very little rake on the stalls so you could be unlucky if someone tall sits in front of you."

"E17: (Jackie, Devon). There was plenty of leg room, however, the rake in the stalls was appalling. The view was obscured by the people in the row in front which was annoying."

"E18 and 19: gave a good view of the stage and provided adequate legroom."

"E24: "The Unfriend" (February 2023). I bought stalls E24 for £21 which was bargain. The only comment is the stalls are very low even 10 rows back - so if paying more you may find large people block your view of the stage, being very low down; unlike other theatres which have an incline."

"Row F: Centre. this view was just fine as I had an unblocked view of the stage and was able to enjoy the play."

"F6 and 7: were good seats, with a good view of the stage and with sufficient room even for me at over 6 ft."

"F8: "Pride and Prejudice (sort of)" (November 2021). Pretty good seats. Heads in front will be in the way because there is no rake at this point but the stage is high enough that it’s not too much of a problem (and being able to see the actors’ expressions outweighs the occasional leaning). Leg room a bit tight if you have longer legs, and seats are a bit narrow - I kept bumping my neighbour despite neither of us using the arm rest. I got a discount for this ticket but probably wouldn’t pay full price. P.S. two thumbs up for their drinks ordering system!"

"F17 and 18: at £22.50 each with no booking fee. Perfect seats with a full view of the stage."

"Row G: next time I would definitely choose the dress circle. The rake of the stalls is non-existent and being of fairly average height, I found it hard to make out some of the tap dancing etc at the production I saw."

"G3 and 4: "The Way Old Friends Do" (August 2023), (Bob Pickett). In Criterion terms, these are pretty good seats.  Close enough to see every facial expression, though you do lose a little of the right side of the stage.  The seats themselves are quite comfortable.  Legroom is - like most Criterion seats - less than desirable.  The lack of both rake and stagger mean you’re playing ‘Criterion Lottery’ hoping no-one tall sits in front of you.  On the plus side, at least these seats are nowhere near a pillar!"

"H 1 and 2 and J 1 and 2. "The Comedy about a Bank Robbery" (March 2016). It did feel a little odd going down into the theatre, but that was partly because it was so crowded arriving, with nowhere to linger. The tiled walls were also oddly reminiscent of a tube station or a Victorian toilet! The theatre itself was fine, although the Circle overhang was a little disconcerting. No sign of tubes rattling by!. J2 is directly next to a large pillar so those two seats are a little pair to themselves, which was cute, and pleased Tall Daughter. Leg room was fine. Those seats at the end are under the side overhang of the Circle, which didn’t block the stage view (there is some business right at the top of the stage) but did make it feel a little enclosed. 

Behind was an individual seat alone with space all round it, because of that pillar - no one was sitting there and that meant wriggling from side to side to see the stage was easier. The seats weren’t staggered but the side angle to the stage meant a pretty good view between heads - my husband and Tall Son, in fact - with a bit of dodging from side to side. (I was in J1, TD was in J2 and saw fine.) You can’t really lean back in your seat and see as well, and you miss a little of the action on the far right of the stage but not enough to matter and for the price, they were good value. 

As TM said, though, higher numbers aisle seats might give you a better all round view with this particular play. And also, as the toilets and bar are at that low numbers side of the theatre, with no centre aisle, the ENTIRE row felt they had to come through in the interval, rather than walking around the back of the theatre (and it really isn’t that big a walk!) including the obligatory last minute returner after the interval when we had finally sat down!"

"H23: "The Comedy about a Bank Robbery" (March 2016). End of row but before those dreaded columns - Thanks TM for the suggestions. Missed nothing, would rather be here for this production than the other side where you would miss window scenes, and I was less obscured than end of rows in front of me. Paid usual 'partially restricted view' £33 ticket price and was happy with that. I am 6'4" though so that helped with the flat rake. Agree with others - it is a loud performance so would not want to be too far forward."

"J 7 to 9: (JS). Fab seats, lots of legroom even for tall people. Would highly recommend. You could see perfectly and we were nowhere near the pillars."

"J18: "The Comedy About a Bank Robbery" (March 2016). Great seat."

