Tips for Finding the Best Seats in the Theatre
Hints and tips for ensuring you get the best possible view of the show for the best price, and how to avoid getting a seat with a restricted view.
Contents
Seating in London Theatres
Many theatres in London - especially those in the West End - are old. Most West End theatres were built between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with some even dating back well before then. Although many have since been refurbished, seating in a lot of theatres can still be quite restrictive, and you can sometimes find yourself sitting in a spot which is cramped or with only a partial view of the stage.
Sightlines
There are a few factors that could restrict your direct sightline to the stage.
How seats in different rows are offset from each other. The better the stagger, the less likely the person in front of you will be in you direct line of sight to the stage.
How much the floor will slope down. The better the rake, the more likely the people in front of you will be below your direct line of sight to the stage
Some theatres have pillars which will partially obstruct views of people sitting behind them. These are often sold at discounted rates, and will be clearly marked if you decide to purchase one.
Seating towards the back of a section may be affected by the overhang of the tier above, restricting the view of the upper parts of the stage
Some theatre stages can be quite high, which is advantageous if you are sitting further back, but can severely restrict your view if you are sitting too close
Dress Circle or other tiered seats could be restricted by the safety railing, especially seats towards the front of the section
Box seats, or seating towards to extreme left or right of the stage may only get a partial view of the stage.
Legroom and Comfort
In older theatres, seats can be very cramped and offer little in the way of legroom, especially if you are taller than average. Some areas tend to be worse than others. Seats can also be uncomfortable and very close to the adjacent seats.
Sections of a Theatre
Choosing the area to sit in the theatre is often your most important consideration before securing your tickets. If you choose to sit on one of the tiered levels, always confirm beforehand which tier it is actually on, as some theatres have different names for each tier.
Stalls (ground level)
The best seats in the house are normally found in the centre of the stalls a few rows back, to ensure people sitting here won't be affected by and stage height whilst allowing them to see the entire stage in their eyeline.
If you enjoy being close to the action, then sitting in the first few rows is generally a safe bet, but you should always check if the stage height will become an issue (more on checking how further down this post).
Seats towards the back of stalls will be much cheaper due to their proximity to the stage and the potential of the overhang affecting your line of sight.
Stalls is where the stagger and rake are the most important factors, as if seats aren't well offset or there is hardly any slope, and if you're unlucky enough to have tall people sitting in front of you, you'll find your view of the action very restricted.
Some theatres have multiple aisles in the stalls section. The seat next to an aisle is often a great choice, since you'll have extra legroom, easy access to leave, and a better view of the stage since there will be less people to look over.
Dress Circle (aka the Royal Circle)
The centre front of the first tier will usually be for the premium seats, as they tend to offer an unrestricted and complete view of the stage.
The first row, even on the sides, can often be a great place to sit, as it will guarantee that no one will be sitting in front of you. Just be aware there could be railings, and that in some theatres the seats curve around the stage, so a side seat here could be quite restrictive.
We sometimes find that Dress Circle seats are better than the Stalls, as the steeper rake here means you are less likely to be obstructed by the person sitting in front, but this does depend on the theatre.
It's also worth noting that seats towards the back of the dress circle could be affected by the overhand of the tier above.
Upper Circle (aka the Grand Circle)
Not all theatres have an Upper Circle, but the same rules apply here as they do to the Dress Circle. Seating here will be cheaper as the stage can appear quite far away, but you will still be able to see and hear all the action - it just won't feel as immersive.
Balcony
Only the larger theatres in the West End and other parts of London will have a Balcony. Located on the third tier, seat prices here will be a lot lower as the stage will be far back and far below you. You'll still be able to get a good albeit distant view of everything, and you will have no issues hearing too.
Boxes
Generally located at either side of a theatre, boxes can be found on most tiers and occasionally in the stalls. Boxes usually hold 2 to 4 people, and are a great option if you want to ensure you'll have no distractions from the people around you. Box prices can be more expensive than other similarly located seats.
Whilst you will often have a side view of the stage, boxes are a nice choice if you want the occasion to feel a bit special, as these were once intended for the high society and royalty.
Standing
There are only a few shows that have standing tickets available, and these are generally only put on sale if a show has completely sold out. If you don't mind being stood up for a show, they do offer an unrestricted view of the stage, and you are usually able to move around.
Seating Bands
Theatres often have 4 or 5 different price bands for a show. The higher the band, the better the seat and your view will generally be. To simplify this, we will split these into 3 bands, as there is usually a clear distinction when going for either Premium, Mid-range or Budgets seats.
The most expensive seats in the house, you will normally pay a 15-30% premium to sit here.
Will still usually offer a good but slightly restricted view with average or above-average seat prices
Restricted or far back viewing, cheapest seats in the house
Checking Seats
Checking your seats before you commit to booking them is essential to ensure you are getting the best value for money for your tickets, and verifying that your view will be as unrestricted as possible.
Seat Plan
Seat Plan has over 300,000 photos, reviews and ratings submitted by theatre-goers before they watch a show. They have the seating plan for every theatre in London, and each seat will be rated with a colour coding so you can easily get a good idea of whether the seats you intend to book will offer good views. You can click on an individual seat on the plan to get a breakdown of that seat, with photos of the view to the stage, a brief review by the person who sat there, along with a rating. This is your best resource for verifying the quality of a seat.
Ratings are based on View, Comfort and Legroom, and they will often include the height of the person who rated it.
Ratings here will sometimes be for older shows that are no longer playing at the theatre, so the current show could have a different stage set up. Always try to check the reviews of the show you intend to see.
Theatre Monkey
Theatre Monkey is another great resource to use before planning your visit. This site goes into intimate detail on theatre seating for every section of a theatre, and includes details on rakes, hazards and legroom, and will tell you the places to avoid and the best areas to sit.
Visit Theatre Monkey WebsiteTheatres with the best views
Although a lot of theatres in London can offer seating which is hit and miss, there are a few theatres that have an excellent sightline to the stage in almost all areas, along with comfortable seating.
West End
- Gillian Lynne Theatre
- @sohoplace
Off-West End
- All theatres at the National Theatre
- The Barbican
- The Bridge Theatre
- The Other Palace
- The Donmar Warehouse