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Old theatres in London not fit for purpose

208 replies

Theatredisappointment · 13/04/2026 13:35

I went to the theatre last week for a birthday treat and now remember why we stopped going.

in the past I have paid hundreds of pounds only to have people in front of me wearing hats and obscuring the view, people wearing huge puffer coats who are about 7 feet tall again obscuring the view. I’ve had people squashed up to me in the next seat making it uncomfortably and impossible to move, as a short person even I noticed the lack of leg room which means people behind you have their legs pushing into the back of your chair constantly.

This time I saved up and purchased a seat in the circle with no one in front of me. Amazing I thought I won’t have to worry about getting a tall person in front of me. Of course I hadn’t anticipated there would be a morbidly obese person behind me. She’d bought 2 seats obviously aware there wasn’t room for anyone next to her but instead my family and I and the person sitting next to me had to endure her body pressing into the back of our seats her stomach was hanging over onto my neck. Every time she moved which was constantly the whole row of seats moved and people were complaining.

It was a horrendous experience. I said nothing to this woman as obviously she couldn’t help it. During the interval I and the lady sat next to me asked a member of staff if we could move, explaining the problem, but were told the theatre was full.

I don’t blame this woman I blame the theatre (The Ambassador) who have squashed as many seats in as possible with zero leg room. They knew she’d booked two seats and would have seen why when they checked her ticket and yet they allowed everyone in seats nearby to suffer.

The whole theatre needs a refit. It’s unacceptable that you pay hundreds of pounds to be put in a tiny seat with zero leg room and the seats aren’t even staggered making it OK for only the tallest people to see the stage! Never again.

OP posts:
GreenSmallBird · 13/04/2026 14:51

You need to use Seat Plan to work out where best to sit. My DH is 6ft5 and I would never buy a ticket without checking where he can actually fit in a seat. You are very foolish paying hundreds of pounds without checking seat reviews first. Seat Plan

SeatPlan | Book the Best Theatre Tickets by Seat View

Use interactive seating plans, view from seat photos and audience seat reviews to book the best theatre seats. Submit your photos to earn money off.

https://seatplan.com/

Theatredisappointment · 13/04/2026 14:51

This is the weird thing about mumsnet the majority view seems to be oh well get over it. Who cares it was your birthday, who cares you saved up for months for a treat, who cares you were in agony the entire performance, just shut up and put up!!

Everyone I’ve mentioned it too in real life has been nothing but sympathetic and said how unlucky I was. But nope on mumsnet we’re all meant to just put up with things and never complain.

OP posts:
Freysimo · 13/04/2026 14:48

LittleMissClutter · 13/04/2026 14:13

If she isn't disabled, she shouldn't be taking up seats for disabled customers.

Being morbidly obese probably is considered a disability for benefits.

Theatredisappointment · 13/04/2026 14:48

dripAmazing how because YOU haven’t experienced it you think it didn’t happen. Were you there? No you weren’t.

At the interval a man around 7 seats down stood up and loudly exclaimed about how one person was making the entire rows seat move.

Whats not to understand? The woman said to her friend/partner “ they’re talking about me” yes he was! I on the other hand sat there in huge discomfort and said not one word to her.

OP posts:
Oddgain · 13/04/2026 14:47

What show did you see?

WiddlinDiddlin · 13/04/2026 14:46

I think you've jumped the shark with someone so big her belly was rubbing your neck!

Either her belly stuck out further than her knees in which case I doubt she'd be able to walk or get in the seating at all, or she was draping her legs over your shoulders! (I say this as someone who has been morbidly obese and also has very short legs, and still my belly never stuck out THAT far when seated).

DripDripAprilshower · 13/04/2026 14:44

Every time she moved which was constantly the whole row of seats moved and people were complaining.

Give over!!!

BillieWiper · 13/04/2026 14:44

What did you want them to do when she appeared and they checked her tickets? The theatre was sold out.

They can't just clear out an entire row in front of her and magic up extra seats for those customers.

The seats are too small with not enough leg room. The only way to improve it would be to raze it to the ground and build it on a bigger site.

Passingthrough123 · 13/04/2026 14:44

Theatredisappointment · 13/04/2026 14:42

She definitely had booked 2 seats and was spilled over onto the second seat.

i spent over £400 for my family and I for a birthday treat. Not quite sure why people are saying im lying. Her stomach was so large it was flapping around my neck and she kept moving forwards saying her knees were in agony. The young woman next to me was visibly distressed because she was also constantly being kicked in her seat.

This was for the entire performance. She kept telling the person she came with how this would put her knees out for weeks. Yes she was talking during the performance and we could all hear her.

For someone about 7 seats down to complain loudly that the entire row moved every time she did should give you an idea about how large this person was. I’m not talking about someone overweight I’m talking seriously obese.

How could she possibly sit across two seats with an arm rest?

Theatredisappointment · 13/04/2026 14:42

She definitely had booked 2 seats and was spilled over onto the second seat.

i spent over £400 for my family and I for a birthday treat. Not quite sure why people are saying im lying. Her stomach was so large it was flapping around my neck and she kept moving forwards saying her knees were in agony. The young woman next to me was visibly distressed because she was also constantly being kicked in her seat.

This was for the entire performance. She kept telling the person she came with how this would put her knees out for weeks. Yes she was talking during the performance and we could all hear her.

For someone about 7 seats down to complain loudly that the entire row moved every time she did should give you an idea about how large this person was. I’m not talking about someone overweight I’m talking seriously obese.

