The Other Palace Main Auditorium

"Theatre: Why didn’t the powers that be make the seats more comfortable when they had the luxury of a new build? There is no legroom, except for seats G1 and G23 where the end seats of row F curve inward. Admittedly, the view is exceptional from every seat, but I don’t want to be thinking about my knees during such a wonderful performance. We’ve seen some great productions, but the legroom is always a problem."

"A7:  "You Can't Succeed" (September 2015), (thespyinthestalls). Right next to stage but low stage in this performance was fine. This seat is sort of where the row curves around so can feel a little tight in leg room."

"A12: "Frank and Percy" (September 2023), (Josepha). It is great to be in the front row until the scenery gets shifted three times and totally blocks your view! This applies to several seats adjacent to mine. Worth pointing out on your website. It is only for a short time but is irritating."

"A13: "The Wild Party" (March 2017). Stage is quite low so this is a great seat! Good clear view of everything although did need to look up."

"A22: "Mischief Movie Night" (July 2024). You recommend the side seats in row A. While I agree that the view is fine in terms of stage height, and bearable in terms of angle and actors' backs to you, the lighting was a significant problem from A22. This was particularly the case for the first 10 minutes or so while Oscar was addressing the audience, when spotlights were shining right in my eyes the whole time. For the rest of the show it was an issue intermittently.
For the second show I was a bit more central in A19, and that was mostly okay - so a couple of seats in either direction makes a significant difference.
The girl sat in A23 for the second show moved seats during the show, though I don't know if that was due to the lighting or because it looks like Oscar's chair might somewhat impinge on the view from that seat."

"A25: "Bully Boy" (October 2012), (David Hurrell). I had seat A25 at the end of the angle that rounds the stage. In addition to insufficient leg-room there are two other disadvantages: 1) The seat is very side on and so close to the stage that one's view of the action can be obscured by staring at a character's back and 2) one suffers from the glare of the lights. The management would do well to shorten the angles."

"Row B: 'Daddy Long Legs' (November 2012), (David Hurrell). I noted that the seats at either end of Row A that stood at an angle to the stage and about which I adversely commented to you in my review of 'Bully Boy' in October 2012' have now been removed, leaving just the 10 seats facing the stage. Needless to say the seats at either end of row B now have marvellous leg-room - just waiting for a daddy long legs in fact! (May of course not happen for every show, editor)."

B15: "Eugenius!" (January 2018). Got for £10 (via London Theatre January Sale). I had to walk down a rather steep staircase to get to my seat. The seat is central and gives a unobstructed view of the stage. I found the seat uncomfortable due to very limited leg room (I'm 6ft /1.8m tall) as the tips of my toes rested against the back of the chair in front (i.e. the "Z" position as mentioned by the monkey) but there was about 2cm-3cm of space in front of my knees at least. Good view of the stage but I did get a neck ache from looking up all the time. Also, the stage lights did hit me in the eyes often. I noticed a lot of people complaining about how hot it is in the back rows whereas in row B it's was just warm whenever the lights hit me. Note: There is a gap in the floor where the chair in front starts and this is where my bottle of water fell through (but was easy enough to recover at the interval)."

"Row C: "Frank and Percy" (September 2023). With the steep rake the sightlines are amazing for everyone and the intimacy with the performers was exciting. But the legroom - or lack of it - is horrendous. Was the seat pitch tested on anyone over 5'2"? I'm 6'2" with a long femur; I had to sit in the awful 'manspreading' position - after 2 hours 15 of this excellent play I was 'locked' and could have done with a crane to get me out of my seat. I would only ever book this theatre again in the tiny number of seats you have flagged up which are 'on the curve'..."

"C3 and 4: "Heathers The Musical" (June 2018), (Paul Nicholls). Close to the stage with a side view. While I don't feel we missed anything, we were looking at the backs of the casts heads for a large portion of the show so maybe we'll go more central if we visit again.

"C 6 and 7: "“My Mother said I Never Should" (May 2016). I went with my daughter to “My Mother said I Never Should” as my first visit to this theatre. We both really loved the theatre. I rather like smaller open theatres with low stage such as this, the Charing Cross (just seen Titanic) and others. We were in seats C6 and 7 just on the side and had a great uninterrupted view of the stage, the rake is such you see over the heads of those in front from memory, so no issues there. I liked these seats very much and I don’t usually like seats this close to a stage. 
You pass comment that the seating is steep – perhaps you should emphasise that a bit more – it definitely looked steep from where we were – not 02 steep, but steep enough. My wife doesn’t like being in steep seating she feels dizzy and I don’t think I’d risk seats beyond row F if taking her.
You asked about seat comfort, I thought the seat comfort was fine as far as I can remember. They are upright as you say but it didn’t make it uncomfortable. I do tend to sit far back in theatre seats and upright anyway though. I also didn’t find the legroom a problem at all, perhaps again because I tend to sit back in the seat. It’s not generous but my knees/legs weren’t touching the seat in front sitting straight forward – I’m 5ft 10."

