Barbican Centre Pit Theatre

Buying tickets online

www.barbican.org.uk, run by the venue itself, provide the service for this theatre. A brilliant box office system lets you select the actual seat you require from those available.

Booking fees per ticket:
Online is cheaper than booking by phone. A mere £3 per transaction, not per ticket, fee applies.

Other Online Choices (with genuine S.T.A.R ticket agencies):
For some productions, some STAR members may offer seats.

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. Current prices are advised at time of enquiry.

ALSO SEE Tickettree.com for great value "hotel and theatre ticket" packages.

Box office information

Telephone: 020 7638 8891. Operated by the venue's own phone room.

Booking fees per ticket for telephone bookings:
Online is cheaper than booking by phone. By telephone, a £4 administration fee is added to the total TRANSACTION cost for telephone bookings.

For personal callers or by post:
Box Office, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London. EC2Y 8DS
No booking fee for personal callers.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS BOX OFFICE NO LONGER ACCEPTS CASH PAYMENTS.
Postal applicants pay a per transaction fee for use of a Barbican envelope, or can include their own, with stamp and pay nothing.

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 0207 638 8891.

www.barbican.org.uk is the official venue website.

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.

Barbican Centre Pit

Barbican Centre Pit

Layout

Seating is usually a simple grandstand facing an open stage. This is split into a central and two side blocks by aisles. Row J is elevated above row H at the rear corner of the seating block.

Row K may be a shelf at the side of the theatre, with a rail in front.

Occasionally the plan is altered to allow for the style of production - cabaret may have chairs and tables added, for example. Alternative seating plans are shown on the seating plan pages when available.

Legroom

Seats on stage level (the front row) have most, as do those at the top of staircases, with nothing in front of them.

Otherwise, it can be tight for those over 5ft 9 or so. If row AA is added in front of A, there is space to put feet under the row in front.

Legroom in row K is tight for those over 5ft 6 or so.

Choosing seats in general

Centre block row A is prime, as it is on stage level with good legroom. Of the rest, the central block rows B to F are the next choice.

If row AA is added in front of A, it is a very thickly padded bench, but very low.

Often H 1, 2, 18 and 19 have an aisle in front of them, offering a little more legroom, when the theatre is in the normal arrangement.

In the usual plan, in side blocks, the closer to the centre is better, and remember that the seats farthest out from the centre will mean looking sideways at the stage. Usual Theatremonkey rules apply - go for the centre as you will be paying exactly the same money for an inferior view. Oh, yes, Row J seats 1 to 12 are last choice, having least view of the stage and being furthest from it.

Wheelchairs can be relegated to the front of a side block from the previous prime seats in the centre. The view is not bad, but not central.

General hazard notes

None, when the normal layout is used.

Changes for the current production

None recorded.

Readers comments

Can appear here.

Notes best seat advice

Total 175 seats maximum (plus 4 for latecomers!)

Air-conditioned.

Sennheiser radio network. Guide dog sitter available. Some audio described and signed performances. Wheelchair access is good down a slope and over a small ridge. Adapted toilets available. Wheelchair users get free parking in the centre car parks.

Wheelchair users and other registered disabled theatregoers can book their seats on 020 7638 8891 and enquire about concessionary prices that may be available to them. The wheelchair users line connects directly to the venue box office in London. Wheelchair hire bookings on 020 7382 7021.

Three bars shared with the rest of the theatre complex in the common foyers.

A range of cafes and restaurants in other parts of the centre. Ice cream and confectionery in the auditorium.

Toilets on all levels of the common foyer outside the auditorium. Note that a comedian designed the basin taps. It looks like they are "break beam for water" types. HOWEVER: a sign on the water spout indicates you should tread on something nasty. It actually means you need to tread on the black rubber pads on the floor below the basin to get water out of the spout. The monkey felt like it had "won a crystal in the Crystal Maze" for figuring that one out...

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:

Standard layout.

Variations, not rated - see notes below.

Barbican Pit alternative layouts

Notes

Row A seats can be replaced by wheelchairs.

For some performances the seating plan changes slightly to accommodate the style of production. Note that the usual theatremonkey colour-coded advice does not apply to these plans as the auditorium cannot be checked in advance due to the infinite variety of layouts that are often used for only one or two performances.

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.

-0.0959751, 51.520211

Nearest underground station

Two choices; Barbican - Circle Line (yellow), Hammersmith and City (light purple), Metropolitan (dark purple). Theatremonkey prefers Moorgate - Circle Line (yellow), Hammersmith and City (light purple), Metropolitan (dark purple) and Northern (black).

Buses

8, 11, 22B, 25, 26, 56, 133, 141, 214, to Barbican / Moorgate. Follow yellow lines from Barbican, or directions above from Moorgate. Be aware that no buses stop outside the centre or close to it.

Taxi

Book in advance, chances are low of hailing one on Moorgate.

Car park

Within the centre. Make careful note of the car park number and bay numbers before leaving or you will probably still be searching for your car until next year. Also note the public foot exits from the car park to the centre are hard to find and narrow. This feature amuses theatremonkey as it seems the builders were embarrassed about having a car park linked to their nice arts centre. Strange.