Stalls at the Lyttelton Theatre

Rows A to V, skipping I, N and Q, which makes nineteen rows in all. One block facing the stage, with no aisle down the middle of it. It's the bigger of the two levels.

The floor is flat for rows A to D and then steps up from row E back, which is what separates the cheap front rows from the rest of the level.

Where we would sit

The centre of rows G and H. Far enough back that you take in the whole stage, close enough to read a face, and up on the tiered floor so the person in front is not in the way. This is where the top price goes.

Around that, rows F and J do the same job for a little less, and the seats towards the middle of any row are better than the ends for the same money.

The best value in the Stalls

Rows K to O, towards the centre. You are a few rows further back for a noticeably lower price, the rake is doing its job by then, and the overhang has barely started. For the same money they are about as good as the second row of the Circle. If the premium rows are gone or beyond the budget, this is the part of the level to ask for.

The cheapest way in, and what it costs you

Rows A to D, right at the front, are the cheapest seats on this level, and three things come with that.

The floor is flat down there, so there is no rake to lift you above the row in front. Row A has nobody in front of it, which makes it the pick of the four. In rows B, C and D, a tall person in front of you can take out a lot of what you came to see.

The seats themselves are also different from the rest of the level. They are narrower, they have no armrests, and the backs are very low, which makes them uncomfortable for a lot of adults. Armrests start at row E.

And steer around the first four and last four seats in rows A to D. Those either sit outside the arch or look in at the stage from a sharp angle, and the price does not drop to reflect it.

The back of the Stalls

The Circle overhangs from row O, and for a while that costs your seat view nothing at all. From about row T back, though, the top of the stage goes whenever a production uses its full height, so you keep the actors and lose whatever is hung above them.

The other thing about the back of this level is the price. It often costs about what the front of the Circle costs, and the front of the Circle is the better seat. If that is your budget, go upstairs.

Legroom and comfort

Row A has room to stretch out and suits anyone up to about 6ft. Rows B to D are tight for anyone over about 5ft 5. From row E back it is comfortable for most people up to about 5ft 10, and the seats have armrests and proper backs.

Getting to your seat

The Stalls are on the ground floor and the wheelchair spaces at the back have level access from the foyer. Everything else on this level is down 15 steps to row A, with the rows stepped between each other from E back. There is a lift from the car park to this level. Access has the full picture.

Because the block has no aisle in it, an end seat is worth having even where the view is no better, particularly if you want the interval bar early.

The bar and the toilets for this level

Rennie's Bar in the main ground-floor foyer is the Lyttelton's own performance bar, and it is a few steps from the Stalls doors. The Atrium Café is on the same floor, and Grind is three steps up from the foyer. Toilets are on either side of the theatre entrances, with an accessible toilet to the right.