Tom Stoppard Theatre (formerly the Duke of York's), London

Stalls at the Tom Stoppard Theatre

One block of seats facing the stage, 24 steps down from the street, with no lift. It is the level we would book. The front rows run AA, BB, then A, B, C and back to U, with no row I.

Where to sit in the Stalls

• Book: rows B to F. Near the stage and ahead of the middle rows. Row B can still mean looking up when a production's stage is high
• Closer: rows AA, BB and A. Right at the stage, which is often high, so expect to look up. Row BB is tight on legroom above about 5ft 10
• Further back: rows G to O. A fine view as long as nobody tall sits in front. Rows G, J, K, M and N are the least well staggered, so sit centrally
• The back section: rows P to U. The rows get narrower from P, the floor barely rises, and the top of the set can be lost to the circle overhang above. Take these if they are noticeably cheaper
• The ends of rows C to F. The two outer seats on each side sit beside the Boxes and lose a slice of the stage, sometimes as far back as row H

Rake and overhang

The floor rises gently from about row D to row O, and the seats are not staggered enough to see between the heads in front. It is the most common complaint about the Stalls here, so if someone tall sits in front of you, you will notice.

Overhead, the Royal Circle begins at around row J or K. It only starts to cut in at about row P, where a tall set or action on a raised level can disappear above your eyeline, and whether it does is down to the production.

Pillars stand at the ends of a few rows in the middle and back of the Stalls. What they take is legroom rather than view, which is hardly affected.

Legroom

Legroom is poor across this theatre, but the Stalls have the most of the three levels. Row BB is tight for anyone tall, and row U has less than the rows in front of it. A few seats have nothing in front of them, including the front row and the ends of rows B, C and D.

The air conditioning is strong at the front, and the four end seats of rows B to E get the most of it. Bring a layer if you are there.

Getting down there

It is 24 steps down from the street and there is no lift, so if steps are hard, book the Royal Circle, which is level with the entrance. The access page has the detail.

There is a bar at Stalls level. The Terrace Bar is 47 steps up from here, on the Upper Circle level.