Stalls at Charing Cross Theatre

Nearly all the seats in the theatre are in the Stalls. A front block runs from row B to row J, then there's a wide aisle, then a rear block from row K to the back wall. The front rows are on the flat floor; behind them, each row is a step higher than the one in front.

The best view: rows F to J

The middle of rows F to J is where we'd put you. You're high enough to see over the rows in front and close enough to see faces. Rows F and G are often the top-price seats.

The most legroom: row K

Row K has the cross aisle in front of it, so nobody sits in front of you and you can stretch your legs. It's on the same level as the doors into the auditorium.

Further back

The rear block carries on from row K to row X. The view stays clear all the way back, with no overhang, but the last few rows feel a long way from the stage for a theatre this size. Legroom behind row K is a little tighter, but fine for most people.

Think twice: rows B and C

The two front rows are on the flat, and the stage is about at head height when you're sitting down, so you look up for the whole show. They're not raised over each other either. Book them only if you want to be as close as you can get, and not for children or anyone short.

The benches

Either side of the front of the Stalls is a raised alcove with a bench of five seats, up a short, steep stair. They're the cheapest seats in the theatre and they're side-on. Only the seat nearest the stage has proper legroom, and the further along the bench you sit, the more of the near side of the stage you lose. The booking plan sometimes calls them Slips.

Getting there, bars and toilets

You come in at street level and go down a flight of stairs, with handrails on both sides, to the Stalls. There's no lift. The main toilets are further down again, below the Stalls, and the accessible toilet is on the foyer level by the entrance. There's a bar at the back of the Stalls as well as in the foyer.