Theatres should stop selling shitty view seats

[Icantseebecauseofyou]

I took my son to the theatre today, we were both so looking forward to it but I can't help feeling that the view was so shit that I've basically paid to see if the guy in front of had nits or not?

The seats were expensive so it was definitely a big treat for us, but still, it was a bit shit.

Why do theatres cost so much? Especially when seats have rigging, barriers etc across the view? Why do seat on the floor cost £300 each then we get people asking why people don't go to the theatre more?

If they are going to sell shitty view seats then they should take a picture from each seat to show this is the shitty view you'll get with all the rigging included and maybe a big fat head in the view too so you know that, actually, it's not worth paying £££ for these crappy view seats?
If I'd seen this photo first, I wouldn't have paid for this seat.

Sorry op did that seat cost £300 ? If so then that is ridiculous.

I know that now but it just seems a bit of a con when you pay quite a bit!

Theatres were moaning a while back that no one is going but yet seats on the floor cost £300 each.

We still paid about £100 for these seats and I'm just a bit sad the view was so poor.

I'll chalk this outing up as experience and save up longer next time to get better seats (or wait for the movie 🤣)

That's it, we don't go very often and certainly won't be going again for a long time now.

I booked for 5 of us in the upper circle (still cost over £250) and was really looking forward to watching Rocky Horror (1st time being at the theatre apart from pantos) and, who I aptly named, Bunhead sat in front of me. Huge bun on her head making seeing the stage very difficult. Just why?

Oh dear!!

At least Mr big head didn't have a man bun! 🤣

DD and I are both short theatre lovers. We have been disappointed so many times because despite booking what appear to be great seats, we just haven’t been able to see past the person in front of us. Old theatres weren’t designed for the kind of experience we expect nowadays.

I now only really book front row of the dress circle.

I was at the Pheonix theatre last week, up in the gods, very tiered so at least my 6ft height wouldn’t have blocked anyone else’s view. But omg, my legs were killing me, even with my bum being right in the back of the seat my knees were practically either side of the person in front’s head. Worse than being squashed into an Easy jet seat.

People with Big Hair also need to sit in the back rows.

@Passthecake30 yes, I did leave the theatre feeling slightly scrunched up and I'm only 5.6!

Selling seats with a limited view is OK, providing you know 100% that is what you are getting. Same with limited space or legroom.

A photo of such view would be a good way to do it.

Yet another area where a new consumer act that we should have can cover.

Same applies to the seating arrangements for visiting supporters at Old Trafford, even though they have probably made a shorter journey than the majority of the tourists in the home supporters parts of the ground.

Agree about Little Big Things!

You sound like you had cheap balcony tickets and when people lean forward it is very frustrating. People shouldn’t be allowed to be lean forward. Tickets aren’t £300. I go a lot. Have tickets to Devil Wears Prada in Nov in Row L stalls aNd they were £75 each. Am going next week as well and my ticket to Dominic West play were £85.

Thing is you don’t know who you will have in front of you. Last year there was a grossly overweight couple in front of us and the man was tall. So you couldn’t even look around them.

I always use Seatplan, I don’t really care about some restricted view if it’s cheaper. Of course you’re going to have someone in front of you though!

It's really frustrating, the views are often crap and poor legroom. We used to take the kids to a musical every Christmas but realised that £500 to sit through Matilda and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory really wasn't worth it.

Although I recently booked tickets to see Les Mis for the hundredth time. Booked last minute tickets the night before for £100 each in a box that was very sideways on. It was actually really good, you could move your chair to get extra legroom and I could see 90% of the stage,

Well my son has just come in to the kitchen and gave me hug saying thank you so much for yesterday, I really enjoyed it!

So he's happy and that was the point of it all so I feel much less crappy about it now!

However, I will certainly use one of the seat view websites in future!

I feel like this and I honestly thought it was just me being precious! But YANBU and I have stopped going to the theatre because of it.

That and the fact there is someone always nearby on their phones, rustling bags of snacks or talking.

Late last year we went to a Harry Pptter Orchestra show and the family behind me were ALL on their phones. Both kids watching YouTube videos. Mum on the phone and Dad on his phone. Not on silent

Awwww lovely. And if it was the Victoria Palace theatre (there are lots of Palaces so I wasn’t sure), the Hamilton film with the original Broadway cast is on Disney+ so you could get snacks and have a repeat viewing!

Glad to read of your son's response.

It was the Harry Potter show!! It would be brilliant if they finally televised it!

That's awful, OP.

I'd email customer services at the theatre and ask for a refund. It's worth a try.

It’s the luck of the draw, you can still book really good seats and have someone in front of you that ruins it.

I once had a huge women in front of me so I couldn’t even look around her.

When we go as a family we now book 2 in front and 2 behind so we can make sure the kids always see. Plus a seat on the end/

or a box! Boxes are the best

Ouch @Icantseebecauseofyou £100 for the balcony! What was the show? We paid £20 to see David Tennant in Good tho we were standing tbf. Could see tho - but long way up

lol at big man plus man bun 😂😂

I feel your pain OP, and decided a long time ago to only buy first or second row of the circle. (Or the front of the stalls depending on the layout - don’t like looking up at a stage).

I’d rather go fewer times with great seats than many visits watching the back of a man’s head.

I had to pay £295 each for good seats to Cabaret.

But we also have good local theatres near us though which is smaller and less expensive.

A few years ago I paid £200 for the Royal Opera House to see Swan Lake, and the woman in front leaned forward to sort of loll with her elbows resting on her knees - this left her head obliterating much of the stage for me.

I asked her to return to the upright!

It's pot luck who sits in front of you and if it's a big guy then it's tough luck. Booking the front row of the circle isn't always best as the rail is often in your direct line of sight!

True, there was the safety rails and quite a bit of rigging to look through too!

The woman in front did lean forward at one point with her arms up on the safety rail so I politely asked her to sit back which she did.