Hamilton -expensive show and enjoyment spoilt by uncomfortable seats.

[user68901]

Royal circle £325 for myself and 2 daughters. Seats cut into my thigh. Barely room for my feet and knees . No arm rests. The show is quite long and no way will I to go back and see it again at this theatre. Shame, it was a brilliant show. Really disappointed - any one have this experience?

I’ve seen Hamilton twice at VPT and actually found the seats ok. That being said, I usually see things at the Festival of Kings in Edinburgh and the seats there are a literal pain in the backside, I usually spend the second act shifting about trying to regain some feeling in my bum cheeks

Theatremonkey is a great website for seat reviews, descriptions of each area of seating etc.

there's always one... Op says her seat was uncomfortable and @limitedperiodonly turns that into the op wants to knock it down. FFS.

Hollowvictory it's you that doesn't get it.

Hamilton is a huge international hit. The US producers will want it to play in prestigious theatres when it tours. In London, which is probably one of the most famous places for shows along with New York, that means the West End around Shaftesbury Avenue, which is packed with rickety Victorian and Edwardian theatres. Victoria is on the outer reaches of the West End but easily accessible.

The producers dictate the place. When they are looking at Britain, they are not going to put on their productions anywhere else. British people and foreign tourists pack out the places night after night. They pay a lot of money to sit in a cramped theatre with poor sight lines and queue for ages for the loo if you are a woman.

That's the deal. This is part of the theatre experience in London. It's not going to change and whining about it isn't going to make the producers of Hamilton move it to a mulitplex in Basildon.

I been in the 35 Harry Potter seats very back row of gods, and front row stalls (won Friday 40) and restricted stalls. Really wouldn't recommend £35 seats at all. Uncomfortable and could see a lot.
For Hamilton were row c of stalls £80 preview and they were excellent seats

Saw it in NYC - seats were fine but very expensive. It is good but not worth the price - fortunately tickets were a gift so didn’t have to pay but would if went again

I sat in the stalls and thought the seats were really comfy, and a good amount of leg room. They were £200 tickets though. Have never dreamt of paying that much before but have paid it twice to see Hamilton, and would pay it again. It’s just amazing.

This applies to pretty much every west end show.

Yes, when I went the cloakroom was full so I had to try and cram my enormous backpack (I had just got off the train from Newcastle, I came down for the weekend) under the teeny tiny seat and it was so uncomfy! Thank god the show was so good, it kept me distracted

I’d recommend the box seats. The view was hardly restricted at all, we had lots of space and privacy and room for bags, etc. Also someone brought us our drinks!

We were in the circle and our seats were great, very banked so no chance of Mr Tall blocking your view.

We were up in the gods for Harry Potter and they were bloody awful seats.

I’m 5’3 and slightly overweight and I’ve sat in the stalls for Hamilton and been perfectly fine. Didn’t notice a difference compared to other theatres in London.

Good to hear the box seats are comfortable as I’m going again in April and have booked box seats!

Obviously I don't want theatre knocked down FFS , have never had a problem in any of the other theatres - actually I have found them quite comfy ! This refurbishment has just copied the airline industry by trying to cram as many seats in as possible. For anyone planning on going - i'd recommend aisle seat. Wouldn't want to escape that theatre in the event of a fire unless i was next to the exit.
On another note ..... impressed at how cheap some people got their tickets!!!!!

We went to see Matilda at the Manchester Palace theatre. Cost a fortune and I felt like my knees were round my ears!

The seats were tiny and my knees dug into the chair in front, I was touching shoulders with the person next to me.

But it's a Victorian theatre and you have to expect this I'm afraid for very old theatres.

This refurbishment has just copied the airline industry by trying to cram as many seats in as possible.

No it hasn't. It is just working around an Edwardian building.

I won't book West End theatre tickets without checking seat reviews on Theatre monkey.
But I find there is an increasing trade-off between a comfy seating with a clear view and legroom or paying the equivalent of a week's holiday for a family trip to the theatre.
The Lion King is charging up to £250 PER SEAT. I'm all for supporting the arts, but sod that for a game of soldiers.

No one is suggesting to knock it down. The theatre in my hometown is even older than the Victoria Palace (and more beautiful) but when it was refurbished it was done in a way that kept the period features and restored some of them to their former glory AND made the seating more comfortable and safe for modern day patrons. The refurbishment of the VP cost a lot more but the seating in the Royal Circle is still horrendous and hasn’t improved since I saw shows there as a child. The theatre is certainly looking more beautiful these days but no one should be left unable to walk after a performance...and this person was a size 12 so hardly massive and 5”5. There was just no knee room at all and the lack of arm rests meant that if you were sat next to a tall or overweight person you were even more squashed. And it was over £100 each for these tickets when I went (back when it first opened). They really weren’t fit for purpose and lots of people in the vicinity were complaining.

I’d agree the stalls there are fine but the Royal Circle certainly isn’t and this should have been taken into consideration prior to refurbishment.

Never had that problems at Matilda or School of Rock and I am tall.

I remember has ateenager watching all the show in the Gods, and feeling squashed inor over hot. Quite often we would need the opera glasses to see the action.

Now i’ll Only book stalls which tend to have better keg room ( when I can find cheaper seats).

Completely agree.

We were in the grand circle. Brilliant show but I was desperate for the interval so I could stand up

Another vote for box seats for Hamilton. We booked the Matcham box for DDs birthday treat and had a great time.

Big comfy dining room style chairs that you can move about as you wish. A butler to bring you drinks and interval ice creams and even your own private loo for the box so you don't have to queue or wait for the interval.

No one wants the bloody theatre knocking down and we all recognise the age and character of the building.

However, the seat quality, lay out etc is extremely poor in my mind. So many other theatres do it well in just as old buildings andnl it just seems they've cut corners.

People pay good money to come and see a show and the best thing you could do is at least make it confy for them

We saw it a few weeks ago and sat in a box in the grand circle. Our seats were 37.50 each. Movable chairs so plenty of legroom, a little table and a quick exit at the interval to avoid toilet queues! (You have your own little door and staircase)

Technically yes the view was restricted but if you lean forward you miss very little, a fraction of one side.

The seats were an absolute bargain.

They are Victorian theatres and probably listed buildings. Great atmosphere though. If you want bigger venues then Las Vegas is the place.

Just saw waitress, seats rival Ryan air on the comfort stakes?!

However I do recommend the Albert Hall (stalls - side) had lots of leg room as seats swivel!

No issues when I went to Hamilton and broadly agree with Limiteds take

Rows very squashed at the Cursed Child though

And the person who said Matilda in Manchester? Yes I had circle tickets and thought it was so cramped!