Best theatre seats

[sausagedog]

Sorry, not a vulture more a pigeon!

I've just bought front row circle seats at the Palace theatre in Manchester. Thought they would be the best ( could have got front row stalls)but now I'm worried there'll be a railing obstructing ds1's view.

What seats would you choose at a theatre, given your pick?

They sound like good seats, if it is anything like the Bradford Alhambra (I work there )

I usually try and get 3rd or 4th row stalls at the Palace if I can. Depends on how big your DS is on whether the railing will obstruct his view. Could you boost his seat with coats or something to lift him up a bit?

i go mad and try and get the dress circle. but that means going to theatre about once a year as so expensive

Iklboo obviously knows the theatre. Would always go for front circle/dress circle as a rule, esp. over front stalls...

I love the stalls! We get cheap deals throughout the year, cos I scour the net and the papers for them.

Incidentally, kidsweek is for the entire month of August next year! Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!

Stalls fine, but very front rows in some theatres = cricked necks ML (thinking of Lyttelton at RNT, where they are cheap for a reason )
So who has booked for the Young Vic Tintin show at the Barbican in London this year?

Fair point Marina.... though it's one that occurs to me occasionally. I usually get rows M-P. Right in the middle. Fab views, but now that you've put the thought in my head will check what the seating is like theatre to theatre.

I think this will be a very rare treat, the tickets were very expensive £40 each -front row of stalls were the same.

I did worry we'd be to close to the stage in Row AA so thats why I picked the circle over the stalls

Ds has firmly informed us he has Grown Out of Tintin (though he'll happily wear the t-shirt & socks, so I wonder). His heart is now with Asterix. Reason, delivered very persuasively: Asterix has "more bits that are funny, and the funny bits are funnier".

And, Marina, I've just found in the library the first of the Martin Jarvis Just Williams

some theatres have booster seats for children. Give them a call. Also, because they are popular make sure that you are there in good time so that you can request one as soon as you arrive.

Hope he loves them as much as we do. The superb audiobook renditions kept ds and us smiling as we crawled along the A303 to Devon this summer Binkie.
LOL at growing out of Tintin, bless him. You do need to grow "into" Asterix though, I fully concede.
So what are you seeing at the Palace then Sausagedog?
(and thanks for the booster seat tip Mars, ds is still a shorty

Seeing Chitty Bang Bang. Hope Ds loves it as much as me!

Take a car booster seat incase..or maybe the theatre has boosters?
What do you do at Ahambra Sleepy suzy?

Have also gone for front row of whatever that row immediately above the stalls is called - and even one higher I think. Saw a Russian ice ballet in Croydon from up high and it was fab as you kind of saw the patterns which compensated for being so far away. Had front row stalls for childrens ballet at the Peacock Theatre which was interesting but children could see right into the wings, and it was hard to explain why (only 3 yrs old at the time). But it was great because nobody in front. Would have preferred to be up higher though. MUST remember to take a cushion next time for dd. Currently thinking about booking panto (sorry for implied mention of the c word) so need to decide again.

That's a point merrygoround, some types of show can be viewed from a distance really well. I'm not sure I'd want to see the blood sweat and tears that go into professional ice ballet too close up...
Hope he loves it sausagedog. We missed the London run, I think ds at six is still a bit too young to sit through it to my satisfaction. He spent quite a lot of last year's Old Vic panto farting under his seat and intoning loudly, "Is it finished YET".

Hi there,

With my ex-ticketmaster and lots of theatre box offices hat on! I'd be with Marina. It depends on the type of show you are going to see.

For me I generally prefer dress circle for musicals, dance and that kind of thing. As most dance is choreographed for viewing from the dress circle so its the optimum viewing platform.

For plays and comedy I prefer the stalls as it feels a bit more intimate. Individual box office staff should be able to guide you - but (again with my ticketmaster hat on) don't trust booking agency staff. These days most booking agents are no-where near the west end and most have never set foot inside a theatre therefore they don't have much of an idea of the view. The Box office staff shoudl have seen the show or have a good working knowledge of the venue and its good views and blackspots.

If you kids are small then consider a booster seat. If you are relying on the theatre having them (which generally they do) remember most venues only have about 20 so its first come first served. The minute you give the usher your ticket ask them for one. Otherwise if its a high safety bar - or if there is a lot of circle mounted lights you might find your kids can't see so well.

Hope it goes well.

Emma xxx

Top advice there sharklet. It is such a shame the days of the knowledgeable, on-site box office staff are almost gone...

Its sad really - ticketmaster used to pride themselves on having really knowledgable staff who had seen most of the shows at most of the venues so could give you a really honest appraisal of both show and seating. These days they have found it cheaper to re-locate to manchester and closed their london call centre. Most box offices use either TM or someone else for thier trip over calls so you never really know who you are speaking to. Its a nightmare!

I miss my days of working in the west end. I used to love all the free shows I'd get to see. Never get to go these days as we live out int he sticks. Last time we went was to see "the Producers" back in May - shocking and me a girl who practically lived in theatres from the age of 16 to 27.

Sigh

Feeling wistful now......

sharklet - in my previous life (!), I used to work for a promoter, maybe I 'know' you! I was probably rude, was v stressed then.

Olive - you never know you might do.

I used to work in Customer Service and Client Services at TM so we used to speak to promoters all the time. I too was much more of a stressed bunny than I am these days. Which promoter were you with?

She says going out in to the garden to dig up potatoes and pick some beans.

I swapped mad city life for country bumpkin life!

did you work with an american called andrea? She was lovely.

Andrea - YES! She is lovely. Haven't seen her in six months or so though.

Small world!

No way! Will have to CAT you but have to do some work, am off tomorrow so may be thursday, don't want to put where I used to work down, spies may be about!

xxx