Stalls at the Olivier Theatre
The Stalls run from row A at the front to row R at the back, and a little over half the audience sits down here, including in the best seat in the theatre. From row D back the floor is properly raked.
Who books the Stalls, and what it costs
Anyone who wants to be close, and anyone booking a play: on an open stage with no microphones, the words travel best forward and central. The most expensive seats in the theatre sit in the middle of rows H and J, and the front rows, A to C, are usually among the cheapest seats in the theatre when they go on sale.
The front rows, A to C
These are the short rows that sit almost flat in front of the rest, with no step between them. They are usually among the cheapest seats in the theatre, and the trade is a real one: no armrests, seats a little narrower than the rest, and legroom that runs out for anyone much over 5ft 7 in the middle of rows B and C. Some productions make them partially restricted and some take them off sale altogether.
Row C is the value pick of the three. It is the last row before the price steps up, so you get something close to the view from row D for noticeably less. Take it if the money matters more than the armrest.
The middle of the Stalls, rows D to M
From row D back every row is raised on a step, the seats are offset, and toe spaces in front of each row make the legroom fine for most people. Six-footers are comfortable in D, J and L.
Rows G and H, in the middle, are the best seats in the theatre. Roughly a third of the way back, dead centre, with the whole of an open stage in front of you. Rows E and F are the next choice, a little closer, and everything from row L back is at least fair.
The rake does the work here. From row D back, who is sitting in front of you is not the thing to worry about.
One thing about the outer seats of the centre block. From about row J back, the wall of the side block beside you takes a small part of the stage out of your view. Given the choice between the outer end of a row and a seat two along, take the one further in.
The back, rows O, P and R
Rows O and P have no side-block seats, so they are centre block only, and row R is the back. Nothing overhangs any of it and the rake is still working, so the back of the Stalls is a good seat rather than a compromise. The last row reads as side-on on the plan, but it feels more central from the seat.
Row P is usually cheaper than row O for the same view, so check both when you book.
The side blocks
The two raised wings either side, curving round to face the middle of the stage. Every seat in them has a clear view, and the curve of the stage means even the ones closest to it miss very little. Two things to weigh before you book one.
Sound. The side blocks can lose words on a production without microphones, across a stage this big, so for a play, sit forward and central instead.
The drop. A wall with a rail set into it runs along the inner edge of each side block, and beyond the innermost seats there is a long drop with no aisle at that end. Most people never think about it. If heights bother you, stay out of this part of the auditorium.
Booking a side block anyway? Go for the seats nearest the stage and nearest the middle. Avoid seats 1, 2, 58 and 59 in every row, which are the worst value in the theatre; if you end up with one, row M is the best of them, then L, K and J.
Comfort and the temperature
Rows A to C are the tight ones for legroom, and a few seats in row C are tighter still.
Some people find the Olivier on the cool side, whatever the season, so a layer is worth bringing.
Getting to your seat
The Stalls foyer is on level 2. Four lifts run from the main ground-floor foyer and staff will point you at the right one, or you can take the stairs.
Inside, it is 25 steps down to row A at the front. There is no handrail on the centre aisle, so if you are unsteady and booked forward in the middle, the side aisles are the better walk down. The side blocks are raised and reached by steps. The five wheelchair spaces are at the back, in row R, with flat access from level 2. Access has the rest of it.
The bar and the toilets on this level
The Stalls level has bars, refreshments and a bookstall, open from an hour before the performance and during the interval, with toilets on the level and an accessible toilet on the way into the auditorium. The Stalls foyer opens onto the Bank of America Terrace, by ramps at either end or a large step at the more central doors, which is where to stand with a drink on a warm evening.
Where we would sit
The middle of rows G and H. If they have gone, rows E and F. If the budget is what decides it, row C, and take the missing armrest as the price of being that close for that money.
Stalls FAQs
Where is the best place to sit in the Olivier Stalls?
The middle of rows G and H, about a third of the way back. Far enough back to take in the whole of an open stage, close enough to read a face, and on a rake steep enough that the person in front of you is not part of the decision. Rows E and F are the next best.
Are the front rows of the Olivier Stalls any good?
It's a trade. Rows A, B and C sit almost flat in front of the rest, they have no armrests, the seats are a little narrower, and anyone much over 5ft 7 will find the middle of B and C tight. Some productions restrict them or take them off sale. Row C is the pick of the three, because it buys most of a row D seat view for less.
Which Stalls seats should I avoid at the Olivier?
Seats 1, 2, 58 and 59 in any row, at the far ends. They are the worst value in the theatre, and row M is the least bad of them. We would also think twice about the innermost seats of the side blocks if heights bother you, because there is a long drop beside them, and about any side-block seat at all if you are seeing a play without microphones.