Upper Circle at the Cambridge Theatre

Rows A to M, 442 seats, at the top of the theatre. It's high and quite steep, but the view of the stage is good from almost everywhere up here, and the front of it is one of the two places we'd look first for value.

The level changes shape halfway back. Rows A to F are three blocks with two aisles. A wide gangway comes next, and from row G it's one block on the plan, with stairwells cut into the middle of it, widening to 48 seats at row M, the widest row in the building.

Where we'd put you

Rows B to D in the centre block, with C13 to 23 first. You're close enough to see faces, and it doesn't feel as far from the stage as you might expect from the top level, because the tier sits back rather than climbing away from it. Rows E and F in the centre come next.

If the centre's gone, the aisle seats in the side blocks, seat 12 and seat 25 in rows B to F, have a little more legroom.

The cheapest seats in the theatre are in the rear block. They're a long way from the stage, but rows L and M are fairly priced for what you see, and M7, M8, M24, M25, M41 and M42, at the head of an aisle, have nothing in front of them, which suits children.

What to avoid

• Row A. There's a metal bar across the front of the Upper Circle in your view, and the legroom is barely enough.
• Row G. Another bar sits in front of it, and the price doesn't reflect it. It bothers children and shorter adults more than anyone else.
• The seats round the two stairwells. The stairwell walls get in the way in rows G and H, seats 11 to 14 and 19 to 22, and in row J, seats 11 to 18 and 23 to 30, which also has poor legroom. Behind the stairwells, K13 to 16 and K25 to 28 are cheap seats for a reason: they're central, but you won't get a full view.
• The very back rows, if the top of the stage matters to you. The Art Deco ceiling can clip the top of the stage from the highest seats.

The rear rows have no aisle at either end, so a seat in the middle of one means passing a lot of people.

Legroom in the Upper Circle

Cramped for anyone over about 5ft 10, except in the aisle seats. The seats are set higher than usual to give you more room, which means shorter people's feet may not reach the floor. A booster cushion makes a good footrest.

Steps

It's 67 steps up from the ground floor to the Upper Circle, all by stairs, with handrails on both sides and the step edges marked. Leave yourself a few extra minutes to get up there.

Drinks and toilets

The Upper Circle has its own bar, with very little seating, so order your interval drinks at the bar before the show. There are Gents and Ladies on this level.