"Front Row: "Breakfast At Tiffany's" (September 2009). Rang up and got 2 day seats in the front row paying £15 plus £2 booking fee each (a service available if there are day seats unsold after the box office personal callers line is satisfied - Editor). I agree with another reader that some characters did speak quietly but we were OK being in the front row."
"Row A: "The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?" (March 2017). We bought day seat tickets at £5 each expecting to pay £15 (as advertised on the Royal Haymarket website) but were told there was an extension on the stage so we wouldn't get a view of the entire stage. If you're tall (6ft 1in over), you'll be fine, even if you're shorter you're able to see all actors on the stage the entire play."
"Row A: "How The Other Half Loves" (March 2016), (Glen Morranjie). Seats at each end of this row had no legroom at all."
"A4 and A7: "Sweet Charity" (April 2010), (Mark). Possibly the best day seats in town. View is perfect, you miss NOTHING, and get to see the wonderful performance of Tamzin Outhwaite up close and personal."
"A7 and 8: "Fatal Attraction" (March 2014). The seats were good, central to the stage with only slight neck-craning to see the stage in it's entirety (my friend commented that it would have been ideal to be a few rows back, perhaps row C). Actors are standing directly in front of you at times and on occasion you can see right up their nostrils!"
"B1: "Accidental Death of an Anarchist" (July 2023), (Taljaard).Excellent view and comfortable seat."
"B1: "Only Fools and Horses" (July 2019):Comfort wise worst I’ve had in a long time. Only saving is that it’s an aisle so will sit sideways. My legs wouldn’t even fit. One leg clear the other not at all. The guy next to me in B2 struggled too and he had to cram his legs into the curve of the seats in front."
"B1 (when row A in use): (Zena). My seat was fine - there was the orchestral pit in between us and the moderately high stage and legroom, so I never felt too oppressed. But it deserves its discount as you do have the usual restricted view (nothing below the mid-calf visible...). You may also want to note that the conductor stands quite tall and therefore the middle seats in the row will have some obstructed view. Row C may also be too close for some too"
"B1 and 2: (Lisa). Despite being in stalls row B (1 and 2) we suffered no neck-ache and enjoyed a brilliant view of the stage, feeling part of the whole drama. However, the legroom on these 2 seats seems much less than on the row behind (or front but row A has plenty!) It may be the curve that causes this as looking down the seats in the centre appeared better".
“B3 and B4: (Richard Bradbury). Excellent seats and like Lisa (above) we suffered no neck ache. Row B is the front row as A is kept empty and you are really close to the actors and in certain scenes they literally tower above you. Have to agree again with the previous reviewer - legroom in these seats is limited."
"B6: "Christmas With The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas" (December 2017) An excellent seat and I would really recommend this row to everybody. The same seat in the row behind is £89.50. The only slight disadvantage is that you have to look up slightly, but as it is the front row you have a very clear view of all that is happening on the stage. There is a gang way in front, which means there is plenty of leg room, and the seats are very comfortable."
"B6: "Sweet Charity" (April 2010), (J Hockley). perfect view (though probably not if you have neck problems). The seats were not the largest, and the legroom was minimal - and I'm only 5'3" - but I did notice seats 4 and 5 had more legroom (and 10 and 11 I think), as the angle of the curve widens at these points."
"B6 and 7: "The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas" (January) Excellent seats and I would really recommend this row to everybody. The same seats in the row behind are £89.50. The only slight disadvantage is that you have to look up slightly, but as it is the front row you have a very clear view of all that is happening on the stage. There is a gang way in front, which means there is plenty of leg room, and the seats are very comfortable."
"B13: "Flare Path" (March 2011), (Taljaard). I got this as a day seat for £21, and the view was excellent."
“C4, 5 and 6: Very central, ample legroom, was a bit worried about the high stage, but it’s actually fine - no neck ache and great to see the show from such an immersive angle.”
“Row D (when row A in use): (Bobbi). We were in row D and it was too close to the stage. We had to look up the entire time and it hurt our necks greatly. I’d recommend rows F and back since it is a small theatre. "
“Row D: I was really struggling with the uncomfortable narrow seating in this 285 year old theatre (I thought people all them years ago had large bottoms as well?). Anyhow, I was in row D of the stalls and now know what it feels like to be in a straight jacket".
“Row D: (Mila). Our seats in row D of the stalls were superb - We were caught up in every emotion and could see every nuance. I don’t know if it would be so good from further away."
“D5 and 6: (Matt and Sam). We had good seats stalls row D5 and 6, any closer to the stage would have been uncomfortable as this is a very high stage indeed."
“D5 and 6: “Noises Off” (October 2023), (Bob Pickett). Don't take seats any closer than these. D is just at the point where you look toward the stage rather than up. You are still in front of the stage, every expression is clear. Comfort is decent though the seats are on the narrow side, counterbalanced by reasonable legroom. I'd sit here again.”
“D13, 14 and 15: "Breakfast At Tiffany's" (September 2009). We had excellent seats. Theatremonkey’s seat assessment appears spot on."
"E1: Good seat, but a little too close for my personal preference."
"E1 and 2: "Heathers The Musical" (July 2021), (Bob Pickett).The rows at TRH are not wide, so being on the end of a row isn’t an issue as you’re not craning your neck round to see the stage. For the current production (Heathers) the stage is high; in E1/2 it’s about eye level, so sitting a couple of rows further back (and taking advantage of the extra legroom in G1) would be better. Talking legroom, it’s good - especially in E1 as the curve of the row creates a few more inches."