"D21 and 22: "Cruel Intentions" (February 2024). Theatre looks very modern, seats were a perfect view, although I'm glad we were not front row as it would have felt too close to the performers as the stage is flat rather than raised."

"D21 to 25: "Big Fish" (November 2017). As you note, poor legroom throughout. But worth noting (for ladies/gentlemen-of-a-certain-age) that you are right by an exit leading to the toilets. For some/many patrons, swift and easy access to toilets is a great selling point. As one of my party needs this access, I would always make sure I sat on this side of the auditorium for this reason."

"D22 and 23 "Miss Atomic Bomb" (March 2016). We were in the second row and at an angle to the stage but the view was brilliant and we were very pleased. The rake was good so my daughter had no problem seeing."

"Row E: "Daddy Long Legs" (November 2012). "Went to this new theatre for the first time last night to see "Daddy Long Legs" - ironic title since the seating is the most uncomfortable I've ever experienced. I'm not unusually tall but found it impossible to move my legs which ended up bent back under the seat, this is the only time I've almost left a show part-way through due to discomfort. Luckily at the interval I was able to move to an aisle seat which gave me room to spread out sideways. Seems incredible to get this so wrong in a brand new theatre."

"E 6 and 7: "Rent" (December 2016). I commented last time that I thought the legroom was OK as I tend to sit quite upright anyway – I think we were in row C or D last time and a bit further round to the side - perhaps it was just the angle or I was in a particularly good mood because we were sitting in E 6 and 7 this time and I did notice the legroom being tight, but I wasn’t uncomfortable. I can see someone with long legs being so though."

“E 7 to 9: The best seats! Bought on the day seats offer - central, enough legroom, on a good level so not looking up at the stage, fantastic rake so no issues with the people in front.”

"E14: "Uncle Vanya" (October 2014). Great seat, central - but legroom poor."

"E20 and 21 "Be More Chill" (February 2020). Not much legroom but great close views."

"F20: "Miss Atomic Bomb" (March 2016). Good seat, with good view (close to the action, but a bit further back to get a good perspective overall). Legroom OK."

"F4: "Miss Atomic Bomb" (March 2016). A lovely little theatre, to me it looked like every seat in the theatre had a perfectly clear view of the stage. Only issue is the legroom – the seats have very upright backs and little legroom forcing you to sit up straight which isn’t the most comfortable position after 2 hours!"

“G1: “Cruel Intentions” (March 2024), (Broadway John). Fabulous view! Good legroom but seat was a little cramped.”

"G1 and 2: "Falsettos" (September 2019). We moved to G1 and 2 at the interval - G1 is blissful, as it has proper legroom."

"H20 and 21: "Big Fish" (November 2017). My first visit to The Other Palace. The seats - in terms of things to sit on - terrible. Have to sit bolt upright, with no legroom at all, they only get away with the rows being so close to each other because the rake is so "upper circle / cheap seats" steep, that it allows everyone's knees to overhang the row in front of them. In terms of view though, the steep rake means all seats can see the stage well. Worth mentioning that I overheard a lot of people complaining about how steep the access steps are; you don't really expect the steepness of an upper balcony, down in the premium seating area. Also note that there is a massive gap immediately behind each row, easy for dainty feet to get caught in when inching along a packed row.
We had seats H20 and H21, as mentioned the view was great but the structure of the venue ceiling is such that some lighting bars are quite close here. Not so that anything is in the way of the view, but I found the continuous noise of the fans on the lighting fixtures only a few feet above my head, to be distracting at times. One good feature about these high numbered ends of the middle alphabet rows is that they have great access to the set of toilets in the sub basement, and also to a direct to street exit, allowing one to miss the post-show foyer scrum.
Special mention for the awful in-wall house lights, I don't know if it was the particular shade they had them set to for Big Fish but they have a weird migraine-inducing strobe effect, where both my partner and I were seeing multiple flashing colours if we looked directly at them? Luckily those lights are off for the majority of the show.
My partner was particularly irritated by the toilets in this venue. For a relatively new build, there is shockingly little provision upstairs in the crowded foyer, and she said that many of the cubicles in the larger basement ladies didn't have working lights or flush buttons, rendering them unusable. Seems like maintenance is a bit lacking at the Other Palace."

“J7 and 8: “Heathers The Musical” (November 2021), (Bob Pickett). These are great seats. Unless you want to be practically on stage, I’d say these seats are ideally located.  You look gently down at the stage (thus appreciating the full set) - fans of Heathers will understand when I say you can look straight at the balcony.  Being a small theatre, you can see every expression.  And you have no problem seeing over the rows in front."

As with all seats at The Other Palace, legroom is adequate, it did feel like there was a little more space than the rows behind. A spot more upholstery would be appreciated, but they’re nice and wide so it’s a comfortable experience seeing a show from here.”