"Row K: My seats were great - central to the stage about 10 rows back. I was a little worried as I'm rather short, but the view was okay as long as a giant wasn't sitting in front of me."

"K 6 and 7: "The Way Old Friends Do" (August 2023). Beautiful theatre, loved the glass name sign, the tiled corridors and the actual auditorium itself with the chandelier ceiling. Seats had a great view. Toilets very clean and more cubicles than the average London theatre."

"K 12 and 13. (B). Good seats, dead centre; a perfect view of everything. The Criterion Theatre is marvellous, but there are seats I wouldn’t want to sit in. Best to check which ones have restricted views before purchasing them."

"K21: "The Unfriend" (January 2023). The Criterion is a really quirky theatre. Completely underground, you have to walk down to the gods! And K21 in the stalls is even quirkier. On the aisle of the stalls right next to the biggest pillar I've ever seen in a theatre. But as it's to the side. It's fine and there are no seats either side as the one to the right would have no view at all. It might obscure a tiny bit of the left hand side if they are at the back of the stage but it was great for this."

“K21: “The Unfriend” (February 2023), (Broadway John). Fantastic seat. Pillar not an issue. Good legroom. Thanks, TM, for the recommendation!”

"Row M: (Jackie Bassom). Seats in row M gave a comfy view."

"M11 and 12: It's a very small and cramped auditorium. We were wedged into M11 and 12 which were dead centre of the row towards the back. It seems that there is no rake, but the seats were staggered - which helped, as I had to look between two very large heads. The seats were pretty comfy, it has to be said, but partly because once you were in them there was no way you were moving again. It was almost like I was vacuum packed."

"Row N: "The Comedy about a Bank Robbery" (March 2016). We sat just to the left of centre. The leg room wasn't bad for my 6' husband, and the view wasn't bad at all, considering the shallow rake."

"R15 and 16: "Pride & Prejudice (sort of)" (November 2021), (Bob Pickett). These are marked 'restricted view' and rightly so, with a pillar in front. It's only a thin pillar and I honestly forgot all about it after a while.  If you were in the seat in front (Q15 or 16 I'm guessing) it would be another thing altogether as it would be right in front of your face.  Seats are nice and wide, legroom is good... but make sure you get up during the interval.  As the second half progressed I was fidgeting more and more until finding a comfortable position."

 

Dress Circle

Layout

A single block of seats face the stage, with a trio and pair of seats in the corners of the circle by the boxes too.

The Upper Circle overhangs the Dress Circle at row B.

Pillars holding it up are liberally scattered in front of row C.

Legroom

Poor for the taller with row AA and D 9 to 19 having least. Elsewhere, row A has most, and those up to around 5ft 10 should be fairly comfortable in other rows outside D 9 to 19.

Choosing seats in general

Row B seats 10 to 20 are the best value here, followed by row A 9 to 25. If given the choice though, this monkey opts for top price stalls instead.

Of the other seats, C 5, 9 and 24 are heavily discounted for being right behind pillars, with seats behind and to the sides slightly more expensive. Pillar seats are fair value below around £25 feels the monkey, and those on G are in a short row, which may please the less sociable.

The monkey feels the restricted view dress circle edges restricted view stalls for view given the seats are raised more to see over rows in front.

General hazard notes

Seats officially designated "restricted view" due to pillars are: row C 5, 9, 20 and 24; D 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 27 and 28; E 1 to 5, 8, 9, 13, 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, 28 and 29; F 4 to 7, 10, 21, 22, 25 to 27; G 6 to 9.

AA 1, 2, 3, 28 and 29 also have viewing problems due to their position at the side of the circle.

Changes for the current production

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Premium seats are designated as central rows A and B 10 to 21, with A at "super premium" price. Central seats on row C are top non-premium price and fair, feels the monkey.

The price drops to second from D back in the "clear view" seats. D10, 11, 14, 15, 19 and 20 are well worth having, and you will not go very wrong with those in E (except 11 and 19 by the sound desk). Just don't go for the ones of F as that is far back for the bananas.

Fourth price singles on the end of row A are decent value.

