STALLS
Layout:
The Dress Circle overhangs row N.
Rows P to S lose their view of the top of the stage view due to circle
overhang.
Split into front and rear sections by an aisle in front of row O.
Rows A to N are split by a centre aisle.
The seats are well
raked
(sloped floor to help see over rows in front)
from around row D back to N.
Legroom:
More than acceptable for all but the tallest throughout the Stalls until row
Q.
Row O offers extra space as a
gangway runs in front of it.
Rows S and T are very cramped for all.
Choosing Seats in General:
Advance booking rows AA to C before the set has been installed is a
gamble.
When the stage is low, those rows have near-perfect views, and if row AA
is reduced as "Day Seats" they are a bargain.
If the set has been placed on a plinth, or the stage floor raised, then those in
rows AA to C will experience neck strain looking upwards - for many rows
A and B at top price might be avoidable due to this. If row AA isn't
discounted, casual visitors paying top price might want to avoid this
row too.
A good rake in the stalls otherwise ensures good to excellent
views from almost all seats in rows D to N. A centre aisle means the prime seats
in the middle of the theatre have
the added luxury of space next to them.
A professional reviewer noted that for "Glengarry Glen Ross" (in
October 2007) that row L 11 and 12 have a problem if someone taller sits in
front of you and the stage is low.
Row O
seats 1, 2, 13 and 14 are disconcertingly pinned in pairs to the side wall of the
theatre, either side of the deep alcove which houses the rest of rows O to S. The
view is OK, but a weird place for seats.
The rest of row O, and P behind it, are nicely central, and central row
O seats 7 and 8 get the bonus of legroom and a view straight down the centre
aisle. Wheelchair users can either park at the ends of stalls row N -
replacing 1, 2, 19 or 20; or transfer to any aisle seat - O12, P11 and Q11
are a good bet.
Behind these, rows R and S, when cheaper, are worth considering for
vertigo-sufferers with short legs, feels the monkey. Any discount may indicate a restricted view of the set,
but rarely reflects the lack of legroom.
If rows
back to S are indeed top price, monkey rates rows from Q back avoidable
for comfort alone. At low price for
other
productions row S is fair value for the shorter, it feels, unless you
have smaller theatremonkeys in tow.
General Hazard Notes:
Rows R and S are cramped in their rear alcove that was once the
cheap "pit" area.
The changing height of the stage affects the desirability of rows AA to C
far more than any other theatre in London.
Changes for the current production:
Row B is the front row, with the stage extended outwards. Used as
"day seats," and cheap, they are excellent for the price BUT the
stage is high so be prepared to look upwards. Take B16 last, as it suffers a
restricted view for a short period due to the way the show is staged.
The high stage means rows C and D may also experience more neck ache
than usual.
"Premium" seats in
the centre stalls are your call if you wish to pay the for them, feels
the monkey. Those in front, beside or behind are equally as good
but cheaper. Given the shallow rake of these stalls, the extra is really
worth paying mostly for aisle privilege, it feels. If paying it, go for rows
H and J first
before seats next to them, in this case.
All rows back to S are at top price, monkey rates rows from R back
avoidable.
Reader Comments:
" AA:
"I sat front row and view was fine. Stage slopes down and there's a rail then
the stage so not too much in your face."
"AA: I got a £10 day seat in the front row of the stalls. Excellent! I
didn't find the stage high at all. The stages at the Savoy and Novello
are higher than this! Maybe they have lowered it for this production? Or
maybe it's just that I like being really up close and personal and don't
even think about the stage height!"
"AA6 and AA7: ("Blithe Spirit" March 2011). I was a bit disappointed about being here at first because
I do think that sometimes you miss quite a lot by being on the front
row. However, it was very interesting to see the actors at such close
quarters and there was nothing to obstruct our view. I would have
preferred more of an overview of the stage but I wouldn't discourage
anyone from being on the front row, you get a good view of everything
and there is plenty of leg room."
"AA6 and AA7: ("Day Seats" for "Jerusalem" (October 2011). It was mind blowing! The stage isn't too high, and none of
the action is missed whatsoever. For such an emotionally tense show as
this, I feel it would be spoilt if you sat too far back, but the view
from here was amazing! Definitely worth the early start! Also, worth
noting, there is no leg room issue here whatsoever! I could outstretch
my legs fully, and still be no where near touching the stage (and I'm
6ft 2!) Finally, if you are sitting in seats 1 to 7 of
the front row, be aware; you may get a little wet at various points!
