Stalls at the Prince Edward Theatre
Now playing: Beetlejuice From £25 Book tickets
828 seats, the biggest level in the building by a distance. Rows run A to Z, with no row I and no row Q, and then carry on as ZA, ZB and ZC behind row Z.
Where to sit
Most of it. The Stalls are good pretty much throughout here, and the overhang from the level above takes less out of the view than people expect. If you want one recommendation for the building it is the centre of the Dress Circle, but a centre Stalls seat at a lower price is not a compromise.
What varies is not the view but how easily you can get in and out, and this level has two separate quirks at opposite ends of it.
There are no aisles at all in rows A to K
Eleven long rows across the front of the Stalls, entered from the row ends only.
It does not affect what you see. It affects what happens if you need to leave, or if you are with someone who might. If getting out matters to you, book row L or further back, where two aisles split each row into three blocks. The aisles shift by one seat between odd and even rows, so they fall at 11/12 and 25/26 on some rows and 11/12 and 24/25 on others. Anything in the middle teens to low twenties is genuinely central.
From row U back, the row ends are against the wall
The other end of the same problem. From row U backwards the ends of the rows run up against the side wall. It makes no difference at all to the view. It does make a difference to getting out, so if you are in one of those seats and you want a drink at the interval, be quick or be patient.
The Stalls do not stop at row Z. Three further rows sit behind it, of 24, 10 and 9 seats, and the last two are narrow centre rows rather than full ones.
The overhang
It comes from the Dress Circle, which sits above and forward of the back of the Stalls.
It starts around row L. That is the same row where the aisles begin and the Stalls break from one unbroken block into three, so there is a structural line across the theatre at that point and the overhang follows it. Everything from row L back is under it to some degree, and the further back you go the more of it there is.
What it takes is the top of the picture. Not the stage, not the actors: the height above them. Flying scenery, anything played on a raised set, and the top of a big lighting state are what you lose. The ends of the rows get it worse than the middle, because the overhang comes lower at the sides.
For most shows that costs you very little, and the Stalls are good for viewing nearly the whole way back. If you are booking something built around height, take that into account and sit forward of row R as that is when it starts becoming noticeable.
Legroom
The best in the building. Every source agrees on this and it is one of the real arguments for booking down here rather than up. If you are tall and you still want the elevation of the Dress Circle, row B up there is the answer.
Getting to your seat, and the bars
The Stalls are the level the foyer lift reaches, and the only one that is step-free. The access route has the detail, including the transfer seats and the adapted toilet at the back of this level.
The Stalls Bar is on this level, and so is a separate Soft Drinks Bar, which is genuinely useful if you are here with children or you are not drinking.
Stalls FAQs
Are there aisles in the Stalls?
Not in rows A to K. Those eleven rows are unbroken and you get in and out from the row ends. From row L back there are two aisles making three blocks per row, and they shift by one seat between odd and even rows.
Where is the middle of the Stalls?
From row L back, between the two aisles. They fall at 11/12 and 25/26 on some rows and 11/12 and 24/25 on others, so anything from the middle teens to the low twenties is central. In rows A to K there are no aisles to measure from, so go by the seat number.
Are the back rows of the Stalls bad seats?
No. The Dress Circle overhangs them and takes a little off the top of the stage, which most productions do not miss. The thing to know about the very back is the wall: from row U back the row ends are against it, which affects getting out rather than the view. The further you go back the more this will feel like a letterbox view.
Which level has the most legroom?
The Stalls. It is the clearest difference between the levels here, and the reason a tall person is usually better off downstairs. If you want the Dress Circle anyway, row B has the room.