Restricted view seats appear to be priced fairly in monkey opinion. Row G is a good bet at bottom price, and the monkey would consider the ends of D and E, as well as F 4 and 5 at fifth price. Slips are likewise a thought for those bananas.

Readers comments

"Row A: We had seats A22 and A23 in the Dress Circle, which had adequate legroom (friend 5’ 8”) and an excellent view."

"A16 and A17: The view was great, and my long legged husband managed to sit through the performance without fidgeting!
Of course, as in most older theatres, the seats are narrow."

"A24 to A27: Paid £96 for four seats on an offer from Lovetheatre. Seats were very good - they gave a clear view of the stage, although I felt I was looking slightly to my left to see it (in A24) - this wasn't a problem. My wife sat in A27 and did not find that the handrail obstructed her vision. I tried the seat at the interval and agreed that it was no problem, although there was one scene in the second half where she couldn't see one item on the extreme left of the stage. Seat comfort was fine and the legroom was more than adequate."

“A26 and 27: “The 39 Steps,” (Chris B). The Criterion feels very cosy and intimate as west end theatres go. These seats are to the very left as you look at the stage, but offer a good clear view. There is a safety rail to the left of seat A27 but it’s easy to look around especially if you know the person in A26, and it doesn't impact on the quality of the view. There is a large curve to the circle so these seats are much further forward than the central seats and you feel very close to the stage (They overhang about row H of the stalls) There is plenty of legroom too.”

"B 6 to 9: (Dan). I went to see 'The 39 Steps' in December 2007. We had booked a 'best available seat' deal for the bargain price of £10 per ticket, and were allocated Dress Circle Row B, seats 6 to 9. For my friends in seats 6 to 8, the view was fantastic as there was no one in front of them. Unfortunately, I had a (normal-sized) gentleman in front of me in seat A9, whose head blocked out a portion of the centre of the stage for much of the performance. Strangely enough, I didn't actually miss much of the action, but I just wanted to advise fellow theatregoers that the Dress Circle rake at this theatre doesn't really count for much. I probably could have moved to one of the seats in Row AA, but didn't think this would actually improve things due to the odd viewing angle from there. In any case, for £10 I was hardly complaining!"

"B 19, 20, 21: "The Comedy About A Bank Robbery" (February 2016). We had a good view of the stage. There was a fairly shallow rake so I feared the worst if the people in front of us chose to lean forward but on this occasion all was well and sight lines through the seats in front were decent. Leg room was ample and we had no complaints about the comfort of the seats. The columns started in the row behind us - they were thinner than I had imagined but probably still a pain if directly in front of you. Looking down from where we were sitting there didn’t appear to be any rake at all in the front stalls - beware if taking children or if you’re short."

"C 6 and 7: "The Comedy About A Bank Robbery" (February 2016). I would say that 6 & 7, even for the normal £50, I would rate definitely white (if not green when using the Sunday Saver!), as it offers a really fantastic view, with only a minuscule fraction of action missed at the window of Caprice's apartment."

"D 4 and 5: "2:22 A Ghost Story" (August 2022). Acquired cheap (needed at the moment!) tickets £15, which indicated restricted views (Dress Circle D4/5). Thankfully I read the reviews on your wonderful site and decided to take the risk. The pillars are thin and do not block anything important on the set."

"D6 and 7:  Although we paid less than half the price, I personally wouldn't have minded paying full price for these. The legroom is very small, but the chairs are comfortable. The view is outstanding. I was worried about the pillars, but they are so small, that neither of us had an obstructed view at all! It was quite a charming place to sit, you could see everything in pure detail (on stage, and around the theatre). I would sit here anyday."

"D12 and 13: "Bleak Expectations" (May 2023). Both are discounted for being behind a pillar. Said pillar didn’t stop us seeing anything (although D12 had the pillar in a less annoying position), so would happily take these seats again. Decent legroom; no complaints from either 5’ me or 6’ friend."

"D13 - Hated the show but was a good seat none the less, I think Stalls would be better in this theatre as I felt a bit distant."

