Stalls at the Apollo Theatre

365 seats, rows A to X, and the level we would send almost anybody to. It is the biggest part of the building by a long way and it holds nearly half the theatre on its own.

Where to sit

The centre, from about row D back to row K, is the sweet spot. This is a small theatre, so even the middle of the Stalls is genuinely close to the stage, and the rake carries you over the row in front.

Behind row R, across a walkway, the Stalls narrow into four short rows, T, V, W and X, of 10 to 12 seats each. They are a bit of a contradiction. They are right at the back, they feel further from the stage than the main part of the Stalls, and the Dress Circle overhang cuts off the top of the stage from here, so anything played high is where you lose out. But they are all central, they sit high on the rake, and they sell for much less than the rows in front, so they can be a good deal.

The legroom varies a lot between them. Row T is the legroom row, because the walkway runs in front of it, and it is the one seat in the Stalls we would point a tall person to, though people pass in front of you on the way to their seats. Rows W and X are tight for anyone much over 5ft 9. Row X sits on a raised step, which helps the view, and the sound desk beside these rows doesn't get in the way.

How the level is laid out

There is no aisle down the Stalls. Every row from A to R is one unbroken run from wall to wall, and you reach your seat from the end of the row rather than from a gangway in the middle. The only walkway runs across the level in front of row T. If you are the sort of person who likes to be able to slip out, book near a row end.

Rows A to F are short, starting at 14 seats and widening, because the auditorium narrows towards the stage. From row G to row Q the rows run their full width of 22 seats. Row R drops to 20, and then the four short rows at the back.

There is no row I, no row S and no row U, so row T is the 18th row, nearer the stage than the letter suggests. Count rows, not letters.

Where this level sits on price

The more expensive seats in the theatre are in the centre of the Stalls, and the cheapest seats in the Stalls are in those short rows at the back. That gap is the most useful one in the building: you can stay on this level, keep a central view, and pay considerably less by sitting eight rows further back.

Getting to your seat

The Stalls are 22 steps down from the foyer, with handrails on both sides. That makes this the deepest level to reach on foot, which surprises people who assume the Stalls are the easy option.

It is also the only level with step-free access, by a platform stair lift at a separate entrance on Shaftesbury Avenue. Full detail is on our access page.

The bar and the toilets for this level

The Stalls bar is a further 11 steps down from the Stalls themselves, so 33 below the foyer in total. There are Ladies' and Gentlemen's toilets at this level, and the theatre's fully adapted toilet is here too, off the right-hand side of the Stalls as you face the stage.