Old theatres in London not fit for purpose

[Theatredisappointment]

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.

That theatre has fixed armrests that don’t move up and down.

I’m 184cm tall, I’ve found that theatre fine for both my legs and shoulders, yes, it isn’t roomy, but it isn’t too small to fit. The slope is also very generous.

I do agree re a refit. I maybe tall for a woman but not as tall as the average man. Which means most men cannot sit comfortably in old theatres. That seems really discriminatory to me.

She did have a walking stick which she accidentally threw at the person seated next to me so yes good point a disabled seat may have been better.

I do think we have just normalised poor quality seating in theatres with the “what do you expect it is an old building” brigade. If there’d been any sort of emergency like fire we’d all be dead no one could have got out in time.

How do these places meet basic health and safety regulations with tiny aisles? Every time someone left their seat the whole row had to stand up and shrink into their seats to let people past you couldn’t even twist your body round to make space. I’m 5 3 and my whole body was in agony after dying to get my legs into a comfortable position.

Must depend on where you sit. I was in the circle and could not close my legs or sit facing forward at the Ambassador. And I’m 5ft 8.

This. What OP is describing isn't possible. I've just found a picture of the Ambassador Theatre's seating and you cannot remove armrest. Plus the woman must be 10ft across for her stomach to be spilling over the back of OP's chair and into her neck.

This is clearly a wind-up fat-bashing thread.

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!

Trouble is those old buildings are listed so it would probably not be possible to do a refit !
I'm an average size 10 quiet slim 5ft 7 and I found it super uncomfortable sitting in this teeny seats a different theatre to yours but still tiny velvet seats so I would guess only super thin teeny tiny people would be comfortable and almost everyone else not !
I decided I'm not going anymore because I have arthritis and I can't sit in a stuck position for to long without moving about !
Which would deffo annoy people !
I don't think it's fair to be blaming the overweight lady on you not enjoying the theatre thou !

I'm 5'7" and a size 10 and on a recent Easyjet domestic flight my knees were touching the seat in front. How anyone bigger than me manages sometimes I don't know. Badly, I would suggest.

Or fiction.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Listed building entry for the Ambassadors:

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

I’m 5ft 8
doesn’t bother me 🤷‍♀️

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?