"E6 and 7: "The Comedy About A Bank Robbery" (February 2016). We got these for half price but one should have been £49.50 and E6 should have been £20 due to a pillar. However, we were very pleasantly surprised. Expecting to see half the stage from E6 we actually found almost no restriction whatsoever apart from the very front right corner of the stage which was only used once, and once scene involving a window. Therefore I would say that with the present pricing structure I would have been disappointed to pay the £50 for E7, but would have found E6 to be an absolute steal for £20. But at half price, no complaints at all! Fabulous value."

"F8 and 9: "The Unfriend" (February 2023). A good view with no one behind so you can lean forward if you are unfortunate to have a tall person in front of you."

Dress Circle Boxes

Layout

Boxes A, B, C and D are at Dress Circle level. All are located at the sides of the theatre, either side of the stage.

A and B seat 4 people, C and D seat 2.

Legroom

Good, as seats are movable chairs.

Choosing seats in general

Boxes A and B are best, followed by C and D if you can tolerate the side views.

These boxes offer a good alternative to all the pillar blighted seats in the rest of the theatre.

General hazard notes

An odd viewing angle prevents seeing the nearest edge of the stage to the box.

Changes for the current production

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Not yet on sale.

Readers comments

"Box C: "The Comedy About A Bank Robbery." (April 2016).  Whilst it's lovely having the space, boxes C and D are oddly angled away from the stage, so you need to lean over the edge for a reasonable view of the action. There is also an annoyingly placed spotlight in your line of sight. A fair amount of significant action occurs in the rear part of the stage on the box C side, which you totally miss. I think Box D would be a better bet, as the occupants of that didn't seem to be craning their necks around quite so much."

"Box D: "The Comedy About A Bank Robbery." (April 2016). Missed quite a bit of the happenings on our side of the stage, but we like the comfort and space."

Upper Circle

Layout

This overhangs the Dress Circle at row B.

Two block of seats faces the stage, divided by a centre aisle.

Legroom

Very tight in row A - a six foot tall reader stood rather than sit there. Those up to 5ft 6 at most may be all right here.

Row B should please those up to 5ft 7, while C is further elevated to be acceptable to those up to around 5ft 10, feels the monkey.

Choosing seats in general

Being fairly low and without any pillars (how does the roof stay up?) these seats are good value normally. Select row B first, or cheaper C, then A as last resort - it is much more expensive too, so go for B and save money! 

The central seats have a far better view than outer ones, and prices reflect the loss of stage corners.

Two wheelchair spaces next to C20. The view is slightly restricted but adequate value.

Seat B30 is sold only if all other seats are taken. Marked as "very restricted view" the monkey felt that it was no worse than other seats at lowest price. The front corner of the stage is lost, as is around a fifth to the back of the stage on the side closest. Still, not uncomfortable and with nothing behind it, you could do a lot worse, it thinks.

In row C the view decreases as you go along the row, so go centrally and expect to miss the front quarter of the stage by the outer end - though sitting forward brings it mostly into view.

General hazard notes

The shallow rake makes for problems in row B if those in front lean forwards. C is elevated, so the taller should avoid this a little.

Changes for the current production

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Skip row A at second price – you will be more comfortable with pretty much the same view further back. Ends of A are fifth price. Stalls will be closer and more comfortable for the bananas.

Take third price seats row C over B, as it is more elevated and less prone to leaning people in front.

Moving outwards, ends of B and C drop to fifth price. Again take stalls first, but if you have to, then C8 and 9 probably have the best of viewing over leaners in front at the price. You will probably miss side stage action, however.

B30 is occasionally sold if all other seats are taken. Fair at lowest price, it feels.

Readers comments

"Upper Circle: (Taljaard). Paid £27.50 for a decent view on the top shelf."

"Row A: I am six foot tall and I was sat in the upper circle in the front row - and I just couldn't fit in at all, ended up having to sit sideways and then just stood to the side instead. I was given the ticket for £10 and even at that price it wasn't worth it."

"B11 to 13: The front row may be cramped but I would try it if I wanted to go again. I was in B11, my daughter and wife were in B12 and B13. My wife had difficulty until she could lean sideways after B14 and B15 decamped to somewhere in C. I was lucky, A10 and A11 did not turn up, but if A11 had done his/her head would have been centre stage. My wife tells me that row C were complaining and asking, without success, to be moved."

