Dress Circle at the Phoenix Theatre

Rows A to K, one level above the Stalls, with good views throughout. It's also the only level with step-free seats, in row K at the back.

Where we'd put you

Rows C to F in the centre. You're clear of the safety rail in front, forward of the point where the Grand Circle starts to close in above, and you see the whole stage, including the top of it. For Stranger Things, which uses the full height of the stage, that makes the front of the Dress Circle a better buy than the back of the Stalls.

What to avoid

• Rows A and B, at full price. They sit behind the safety rail and it does make a difference. They're sometimes priced lower to reflect it, so whether they're a bargain depends on the discount.
• Seats 14 and 15 in rows A to D, at full price. A second, taller bar stands in front of them where the centre aisle meets the front of the level. It's thin, and most people stop noticing it within minutes.

Our rule on all of those: buy them at a discount, refuse them at full price.

If you're tall, avoid rows A to C: legroom is tight for anyone over about 5ft 6, and it eases from row E.

From about row G back, the Grand Circle above takes a sliver off the top of the stage. It's much less than you lose at the back of the Stalls.

Row K, the back row

Row K is the step-free row, reached by lift from the Charing Cross Road foyer, and the wheelchair spaces are here. It carries the overhang more than the rows in front, it's often cheaper than row J, and it has a little more legroom across the whole row.

Steps and the lift

It's 21 steps up from the main entrance on Phoenix Street, or 18 up from the Charing Cross Road foyer, and the lift from that foyer comes out at row K. Inside, the aisles are stairs, two shallow steps per row, with handrails on the side aisles but none on the centre aisle. If a couple of steps are fine but a full flight isn't, rows H and J are the next ones to look at.

The Boxes

Boxes B and C sit either side of the Dress Circle, two seats each, and they're not on sale during the run of Stranger Things. Box D holds the caption screen and the sign language interpreter at accessible performances; for those, the front of the Dress Circle is where to sit, centre-right for captions and centre-left for signing.

Drinks and toilets

Three steps up from the back of the circle is the Dress Circle Bar, with the Gents on the same level. For the Ladies, either climb 18 steps or walk round behind the circle to the far side. Beside the lift, at the back of the Dress Circle, there's an accessible toilet.