;)"
"AA12: ("Day Seats" for "Jerusalem" (October 2011). Got as a day seat for £10. Extraordinary leg room (I almost felt
like royalty!), and the ability to be that close to an extraordinary
production was stellar. Nothing more to report here besides amazing
sight lines and the many bugs living in the set's grassy stage that fly
about in your face, which makes one feel very much a part of the
action! If you sit on the other side of AA (house right), you might
want to not hold or wear anything you like dry! ;)"
"Row C: at a discount - absolutely fine"
"C5: ("The Madness of George III" (January 2012). Unobstructed view of the stage, slight neck-ache due to close stage
proximity but nothing major, legroom was OK-ish (I'm 6' tall)."
"Row F: (Monica). Which is too near as the stage is high, I would recommend sitting H and behind. It is a small theatre therefore most of the seats in the stalls probably have a good
view".
"Row G: (John Lafferty). Our seats were in the seventh row and we were right on top of the
action, of which we had an unencumbered view."
"Row H: ("The Madness of George III" January 2012): centre "Great" at a discount."
"Row J 5 to 7: (Rupi). Very good with a full view of the stage. There is a
decent rake in this theatre, which means there isn't a problem looking
over the head of the person in front of you."
"J15: (Graham). An excellent seat. Comfortable and, being over 6', I was also
pleasantly surprised by the legroom compared to other theatres I have
been in. There wasn't a huge amount, but I didn't feel trapped in my
seat."
"J18: (Mark). Excellent."
"K9 and K10: (James, regular contributor). Great seats with a great
rake. There was a particularly tall person in front of me as is always the way,
but if it wasn’t for this then there’d be no problem with the seats at all. This
was for a one-off performance though that didn’t have big sets / lighting, so it
could be different for other productions."
"K13 and 14: ("The Country Girl" October 2010). excellent view of the whole stage, comfortable seats with
good leg-room. Also I had no problem with hearing any of the actors."
"L9: ("Jerusalem" October 2011). (James, regular
contributor). A perfect place to see the show."
"N: ("Yes, Prime Minister" July 2011). It’s a lovely theatre, but a bit hot. I had a good-ish view from row
N, though I had to lean sideways to see past the hair in row M. Mid-way
through the first half a woman (in row M) opened a bag of crisps and
munched and rustled her way through the next 10 minutes, much to the
annoyance of everyone around her. Perhaps a £1 chav surcharge should be
imposed."
"N7: (Wim). perfect view, reasonable leg room, comfortable chairs. I
did move to the centre seat of row O (which was almost empty) during the break
because of the luxurious leg space in front of that row."
"N14: ("The Madness of George III" (January 2012). £27.75 TKTS Booth. Excellent clear view, plenty of legroom and no
sound issues. My first visit to the Apollo, and hopefully not my last.
It is a lovely little theatre, although somewhat warm even at this time
of year; maybe they had turned the heating up, as the vast majority of
the audience looked as though they would be in danger of hyperthermia
setting in, after sitting in a chill for nearly 3 hours. But the seat I
had this time wouldn't be a problem in the future - the stage is very
high, and I felt sorry for those in the front few rows who must have all
had a severe neck ache."
"Row R: Centre seat. I'm only
5'10.5" tall but for the first time in my life I found I could NOT sit in
the seat. It was unbearably uncomfortable. There is next to no leg room and
my knees would have been either continually bumping the back of or around
the ears of the person sitting in front of me. I kindly asked the House
Manager if I could have an aisle seat. There were very accommodating stating
that they realise the limited legroom in those seats.
I ended up in P1 which is fantastic, perfect view because the back stall
seats are pretty much centre."
Stalls Boxes
Layout:
Boxes A and B are either side of the
stage. Each box has three seats.
Legroom:
Fine, as ordinary chairs are used.
Choosing Seats in General:
If available, these boxes are worth considering as an alternative to
seats in the Circles when sold at second or third price.
Take all 3 seats for privacy and to shift your chair for the best view...
General Hazard Notes:
Designated restricted view as the nearest side of stage cannot be seen.
May be shared with speakers.
Changes for the current production:
Not in use.
Reader Comments:
" Box
A:
("Carrie's War" July 2009). We booked for box D, but were shunted down
to box A as they closed the dress circle. Box A was not good for this
one as so much takes place out of your view."