"K18: "Daddy Long Legs" (November 2012), (Dannie). "I was in seat K18, and was pleased with the seat. I had a nice view of the whole stage and was able to clearly see the emotions on the actors’ faces. I’m 5’4”, and by the end of the show felt the legroom was adequate for me, but not amazing. There is an extra armrest between seats 18 and 17, due to the curve of the auditorium. This meant the person in seat 17 and I had our own armrest instead of jockeying to share one. From what I could tell the double armrest was present in all of the rows due to the curve, but I’m not sure if they were all 17 and 18 (and didn’t look at the numbers on the other side). The seats in front of mine for the next two rows were empty, so I can’t comment about heads in the way. Given the steep rake of the theatre I don’t think that would be much of a problem."

"L1 "Eugenius" (February 2018), (Roger). Being an aisle seat, it really suited me. However the leg room was restricted, but the view of the stage was good."

“L 4, 5 and 6: “Mischief Movie Night” (September 2024). Clear view of the stage as rake is so good, towards the end of the row which is handy for a reasonably quick exit, legroom is a little tight but perfectly adequate.”

"L21: "Big Fish" (October 2017). Good clear view from this seat, about the right distance back for a musical."

"N1 "Eugenius" (February 2018), (Roger). Seat was advertised as restricted view and cost £15.00. However view of the main stage was more than adequate and not worth paying the extra amount for a more expensive ticket. There is plenty of leg room and as it is right near the door makes it easy to get in and out."

“N5 and 6: “Heathers The Musical” (November 2021), (Bob Pickett). Being quite a new theatre, the seats have been built with modern audiences in mind.  They’re quite spacious.  The downside is legroom; it’s… sufficient, but as the seat backs go all the way to the floor you can’t slide your feet under the chair in front.  And a little more padding would have been nice. Fidgets were minimal, but they did happen. Clearance over the rows in front is great, thanks to the rake (steep, yet it doesn’t feel it walking down to the ice-cream vendor). 

The plus side of row N is nothing behind you so you can drape coats etc over the back.  The downside depends on the production.  If the show is on ground-level you’ll be fine.  But if - like Heathers - there is an on-stage balcony, you lose the actors above the waist (at the interval we were kindly allocated closer seats).  I think it would only take moving a couple of rows to get a full view, but bear in mind the production’s set when considering these seats.”

"N9 and 10: "Falsettos" (September 2019). I did find the overhang an issue - you have a duck a little when the actors are on the balcony. We moved to G1 and 2 at the interval - G1 is blissful, as it has proper legroom. So N is fine, but if there are discounts elsewhere, think about splashing the cash a little. If there are no discounts, you will still enjoy it from N. "

"N12 and 13: "Putting it Together" (January 2014). I was a little apprehensive having read that the seats were terribly uncomfortable, and having sat through "The Pride" at the Trafalgar Studios which has awful seating, I was a bit nervous. I am 6ft, as is my partner. We sat in row N in seats 12 and 13. Seat 13 was next to a sound man set up, so there was no one to my left. We had a great view of the stage and I have to say it was very comfortable. I didn't feel squashed and was able to sit very easily without hitting the seat in front of me. I did probably help that I had a little space next to me, but my partner who was sat between two people was absolutely fine."

"N20: "Eugenius" (February 2018). £15. Fairly good view of the stage, only the very top is cut off which isn't significant. The overhanging ceiling had decorative lights which are slightly in the way but after a while I didn't even notice them. There is a sound desk here and I could hear them whispering during the quieter moments which was distracting. I'm 6ft (1.8m) tall and was uncomfortable due to the limited leg space as my toes touched the back of the seat in front (however it's slightly more comfortable than when I sat in B15). It got very hot up here so make sure you can strip down to a thin layer and have some cool water. Finally, I noticed that N18 has some extra space between it and the sound desk where the occupant placed a rucksack and coat and was able to slightly stretch out their right leg (oh, and furthermore, you can leave the theatre from N18 due to the gap between it and the sound desk rather than walking to the end of the row)."

"N23: "Big Fish" (October 2017). This was my first visit to this theatre and i was not disappointed. My seat was in the back row. There is only one set of seats. I had a clear view of the stage and was able to see the actors faces very clearly. Leg room was perfectly adequate for someone of average height, like myself. This particularly seat was an aisle seat, which meant it was easy to get out in the interval. The seats are very steeply raked, which also helps, but beware of the steps they are very steep."

This is a truly amazing space, on 2 levels, with a stage that can be confined to a corner or extended along a wall. A sound desk / DJ booth puts out music, a bar will quietly (so no hissing coffee machine here) serve alcoholic and soft cold drinks during intervals when the performer isn't actually performing, and the atmosphere even as the rush is on to finish it, is amazing.

Think "secret club" for the glittering crowd, and you are about there. Perfect for anything from chamber music to burlesque - and equipped for either, with a grand piano for music or just a stage setting.