"B 21 to 23: (Simon). £25 from Ticketmaster. Good value we thought; decent legroom (I'm 5'11") and a good view even for my 10 year-old, albeit through the gaps between the heads in row A - only a problem if they leaned forward. There were no seats behind us so we could have sat on a coat or bag for extra height if we'd needed to!"

"B24 and B25: The view was great - just an ever so slight obstruction by the hand rail which meant a small part of the left hand side of the stage was obscured but it didn't detract. Next time, I would be quite happy to sit in the centre of Row C as that view was perfect (I tried out a few of the empty seats!)."

"Row C: "The Comedy about a Bank Robbery" (March 2016), (Graham). I'm not an upper circle fan but it was the best of a bad bunch when choosing. However after consulting the theatre bible a.k.a. Theatre Monkey I decided on the back row of the upper circle and was very pleased with these seats as one is still not that far from the stage and view was great so would have no problems booking these again."

"C6 and 7: "Bleak Expectations" (May 2023), (Bob Pickett). These seats are atrocious.  They’re sold as “Restricted view”; even that could be challenged under the Sales Description Act.  Half the stage is cut off, despite row C sitting taller than the two rows in front you’re constantly nodding your head to see the half-stage on view.
On the plus side they’re comfortable.  If you want to look at the chandelier then they’re great seats… except there is a spotlight that beams directly at them, dazzling with it’s glare.
Do NOT buy, unless they’re the only ones left in the theatre and you’re desperate.
(Note, I tried a seat by the central aisle in the same row.  MUCH better experience)."

“C18, 19 and 20: “Death Drop” (March 2022). Avoided the pillars by going high (and £15 tickets from TodayTix helped the decision). Positive reviews proved correct as this is a nice central little row of 5 seats on a high step. It does feel a little removed from the rest of the theatre as there are only 3 rows in the upper circle but I quite liked the space and quiet - almost like being socially distant again. The problem is people leaning forward in the front row - despite an engraved plate nailed to the shelf asking them not to. To her credit though our FOH lady was on it as soon as anyone leant forward and told them to sit back.  I would take row C over A or B to swerve any issues with leaners.”

"C 19 and 20: "The Comedy about a Bank Robbery" (March 2016). I would recommend our seats, which have a superb view of the whole stage at a good price."

Upper Circle Boxes

Layout

Boxes E and F are at Upper Circle level. Both are located at the sides of the theatre, either side of the stage.

Both seat 2 people.

Legroom

Good, as seats are movable chairs.

Choosing seats in general

These offer a side view of the stage. Sold at third price normally, these boxes offer a good alternative to all the pillar blighted seats in the rest of the theatre for those willing to lean a lot.

General hazard notes

The odd viewing angle preventing seeing the nearest edge of the stage to the box unless you lean right up against the wall.

Changes for the current production

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Not yet on sale.

Readers comments

"Box E: (James). The view was fine for £10, but you really do have to lean forwards to see anything, almost out of the box! Hard on the legs too, as you're pressed right up against the edge of the box. Also worth knowing is that the boxes can only be booked over the phone, and no booking fee or postage was charged at all, unlike for the other seats in the theatre!"

Notes best seat advice

Total 590 seats.

Air-conditioned auditorium. 

Sennheiser Infrared. Occasional signed performances. Guide dog sitter available. Access to Wheelchair places via firedoor and down a slope. Adapted unisex toilet available (segregated would have been nicer). Specific details from the theatre on 020 7839 8811.

No food except Ice cream and confectionery.

Two Bars. Stalls and Dress Circle.

2 toilets. Dress Circle 1 gents 3 cubicles, 1 ladies 8 cubicles. Note that they are located on the "low numbers"  side of the theatre, so folk on that side will be first in line at the interval.

Reader Sara Levene comments,

"I would like to commend this theatre for having 8 cubicles in the stalls’ Ladies loo – all female theatregoers will understand that this is a very positive recommendation."

