Pit at the Dorfman Theatre
The Pit is the floor of the auditorium and it holds most of the audience. In an end-on layout, rows A to K face the stage, with no row I; row L then wraps behind and down both sides, and row M goes behind that. This is the part of the theatre rebuilt for each show, so the rake under you might be steep, gentle or absent altogether.
This is where anybody who wants to be close books, and where the premium band sits, roughly between rows E and H in the middle.
Where we would sit
The middle, rows B to D. Rows B to K are offset, so you look between the heads in front rather than at them, and being near the front matters here because the rake across the middle is gentle in the shallow layout. If you're not tall, the further back you go the more that costs you.
Row A is usually held back, so row B is normally the first row on sale, at the top non-premium price. Row D is the one we'd book: the same view as the premium rows behind it for a band less.
The cheapest way into the Pit
The fold-out seats on the ends of the rows. They're narrower and harder than the rest, you unfold them yourself, which means asking your neighbour to move their coat, and they go at the bottom price when they're in use. They put you in the middle of the auditorium for the price of the back of it.
The back and the sides
Row L runs behind the main block and down both sides, on a step, behind a rail that sits at about midriff height at the sides when you're seated. It's a long way back for a top-band price, and it's the weakest value in the Pit.
Row M is a row further back again, higher, on stool-type seats raised on a plinth with fold-out footrests, and cheaper, which makes it the better buy of the two.
At the sides, take the seats nearest the stage: they face forwards and you're close in. The trade is that a set piece can block the back corner of the stage. Further along you're looking sideways, and anyone leaning forward is in your way.
Legroom
Row A has as much as you want, and rows B to K suit anyone up to about 5ft 11, with a few end seats that have a clear space in front of them. Row L is comfortable to about 5ft 8. Row M's high chairs suit people up to about 6ft, but they're a climb if you're under about 5ft and they don't suit anybody unsteady on their feet.
Getting to your seat
There's a lift down to Pit level. Book rows L or M if you want to stay on the flat once you're through the doors, because those are the two the lift opens on to; the middle block sits up steps, and how many changes with the production. Access has the whole picture.
Pit FAQs
Where should I sit in the Pit at the Dorfman Theatre?
The middle of rows B to D. Row D is the pick if you're weighing the money, because it sees close to what the premium rows behind it see for a band less. Check the plan for your production before you settle on a row letter.
Are the Pit seats at the Dorfman Theatre step-free?
The lift reaches Pit level and the doors open on to rows L and M at the back, which are step-free. Most of the other rows have steps up to them, and how many depends on the layout for that production.
What are the fold-out seats at the Dorfman Theatre?
Single seats on the ends of the Pit rows that fold away when they're not sold. They're narrower and harder than the rest, you fold them down yourself, and they go at the bottom price, which makes them the cheapest way into the main block.