27 replies to this topic

[siobhan]

Sorry, If this has been done before, i'm often away.
I was wanting to start a thread of where regular theatregoers suggest you DO NOT sit, not because it's bad value for money but because it's a bad place to sit in that particular theatre. I know there's theatremonkey, but I wanted people's personal opinions rather than the obvious 'don't sit on the end' or 'at the back of the stalls' etc.
I'll start:

Dress circle at the Adelphi - There is always a head in front of you blocking the way dispite being close to the stage.
Front of the dress circle at the Lyric(shaftesbury av.) - The circle is curved all the way round and so there's always a bit chopped off at the corner of the stage.

[Backdrifter]

Mid row in the 2nd to 4th rows Lyttleton stalls. Back-breaking low-backed seats with little support and no armrests - but then, they are only £10. (Similarly the cheap front stalls seats in the Olivier).

Again, mid row pretty much anywhere in Richmond Theatre.

Front row circle, Royal Court Downstairs, if you're over 5'8" or so prepare for crushed knees.

[dan]

There are random stalls seats at the front of the Palace, which are fixed to the floor at crazy angles making them impossibly uncomfortable, and had wires hanging into view from the ceiling above. They may well have been 'limited view' but it was like being in a funhouse. Totally disorientating. This was in the last few weeks of 'Les Mis', could have changed now.

The Lyttleton seats mentioned earlier were horrific.

Dress Circle at the Palladium has serious legroom issues too.

[Marius]

The last few seats at the end of every row in the dress circle of the Fortune Theatre, theres a wall dead in front!

[Ian]

Anywhere in the Theatre Royal Haymarket Gallery. Bench seating, terrible sightlines, remote from the stage and vastly overpriced. These really are the worst seats I have ever found. The whole area should be taken out of use. The sides of the upper circle also leave a lot to be desired in terms of the view of the stage.

[xTanyax]

The front couple of the rows at the Victoria Palace the stage is really high so you can't see any feet and some of the stuff off to the side

[richard]

95% of the seats in the Swan at Stratford.  It's the most over-rated theatre space in the country - and uncomfortable to boot.

[sanderling]

95% of the seats in the Swan at Stratford.  It's the most over-rated theatre space in the country - and uncomfortable to boot.

Maybe you've seen this but... Theatremonkey.com has seating plans for all West End theatres showing recommended/not recommended seating areas.

[teaboy]

Worst seat in the West-End? Aldwych Theatre, Stalls Row Z 12. At the time I worked there (during Fame) the sound desk was directly in front of it, with a computer monitor centre stage, and sound operator blocking the left-hand side! AND you were watching Fame! Not bad for £15....

[Gavin]

www.theatremonkey.com - this site is damn useful.