DRESS CIRCLE
Layout:
A shallow ledge above and at the back of the stalls, with a poor rake. Seats
are split into a central and two side blocks by aisles.
Legroom:
Poor throughout the circle for many, worst in row A. Central block has
more than the side blocks in all seats.
Choosing Seats in General:
Centre Block:
Seats here offer only fair value for money as they are
far from
the stage and suffer from the shallow rake, affecting the view from row C
back. Front two rows are best bet for view (if not "premium price").
One reader liked row G as he found it quite comfortable.
Side Blocks:
The two side blocks curve inwards, and
many seats here are designated restricted view due to the viewing
angle precluding seeing the side eighth of the stage. These seats are - Row A
2, 3, 4, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31; B 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32; C 1, 2, 25, 26, 27; D
1, 2, 3, 23, 24, 26. It is probably worth avoiding them, and the rest
of the seats in these blocks too. If you must, take those seats closest to the
centre aisle.
General Hazard Notes:
A single metal bar in front of the aisles affects the view from row A seats
12,13,20 and 21.
The further outwards you go, the less seats in both side blocks face
centre stage.
Changes for the current production:
Row A 11 to 21, and the centre block of rows B to C are "premium" seats. The monkey would skip 11 to 13 and
20 to 22, otherwise, if "front row circle" is your thing and you have a
lottery ticket, your call, it feels. Taller lottery winners may find stalls
premium seats have more legroom, though.
Side block rows E and F are cheaper than usual, as the top of stage
action is missed due to overhang. Take the cheapest seats nearest the
aisle from what's available in rows E 18 to 22 or F 17 to 20 first, then
pay a bit more on the other side for the seat nearest the aisle from
either row E 3 to 5 or F 3 and 4, feels the monkey.
Reader Comments:
"A2: "All My Sons" May 2010): Bit of a side view but missed very little. As this was a £10 'day
seat' it was fantastic value."
“A27 and 28: “Twelfth Night,” (Chris B). These seats are front row in
the curve of the dress circle to the left as you look at the stage. The
seats feel very close to the stage too (overhang about row D/E in the
stalls) and provide a beautifully clear, up close view. Whilst it is a
slight side view, you miss nothing for Twelfth night and only a small
slice of the very left hand side of the stage. This doesn't affect the
enjoyment of the play at all. The legroom is sufficient but not ample.”
"F1, F2, F3, F4: ("Jerusalem"
November 2011). The leg room in these seats is so bad they can only be
suitable for children. Even Ryanair wouldn’t allow seats like this. Yet
they charged £55 for the 3 hours of discomfort – made worse by having a set
of those stupid little binoculars on the back of the seat in front of F1. We
had to stand for part of the performance and the discomfort significantly
reduced our enjoyment of the evening. AVOID them at all costs!. EDITOR'S
COMMENT: Luckily, the monkey happens to know the company who put those
binoculars into the theatres. Within a week they responded that,
"The feedback was correct and this morning (January 2012) we have moved
the opera glass holder into a position where it won’t ‘restrict
legroom’."
"G1 and 2: Despite being on the back row, seats G1 and G2 afforded an
excellent view and there was plenty of leg room."
Dress Circle Boxes
Layout:
Boxes C, D and E are at Dress Circle level next to the stage. C has 4
seats, D and E have 3 each.
Legroom:
Fine, as all contain movable chairs.
Choosing Seats in General:
All offer adequate but side on views of the stage. Box D is best, being
halfway between stage and Dress Circle.
If available these boxes are worth considering as an alternative to seats in
the Circles for comfort, but not really for view.
General Hazard Notes:
Side views.
Changes for the current production:
Not in use.
Reader Comments:
"Box C: ("All My Sons" June 2010). (Mark). It was pretty good as a £10 day seat. Missed about 10% of
the stage but for £10 that is to be expected."
UPPER CIRCLE
Layout:
High up, with a shallow rake. The balcony above overhangs the circle but does
not affect the view noticeably.
In two blocks, with a centre aisle. As rows extend out to the sides,
seats don't face centre stage - side views only there!
Legroom:
Poor in all rows, notably A. Centre aisle seats should be
requested for maximum comfort.
Choosing Seats in General:
If forced to sit here, row B away from the aisle is best of the poor
bunch, the rest offer average value for a
fairly distant view...even the box office are not keen on this Upper Circle.