General price band information

Theatres use "dynamic pricing." Seat prices change according to demand for a particular performance. Prices below were compiled as booking originally opened. Current prices are advised at time of enquiry.

Based on paying FULL PRICE (no discount!) for tickets, site writers and contributing guests have ALSO created the colour-coded plans for "value for money," considering factors like views, comfort and value-for-money compared with other same-priced seats available.

For a full discussion, opinions, reviews, notes, tips, hints and advice on all the seats in this theatre, click on "BEST SEAT ADVICE" (on the left of your screen).

On the plans below:
Seats in GREEN many feel may offer either noticeable value, or something to compensate for a problem; for example, being a well-priced restricted view ticket. Any seats coloured LIGHT GREEN are sold at "premium" prices because the show producer thinks they are the best. The monkey says "you are only getting what you pay for" but uses this colour to highlight the ones it feels best at the price, and help everybody else find equally good seats nearby at lower prices.

Seats in WHITE, many feel, provided about what they pay for. Generally unremarkable.

Seats in RED are coloured to draw attention. Not necessarily to be avoided - maybe nothing specific is wrong with them, other than opinions that there are better seats at the same price. Other times there may be something to consider before buying – perhaps overpricing, obstructed views, less comfort etc.

Please remember that cheaper seats often do not offer the same view / location quality as top price ones, and that ticket prices are designed to reflect this difference.

By value for money:

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Details will change, the monkey will update as available.

Criterion Theatre value seating plan
All performances from 24th April 2024 onwards.
Criterion Theatre value seating plan
Preview performances from 4th to 22nd April 2024 only

 

By price:

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Details will change, the monkey will update as available.

Criterion Theatre price seating plan
All performances from 23rd April 2024 onwards

 

Criterion Theatre price seating plan
Preview performances from 4th to 22nd April 2024 only
Notes

A reader notes that stalls B 5 has nothing in front - something the monkey plans can't quite show for technical reasons (curves and straight lines don't mix graphically, alas!).

Please note: The seating plans are not accurate representations of the auditorium. While we try to ensure they are as close to the actual theatre plan as possible we cannot guarantee they are a true representation. Customers with specific requirements are advised to discuss these with the theatre prior to booking to avoid any confusion.
 

-0.1365154, 51.5097608

Nearest underground station

Piccadilly Circus - Piccadilly (Dark Blue) and Bakerloo (Brown) lines.

The escalator from the platforms ends in a large circular underground area. 

After leaving the barriers, turn to your left, and follow the curve of the barriers around until you see an exit to your right with the sign "Subway 4" over it. Walk under this sign.

Walk through this tunnel and ignore the first staircase to your right, marked "Shaftesbury Avenue". Continue along the tunnel passing the "Trocadero" doors, and follow it as it curves round. Follow the arrow on the sign ahead of you that says "Eros" - it points on down the tunnel to your right. 

In this new section of tunnel, take the stairs ahead and to your right up to the street.

At the top of the stairs, the Criterion Theatre is to your right.

Buses

3, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 22, 23, 38, 55, 88, and 159 to Piccadilly Circus.

Taxi

A rank for Black taxis is at Charing Cross Station - a good distance from the theatre, if you cannot hail one in the busy street outside the venue.

Car park

China Town.
From the car park, walk ahead and turn right to face Shaftesbury Avenue. On Shaftsbury Avenue, turn to your left. Walk along, passing the Lyric and Apollo Theatres on the other side of the road. If you see the Palace Theatre, wrong way.

At the end of Shaftesbury Avenue, the Criterion Theatre is ahead of you, across Piccadilly Circus behind the statue of Eros.

The "Theatreland Parking Scheme" may be available. See www.q-park.co.uk for details and to book. At this car park, parking under the "Theatreland Parking Scheme" allows a 50% discount in cost for entry after 12 noon and for a maximum of 4 hours (after that parking is at the normal rate).

If you choose the "Theatreland Parking Scheme", you must book in advance at www.q-park.co.uk and have a theatre ticket stub dated for a theatre performance on the day you are parking there.

For a full list of car parks and theatres that participate in the 50% off theatreland scheme see www.q-park.co.uk.

Back To Top