Is it worth going to the theatre to watch the ballet / a musical if you're right at the back?

[Ideasideas]

I don't have much spare money at the moment but would love to take my girls to see Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty at Sadler's Wells Theatre, and The Snowman at Peacock Theatre.

I can only afford for us to sit at the back. Is it worth going?

I have at the back of the gods countless times with and without kids, for musicals, ballets, plays, opera. Usually I sit in better seats when someone else is either paying or is fussy about where they sit so I make an exception.

Of your suggestion I would go for But racket as their first visit plus Christmassy

Best typo ever. Off to book tickets to But Racket immediately.

In most theatres, any seats that aren't restricted view will give you a great evening out . The more expensive seats are a better experience in my opinion, but your experience won't be ruined by being in the cheaper seats.

No idea what my phone works on but I was meaning The nutcracker

Matthew Bourne’s Christmas ballets tour in the new year. It’s often cheaper to see his shows at a more local theatre if they happen to be near by.

I also think SB might be too old for 7 year olds. Definitely the Nutcracker every time if you can.

I went to see a ballet I’d wanted to see for years and two women were laughing out loud and saying stupid things, they were a bit drunk and when they were asked to stop one actually said, we didn’t think people would mind in such cheap seats.

Of course it is worth going.
Like a pp I always buy the seats right at the back of the uppermost circle. I pay a fraction of the price and get to go to the theatre 6x as often.

Everytime I go I wonder why people pay £60 to see the same show I am watching for £13.

I can totally understand why on tour he would take recorded music - but it's definitely live at SW. It's a brilliant experience - I used to be an orchestral musician (not at that level!) so always love the music part as much as the ballet part! If you're outside London but want to see MB with a live orchestra, the matinees at SW are really good, not always the main cast but possibly more doable as a day trip depending on where you're coming from.

"But Racket". 😂😂😂

Meant to add if you're near London Bridge the Unicorn Theatre has lots of family theatre events that are very good and not too pricey

Other suggestion is to sign up to Get Into London Theatre as they usually do a discounted ticket offer for shows in January /February - think it's early December you can buy from - doing this we got tickets pre covid to see Circus 1903 at the Southbank - really enjoyed this show

I live in London and have been to the theatre on over thirty occasions this year so far. I can only afford this by buying the cheapest seats (well, I won't buy stools, but other than that).

The only theatre with cheap seats that make the performance unwatchable is the Almeida. Pretty much all others are fine, and some are really decent.

You will feel far away in the second circle at Sadler's Wells, but once the performance gets going you won't notice. There's not such leg room in those seats, mind!

We took dd to her first ballet at ROH just before she turned three. Only spent £12 on restricted view bench seats as we weren’t sure she’d last more than 20 minutes despite loving ballet on TV. She loved it, the bench was great for her as she could cuddle up to us and we’ve been to a lot more that way - you do miss some of the action on one side of the stage, but you get a wonderful view of the orchestra to make up for it!

Definitely use Theatremonkey, it’s really helpful.

I've been going to the theatre as long as I can remember, for over 40 years, and I'd always ALWAYS choose to be in the room with a seat at the back rather than at home not seeing it. I've had the best seats, I've had the worst seats, and everything in between, and I've been disappointed more times in the posh seats (eg thinking 'that was overpriced') than I have in the cheap seats.

I absolutely do not think that a £150 ticket is ten times better than a £15 ticket for example. Although as I get older, I do like to be able to see properly, but then that's coincided with having more money. As things have got tighter over the last couple of years, I've compromised by having less 'good' seats, not by going less.

I don't think it's worth it. I used to go on the cheap seats and you can rarely see much or see it from such a weird angle (like from above) that it's not the same experience. A few years ago I went in the stalls as a treat and would now never go back. I would rather go much less than go in the cheap seats now. Can you just go to one of them and sit in a slightly better spot?

Definitely go! It's almost certainly better to go in seats that aren't the best than just not go at all. I've been to see plays, ballet, shows in both expensive and cheap seats and I can't think of any I would rather not have seen due to seating! For kids a lot is about the atmosphere anyway.

Not sure, but I definitely wouldn’t buy restricted view seats.

We often go for restricted view seats - front row upper circle. Restricted because of the safety bar. Not at all restricted for kids - my son rests his arms and looks under the bar. Out theatre has a cheap seated gallery as well - good view, just very high. Go for it.

A few years ago I went in the stalls as a treat and would now never go back.

Yes I really dislike sitting in the stalls, and having to 'look up' at the stage. I really enjoy being able to look down on the stage as a whole.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I appreciate being 15 rows further forward than the back row is slightly better, but I'd always choose to sit in the circle.
We are all different

I have to admit I'd rather not go than have very poor tickets. They don't need to be the best but I've never enjoyed a show from the back or the upper circle.

Some theatres are better than others though. The back of a small theatre will be OK.

It's definitely not the same experience, but personally, I think it's also a very worthwhile experience.

For ballet especially, it's different. If you sit near the front, stalls etc, you see acting and facial expressions, details of costumes and makeup, sweat and wigs. I find that fascinating. But you don't see footwork, or the bigger patterns of choreography, and you miss some of the scenery and lighting. If you sit at the back of the balcony, you don't get that, but you do get the bigger picture and the drama. And a good company will be playing to the whole house, not just the stalls, so you do still get a worthwhile experience.

I still clearly remember my first Royal Ballet trip, maybe 38 years ago, right in the very back of the balcony, and I can remember being very excited by the corps de ballet patterns and the scenery, and I can still clearly remember Fiona Chadwick's face in the Rose Adagio, despite being about as far back as I could have been.

For her big birthday, my DD wanted ballet tickets.

I've been saving for a whole year (actually nearly 2) as I am always skint.

I looked around and finally found Birmingham Royal ballet are doing The Nutcracker. However, if you book on a weekday, children go half price for each adult that goes. I've got central tickets, 8 rows back. £160. On a weekend, it's double that. I saved more than that, so I'm so relieved!

I've watched loads of shows from near the back or obstructed view and they have been fine.
Check the seats on 'theatre monkey' and you can find the best cheap seats.

Sadlef Wells is quite a small place, so even the back is not very far away from the stage. I remember sitting behind the columns on the sides but even that was still OK. I just don't like sitting too close to the stage as it takes away the magic - too much awareness of huffing and puffing and sweat, and too hard to take in the choreography.

Late to this thread (been a while since I've posted) but you might find a good deal on the Official London Theatre New Year's Sale which launches today. Or bear in mind under 16s are 50% off on the Sadlers Wells Site.
For Sadlers Wells Sleeping Beauty I would say don't sit at back of stalls, better to move up a level or even 2 and aim for a bit further forward.
Matthew Bourne (choreographer Sleeping Beauty) has mentioned in a number of interviews that his passion for theatre was instigated by his mum who took him to everything, but not fancy tickets, so a good case in point.