Try to stay within 5 seats (3 in row F) of the aisle. If forced outwards,
go for the first "restricted view" seat nearest the "full price" zone
available. You might as well have the best view possible, and things only
get worse as you move on outwards.
General Hazard Notes:
A metal bar runs across the side front of the circle, with a second bar at the
ends of the aisles, affecting the view in outermost row A, notably seats 6, 18, 19 and 33
and B 12 and 13.
Shallow rake means you won't see over the head of a tall person in front.
Row A, rows B and C 1 to 3, D to F seats 1 to 4, Row B 23 to 25, Row C 22 to 25, Row D 21 to 23,
Row E 19 to 22 and row F 17 to 20 are designated restricted view. It is worth
avoiding the next two seats as well, in rows B to F, to be on the safe side unless the price is
good enough to make sitting here a bargain. Theatremonkey usually finds not.
Changes for the current production:
Row A central seats undiscounted...
worth skipping for comfort alone, if not view, the monkey feels.
The whole of row E is cheaper. Take 5 to 16 first, moving outwards
from the centre aisle. Not particularly comfortable, but an alternative
to the seats further forward and out to the sides for those who don't
mind that.
Reader Comments:
"A19 and 20: ("Jerusalem" January 2010). (Deb, regular
theatregoer). I noted that these were listed as seats to avoid. When we
took our seats, we found that we had to sit bolt upright or lean forward
in order to see the front of the stage (a three hour show! Hard on the
back and neck). I would really advise people to avoid these, as they are
not even particularly cheap. Very luckily for us, most of the action
took place mid-stage, and it was a great play, so it didn't ruin the
evening, but I would avoid Upper Circle in future, and wish the box
office would be more honest about what constitutes restricted view. I
think for nearly £40 you should be able to see the whole stage!"
“A 21 and 22: “Idina Menzel” (Chris B). This does not feel that high
up as far as upper circles go. You get a good overview of the stage and
as its the front row there's nothing to block the clear view. You are
just about close enough to make out facial expressions. However the
legroom is quite restricted, fine if you've short legs but a struggle if
you're over 6 foot.”
"A 25 and 26: ("Jerusalem" January 2010). (C Omran). Brilliant play, what a pity we couldn’t enjoy it in full,
due to poor sightline, despite paying £47.50 plus £3.80 booking fee per
ticket. These were purchased through lastminute.com, and as they were a
Christmas present we went for the higher price, and they were not
marketed, or priced, as Restricted View. When we queried this, we were
handed a form with the address to complain to, and we were obviously not
the first, as the assistant came armed with a pile, ready to hand out.
As our tickets were A25 and 26, front row upper circle, obviously we
thought that being front row we would have a good view... but there is a
wide ledge in front of balcony, then a wide bank of lights beyond that,
so left stage facing was completely out of view. A lot of the action
takes place in that part of the stage it became increasingly
frustrating. Talking to people outside during the interval, the general
feeling was the same, that they have your money, and as they are not
relying on ‘repeat’ bookings they can do what they like.
All in all it was a very uncomfortable 3 hours 10 minutes as we
struggled to find a comfortable position to sit with a decent view of
stage. We go to theatre regularly, and yes, if we buy low price tickets,
expect there to be a certain element of chance in the view, but not when
you pay for front row seats. Yes, it is a very old theatre with all the
accompanying problems adapting to modern lighting etc, but stop fleecing
the public."
"B13: (Julian Taylor). would that I had spotted the red mark of doom
before booking! The seat itself seemed designed for the benefit of a
contortionist, though, oddly enough, knee-room was adequate for my 6ft plus.My view of the action was blocked almost entirely by the head of the person in
front, who leant forward for the duration, this, and the brass bar blocked any
view of action downstage - and there was a lot of it for the production I saw
("Virginia Woolf" in Spring 2006)."
Upper Circle Boxes
Layout:
Boxes F and G are above boxes C, D and E at Upper Circle
level.
Each box seats two
people.
Legroom:
Good, as seating is in movable chairs.
Choosing Seats in General:
These offer similar views to the Dress Circle boxes below, from a higher
level. Normally sold at third price or less, they are value for money only
because they promise greater comfort than an upper circle seat at the same
price. That, though, may well be worth sacrificing a view of almost half the
stage for.
General Hazard Notes:
View lost of a good part of the stage nearest to you.