OP posts:
Oddgain · 13/04/2026 14:41

bruffin · 13/04/2026 14:31

Unfortunately not good if you are 6ft 2 and leg room is 7 inches! Even my 5ft 2 didnt fit. This happened to us at the Savoy. I love that theatre but these seats were ridiculous. We left before it started and complained. ATG gave us better tickets for another date.
Dh often has leg room issues and i cant see for heads in the way.
Thankfully the newer theatres are better

I’m 5ft 8
doesn’t bother me 🤷‍♀️

OneShyQuail · 13/04/2026 14:40

The person's stomach was pressing into your neck?!
Please 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
How tall and big are you then for this to be possible 🤷‍♀️

LakieLady · 13/04/2026 14:35

Octavia64 · 13/04/2026 13:45

A lot of the theatres in London are listed buildings. You aren’t allowed to just refit them.

Listed building entry for the Ambassadors:

ValleyClouds · 13/04/2026 14:34

Try accessing the old London theatres with a wheelchair, very challenging, but, as someone said these venues are listed for a reason

HobnobsChoice · 13/04/2026 14:31

So she booked two seats but the arm rest doesn't move and is in one of the rows with the least legroom. She's in the circle which has steep steps and no lift but uses a walking stick. And was so fat that her stomach touched your neck.

Perhaps she was just a really fat poltergeist and kept stroking your neck to help with the atmosphere

bruffin · 13/04/2026 14:31

Oddgain · 13/04/2026 13:39

I love them. Always sit there before the show commences and think how beautiful they are and atmospheric

Unfortunately not good if you are 6ft 2 and leg room is 7 inches! Even my 5ft 2 didnt fit. This happened to us at the Savoy. I love that theatre but these seats were ridiculous. We left before it started and complained. ATG gave us better tickets for another date.
Dh often has leg room issues and i cant see for heads in the way.
Thankfully the newer theatres are better

Old theatres in London not fit for purpose
Rookrookaroundandfindout · 13/04/2026 14:30

Best theatre in London for me was The Other Palace. And local Northern Stage in Newcastle.

CautiousLurker2 · 13/04/2026 14:30

Actually you SHOULD blame the morbidly obese person. And the prats in hats and the people who do not recognise they are being antisocial by standing, leaning and manspreading. This is about the break down of social norms, courtesy, health. Not fault of the theatre.

Rookrookaroundandfindout · 13/04/2026 14:28

I always have someone’s knee in my back and because I’m short it’s at just below my neck. So depending how large the woman was her stomach could touch my neck.
I miss the time when you could only buy drinks and use the toilet doing the interval.
My nearest city theatre always both and the last time I was there, I was up and down every 5 minutes with someone wanting to leave etc. It’s always large groups too.

SevenYellowHammers · 13/04/2026 14:26

Theatredisappointment · 13/04/2026 13:35

I went to the theatre last week for a birthday treat and now remember why we stopped going.

in the past I have paid hundreds of pounds only to have people in front of me wearing hats and obscuring the view, people wearing huge puffer coats who are about 7 feet tall again obscuring the view. I’ve had people squashed up to me in the next seat making it uncomfortably and impossible to move, as a short person even I noticed the lack of leg room which means people behind you have their legs pushing into the back of your chair constantly.

This time I saved up and purchased a seat in the circle with no one in front of me. Amazing I thought I won’t have to worry about getting a tall person in front of me. Of course I hadn’t anticipated there would be a morbidly obese person behind me. She’d bought 2 seats obviously aware there wasn’t room for anyone next to her but instead my family and I and the person sitting next to me had to endure her body pressing into the back of our seats her stomach was hanging over onto my neck. Every time she moved which was constantly the whole row of seats moved and people were complaining.

It was a horrendous experience. I said nothing to this woman as obviously she couldn’t help it. During the interval I and the lady sat next to me asked a member of staff if we could move, explaining the problem, but were told the theatre was full.

I don’t blame this woman I blame the theatre (The Ambassador) who have squashed as many seats in as possible with zero leg room. They knew she’d booked two seats and would have seen why when they checked her ticket and yet they allowed everyone in seats nearby to suffer.

The whole theatre needs a refit. It’s unacceptable that you pay hundreds of pounds to be put in a tiny seat with zero leg room and the seats aren’t even staggered making it OK for only the tallest people to see the stage! Never again.

I don’t disagree. I remember going to a tiny old theatre in London to see a dramatised version of 1984 and I literally couldn’t sit straight because my thigh length was longer than the gap to the seat in front. I am 5’9” so not massive! There were mice scuttling about too.

hahabahbag · 13/04/2026 14:25

If you live in the midlands i strongly recommend going to the Curve in Leicester, best theatre seats I’ve ever been in. I’ve moved away and really miss it, my local theatre now is old and listed so incredibly uncomfortable

Coffeeandbooks88 · 13/04/2026 14:23

How about we keep the theatres and make sure you don't come again?

Peonies12 · 13/04/2026 14:21

YABU. dont go there if you don’t like it. Or ask people to take their hats and coats off?

TheChosenTwo · 13/04/2026 14:20

I hear you op and barely ever go to the theatre now (as a non obese person) because it’s often bloody expensive and uncomfortable and whoever is sat in front of me is always the tallest person in the theatre. They can’t help being tall, it’s not something they have any control over, it’s not their problem. But it can make the experience unpleasant and not worth it from my perspective so I’ve just removed myself from the situation now.
Do I recommend you stop going to the theatre? Not really. But it’s what I’ve done.
some that I’ve been to are just cramped and poky, I’m not sitting thinking about the history and beauty of the building, I’m thinking these places are like theme parks and would rather continue to cram more and more people in than there’s comfortably room for in the name of money and at the expense of caring much about consumer experience.
They have their prerogative - I have mine.

LittleMissClutter · 13/04/2026 14:20

Oddgain · 13/04/2026 14:17

which she accidentally threw at the person seated next to me

along with her stomach resting on your next

OP… you have a career in the dramatics ahead of you!

Or fiction.

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