Stalls at the Piccadilly Theatre

The biggest level, with almost 500 seats in rows B to U, and the Can Can tables in front of them. For Moulin Rouge this is where to sit if you want to feel part of the show: the stage reaches out into the auditorium and the cast work the aisles.

Where we'd put you

The front Stalls. It's a personal, immersive show, and the closer you are, the more you're inside it. Central is best for the view, though with no aisle down the middle, getting to a middle seat means squeezing past a few people.

If you'd rather spend less, a seat near the back of the Stalls is still a fair one at the right price. The view is complete up to the point where the Royal Circle cuts off the top of the stage, so a lower price there is a reasonable trade, as long as you aren't paying full price for it.

The Can Can tables

We love the Can Can tables. They're some of our favourite seats in any theatre anywhere in the world, and for Moulin Rouge they bring you right into the show, so you feel immersed in it. There are 13 of them at stage level, each seat with a small table beside it: some sit at the front right in front of the stage, and others are actually inside the stage itself, close enough that the cast interact with you directly.

• They're mostly sold in pairs (two of the tables seat three), and they tend to sell first, so book early and aim for the ones at the very front
• Be in your seat at least 15 minutes before the start, or you may be seated elsewhere until the interval, or for the whole show
• The tables inside the stage are hemmed in once the performance begins, so go to the toilet before you sit down
• They aren't wheelchair accessible

They're not for everyone, since some people find them too close, but for the right person they make the visit even more worthwhile.

What to avoid

Don't pay full price for anything further back than row Q or R. The Royal Circle overhangs the Stalls from row L, and from rows Q and R back you start to lose the very top of the stage, which matters here because Moulin Rouge uses the full height of the staging. The very ends of the front rows are the other ones to think about if you want the whole stage, because you look across at it sideways.

Legroom

Seats are about 44cm wide, a little narrower than in newer theatres. The ends of row P have extra legroom, so ask for them if you're tall. The floor rises noticeably from about row E, which helps you see over the row in front, and rows Q to U sit on steps at the back.

Getting down there, drinks and toilets

It's 22 steps down from the foyer, and there are no handrails on the stairs to this level. The wheelchair spaces are in the Stalls, in rows D, K and N, reached by the platform lift from the Sherwood Street entrance; the access page has the detail.

The Stalls bar is down in the basement and it's tiny, so order your interval drinks before the show or have them brought to your seat. The Champagne Bar is on this level too, with an accessible toilet, and the Stalls toilets are 8 steps down from the auditorium entrance.