Changes for the current production:
Boxes F and G are in use, but fairly pricey,
feels the monkey, considering the lack of view. On the other hand, for comfort they are much better than balcony seats at the same price, feels the monkey. Take
these before anywhere in the upper circle for legroom. Beyond that, a
reasonable choice only for the tall who don't fancy the cramp of any other
seat elsewhere and who are not fussy about the view.
Reader Comments:
"Box
G: ("All My Sons" June 2010): I cannot recommend is the view from box G. I spent most of the
performance standing up and leaning over the edge as that was the only
way I could see more than half of the stage – I noticed the lady in box
F doing the same. I am a dedicated box user (being broader in the beam
than most), and I have to say that this box, for this play, is the worst
view I have ever had, and they seem to think that this is worth £46. No
way! It was overpriced at the original £33, not for this body again."
BALCONY
Layout:
Directly above the Upper Circle, again high up, with a shallow rake.
In two blocks, with a centre aisle. As rows extend out to the sides,
seats don't face centre stage - side views only there!
Legroom:
Very tight in all seats, worst in row A.
Choosing Seats in General:
A shallow rake and being so high up means a modest view of the stage.
The 6 seats either end of rows A to C are worst, as they curve to the sides
of the auditorium. Rows D to F just induce vertigo. Usually, take C first,
before B, then D - or for those who don't mind the height, pick E over D and
save a few pounds if row E is discounted.
The monkey would skip central row A at bottom price for a slightly
improved view and comfort behind that. To explain, row A is
uncomfortable. Often, though, the very ends of rows B and C are
reduced to the same price as the middle of row A. When that does happen, Monkey feeling is that B 6 and 25 and C 5 and 24, all next to the
more expensive seats, are the most average of the bunch and may be worth a look
for those desperate for a ticket. Not a recommendation particularly, just an
observation of a way to sit nearer more expensive seats and save a very little
cash - if you have to see the show and don't get much other choice. Do be aware
that the lack of legroom will tell during a three hour play in all seats
here...
All seats here, except those noted, normally offer a cheap way in to the show and
value exactly matching the low price.
General Hazard Notes:
So high that you get a superb view of aircraft at maximum cruising
height can be seen below you, subject to cloud cover.
A double height metal bar appears at the
ends of the aisles, affecting the view in row A, notably seats 20 and 21.
High ledge in front of row A.
Bars
run between the rows too, but don't really affect the view for any but the
absolute shortest. Some find them reassuring as well.
Changes for the current production:
All seats are a single low price, and some may be sold as "day seats."
Skip the extreme ends of rows A to C, and take the most central seats
available from row B back to F in that order.
Reader Comments:
"A12 to 15: had to move as the view is so
restricted - not by a safety bar, but by a high safety ledge. The seats
are also relatively low to the floor, which means you have no choice but
to lean forward on to the ledge if you want to have any chance of seeing
the stage. Dreadful seats, with very little legroom too."
Notes
Total 776 seats
Air-conditioning.
Infrared headsets, not working in the front row of the stalls. If short
sighted and deaf, a problem! Guide dogs can be dogsat
outside.
The theatre has a stair lift to allow wheelchair
users into the venue. They can either park at the ends of stalls row N -
replacing 1, 2, 19 or 20 or transfer to
any aisle seat - though O12, P11 and Q11 are considered the best bet. There is
also an adapted toilet available. The monkey salutes RU Theatres for an amazing
improvement in facilities at this venue when it was owned by them. Interestingly, the stair lift is
installed in the original "Pit" entrance - at one time the
"Pit" was an area of cheap seating at the rear of the stalls.
Other good news is that there are two disabled parking spaces behind the theatre in
Archer Street. Fuller details 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.
No food except Ice cream and confectionery.
Two bars. Stalls and Upper Circle.
Seven Toilets. Stalls 1 gents 1 cubicle, 2 ladies, 3 and 4 cubicles
respectively; 1 adapted disabled unit. Upper Circle 1 gents 1 cubicle, 1 ladies 2 cubicles; Balcony 1
gents 1 cubicle, 1 ladies 2 cubicles.
Reader Taljaard also notes,
"Totally random, but my walk from the Donmar theatre to Piccadilly took
me down Shaftesbury Avenue and I really noticed how magnificently well
it is lit and looks. Fantastic job done on the exterior and the jewel on
the Avenue!"
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