"E4: "How the Other Half Loves" (March 2016), (thespyinthestalls.com). This was press night so house was pretty much full, this is a lovely theatre, beautifully decorated, which has decent size bar and toilets. E4 was a great seat - leg room OK and the view perfect."
"E5 and 6: "Flare Path" (March 2011). Fine. Granted, a row or two back would've been more panoramic, but I was equally happy to be closer, especially at the reduced £35 price I paid!"
“F5 and 6: (Mila). Close enough to see detail in individual performances.”
“F6 to F8: “Marguerite” (July 2008), (James – regular reader). Row B as front row, and a high stage in use. A fair rake ensures a good view and the sound is great here, but I would have preferred to have been a row or two further back to see the whole stage without turning from side to side."
“F17 and 18: “The Tempest,” (Chris B). These are at the far left of the stalls (as you look at the stage) but feel very close to the stage and you can still see the stage without obstruction. You might miss the very left hand side from F18, but this doesn’t detract from the experience. For this performance they used the little box just to our left to enter and exit the stage so we were close enough to touch the actors (including Ralph Fiennes) as they walked past, an incredible experience. The seats feel comfortable and there is plenty of legroom too.”
"G 3 and 4: "Queen Anne" (September 2017). The front stalls right up to G (and possibly beyond) are hardly raked at all. We did not find the wall a problem in row G, two seats in."
“G 19 to 21: Perfection. End of a row, central, clear view of the whole stage, loads of legroom; all good.”
“H5 and 6: (Celia Robinson). These were great seats"
"H21 and 22: "The Libertine" (September 2016). Nice comfortable seats with a good view."
“Row J: Offered a good view of the stage.”
"K9 to 11 (discounted): Perfect seats, though oddly the seats in the next row are directly in front of you, meaning you have to do a bit of head-dodging!"
“L2 and 3: “The Lion In Winter”, (Chris B). These seats are on the far right (as you look at the stage) but allow a good view of the stage. You only miss the very right of the stage but little action takes place there anyway. The seats are close enough to the stage to see facial expressions and get a good feel of the atmosphere of the play. The legroom is very good in this theatre which is an added bonus. I would have preferred to be more central, but can’t fault these seats really.”
"L18 and 19: "Frozen" (February 2018). Good legroom and sightlines."
“M4 and 5: "The Rivals" (November 2010). Although these are off-centre, the view from both seats was fine for this production and sound quality was good too. Incidentally, I cannot comprehend why anyone would want to pay extra for 'premium' seats in row K!"
"M16 and 17: “Breakfast At Tiffany's" (October 2009). Despite being towards the rear and on the side, these seats gave us excellent views of the stage. There is only a very gentle rake to the seating but for some strange reason I felt slightly elevated in my seat. I think it might be because the stage is high. In addition, the slight curve at the end of the row allows you to see between heads in front of you. I would happily pay top price to sit in these seats again."
"O5 and O6: "The Elephant Man" (May 2015), (Linda O'Reilly). Both excellent, leg room was good, the stalls are quite small so no matter where you sit I think would be good. There is a raised stage though, for this play, so I would not recommend the first 3 rows. You would be way too close to see what was going on at the back of the stage."
O7: "Bad Jews" (March 2016). The row is a bit further back than I would like, but the view is good and the rake allows for not too much from those in front (unless they are too tall!). Legroom is OK, though not generous."
"R5: "Taken At Midnight" (February 2015) (Mark Lane). £29.75 from TKTS. Only my second ever visit to this beautiful theatre. That time I was sat in the Dress Circle. I have to say that given the choice now I would go for stalls next time. The view was excellent from here. The rake is deep, the seats offset and comfortable - but a bit tight on leg room. With this production the thrust stage helps with the sight-lines from here; if it had been a traditional proscenium setting then it may have been a little too far to the side, possibly about 2 or 3 seats off."
"R11: "Venus In Fur" (September 2017), (Taljaard). I got this ticket when booking opened for £15. It has to be the best bargain ever. The seats are very well raked and you can hear everything perfectly."
"R17 and 18: Were in a very good location and looking around the stalls in general I don't think anyone would have had a problem with a view of the stage and the seats (although not the most comfortable) were OK and enough legroom for this 6'+ beast and not the usual problem of Mr Pumpkin head sat in the way and wouldn't have been either had he decided to come along for this show."
“V3 and V4: "Marguerite", (James). I was a bit concerned about being so far back, but it really wasn't a problem. I still felt very involved and could see and hear everything perfectly. The only reason I can think of to be further forward is so that you can see the full effect of the wonderful sets which you miss slightly from the overhang but other than that, great seats. However, I did get freebies and would perhaps be reluctant to pay top price for them."
"V 4 and 5: "One Man, Two Guvnors" (March 2012). Three rows from the back, towards the right hand side and the view was fine. The rake is not bad but, again, if I could have got the Dress Circle then I would of gone for that instead."
"X1 to X6 (discounted): “Sweet Charity”. These are clearly not the best seats in the stalls but were very acceptable for what we paid and actually afforded a perfectly fine view except for a slightly reduced sight of the performers in the scene set on a fairground ride in the air. There was a gap between the sound booth and seat X6 and the person using that seat found it fine. The only negative comment I have is rather a strange but important one; seat X1 did not exist!! (The monkey is reliably informed that the seat has now been re-captured and firmly chained into place once more...).
"X 12 to 14: "How The Other Half Loves" (March 2016). We sat here (though this will apply to the whole row) - comfortable seats, excellent view, airy feel, not claustrophobic at all even though well back under circle overhang, plenty of roomy space behind seats so don't feel cramped in at all, loveliest auditorium in the West End.
