Dress Circle at the Aldwych Theatre

The best view in the theatre, and the best value in it, depending which end you sit. It is the middle of the three levels, the front curves round towards the stage, and it is the one level with a step-free route.

Where we'd put you

Front and centre is the best view in the building, and it is priced accordingly. Rows B and C are strong too, and Rows D and E in the centre are the value pick, with better comfort than A and B at a lower price.

The rear of this level is the value nobody books. Most people on a budget reach for the cheap rear Stalls because they are closer, but back there the overhang sits down on top of you. Up here the Grand Circle only starts to cut the top of the stage from about Row E back, it never gets as bad as the rear Stalls, and you keep a clean view for the same money.

What to avoid

The Row A slip ends. The curved front leaves them facing the stage side-on, they are discounted for it, and they have the tightest legroom against the wall, so they are a decision rather than a bargain. A seat towards the middle of Rows B to E is the better use of the money.

For legroom, Rows B and C get tight for anyone tall, and Rows D and E are the more comfortable pair. Some seats in the theatre have extra legroom and are not marked on the plan, so if it matters, ask when you book.

Getting there, bars and toilets

This is the one level with a step-free route, through a side entrance on Drury Lane to the front of the level; access has the detail. Everyone else comes up the stairs, as there is no customer lift. Inside the level you climb rather than walk: the rake is built in steps, two at every row, 22 from Row A to Row M, with handrails all the way.

The Dress Circle bar overlooks the main foyer and is the nicest place to wait in the building. It sits 24 steps up from the foyer, and there are toilets on this level too.

FAQs

Is the Dress Circle better than the Stalls at the Aldwych Theatre?

At the top of the price range there is little in it: front and centre here and the central Stalls are both excellent, and the choice is mostly whether you like to be close or to look down on the whole stage. At the cheaper end the Dress Circle wins, because its rear rows keep a cleaner view than the rear Stalls for similar money.

Is the back of the Dress Circle worth booking?

Yes. The Grand Circle starts to take the top of the stage from about Row E back, but it is never as bad as the overhang at the back of the Stalls, and it usually costs about the same.

Are the end seats of Dress Circle Row A worth booking?

Only if the discount is a good one. They sit where the front of the level curves round, so you watch the stage side-on, and the legroom against the wall is the tightest on the level.