Dress Circle at the Fortune Theatre

Rows A to G, one level above the Stalls, with 109 seats. It feels very close to the stage, because the whole theatre is small. It's also the level with the wheelchair space and the lift.

Who it suits

Anyone who books early. The whole Dress Circle is one price, the same as most of the Stalls, so the good seats up here cost no more than the ordinary ones. Book ahead and you get a very good seat for your money; book late and you pay the same for what's left. It's less good if you're tall.

Where we'd put you

Rows C to F, in the larger block. They're far enough back to clear the metal bars that cut into rows A and B, and still close to the stage. An aisle seat is worth asking for, because of the legroom.

Row F is level with the back of the auditorium, so it's the easy row if stairs are hard: F4 and F5 are the seats the theatre suggests if you can only manage a few steps.

What to avoid

• Rows A and B, where thick metal bars across the front of the Dress Circle get in the way, most of all if you're shorter.
• The outermost two seats in each row, which look at the stage from an angle.
• G1, squeezed into the corner by a wall.
• G6, beside the exit curtain, where you can hear chatter from the bar.

The Upper Circle hangs over the Dress Circle from row E, and it doesn't affect the view.

Legroom in the Dress Circle

Tight, and row A is the worst. A customer in row C had their knees against the seat in front. If you're over about 5ft 5, take an aisle seat so you can stretch one leg out. B17 has nothing in front of it. If legroom matters more than the angle, the Boxes at this level have movable chairs.

Steps and the lift

From the foyer it's 7 steps up to the back of the Dress Circle, and then 2 steps down between each row towards row A. Row G is on a raised platform, with one step up that's a little higher than the others.

A platform lift runs from the side entrance on Crown Court to the Dress Circle, and it comes out beside the wheelchair space in F16. The access page has the detail.

Drinks and toilets

There are gender-neutral toilets in the Dress Circle, and the accessible toilet is beside the lift. The bar is small, so order your interval drinks before the show, or have them brought to your seat.