Circle at the Prince of Wales Theatre

Rows A to L, 453 seats, and the only level above the Stalls. There's no row I. You'll sometimes see it listed as the Dress Circle; it's the same level.

It suits anyone who'd rather see the whole stage at once than be close to it, and it's where the cheaper seats in this theatre are. It's a big level, about 40% of the building and eleven rows deep, split into three blocks by two aisles that run from front to back, with the centre block covering roughly seats 12 to 35 depending on the row. Nothing hangs over it and there are no pillars.

The Circle sits back from the stage rather than over it, so it's further away than a seating plan makes it look, and it climbs steeply. The back rows feel much like an Upper Circle in another theatre, which is effectively what they are. The front rows are still decent seats, so don't discount them.

Where we'd put you

Rows C to E, in the centre. A raised, wide-angle view of a wide stage, and the right call for a big musical if you'd rather see the whole picture. Keep a seat or two in from the aisle, where the safety bars at the aisle ends can sit in your view.

The side seats in the second price band, rows C and D. Out towards seats 5 to 8 you keep a clear view of the whole stage, the legroom is good, and you're paying a band below the middle.

What to avoid

• A15, A16, A31, A32, B14 and B32. Each has a safety rail at the end of an aisle in view.
• B42 and B43. A side rail runs across the view, like looking through open blinds.
• Row A, if you're short. The rail along the front of the Circle is high, and very short people can struggle to see over it.
• The back rows, if heights bother you. The rake is steep and the level is high.

Legroom in the Circle

• Most room: row A.
• Fine for all but the tallest: the centre block, rows B to G.
• Tighter: the centre block behind row G, and the side blocks behind row D.
• Tight: B32 to B41, because row A in front of them is set further back, into their space.

Steps

The Circle is 70 steps up from the foyer, and there's no lift. The doors are at the top of the level, behind row L, so after the climb up there's a steep walk down to your row. If stairs are difficult, book the Stalls.

Drinks and toilets

Circle ticket holders have the American Bar, reached from the Circle foyer by going up four steps and down six. Toilets are at the back of the Circle, so there's no trip downstairs at the interval.