Stalls at the Noël Coward Theatre

459 seats in rows A to V, with no row I, plus Boxes A and B at the sides. It's one block with no central aisle, so you reach every seat from the aisles down each side.

Where the value is

The back rows, S to V, usually drop a price band, and row S tends to be the pick of them: it's often cheaper than row R for much the same view. From about row Q the Royal Circle overhead can cut off the top of the stage, which matters only when a show uses the height of the set. Rows U and V are shorter rows with a little less legroom.

The front row, A, is sometimes priced below the rows behind it too. You're close enough to see every expression, but the stage here is high, so from rows A to C you'll be looking up and may not see the stage floor.

The best seats

The centre of rows C to J. Close to the stage, and from row F the floor starts to rise, so you see over the row in front more easily. The centre of rows L to P is nearly as good, and from about row N the floor rises more steeply.

What to avoid

Row K is the one to be careful with at top price. It isn't staggered behind row J, so if someone tall sits in front of you, they're right in your eyeline, and row J or row L costs the same.

There's no central aisle, so a seat in the middle of a long row means asking a dozen people to stand whenever you want to get out, including at the interval. The far ends of the rows are a smaller trade: the curve of the theatre turns you slightly away from the stage.

Legroom, stairs and toilets

The Stalls have the best legroom in the theatre. Rows A to O are comfortable even for people over 6ft, rows U and V have a little less, and the seats themselves are on the narrow side.

The Stalls are 31 steps down from the foyer, with no way round the stairs, so the step-free seats are in the Royal Circle instead. The access page has the detail. The Stalls level has its own gents' and ladies' toilets.