Grand Circle at the Sondheim Theatre

Rows A to M, the top level and 318 seats. You'll sometimes see it called the Upper Circle, including on the theatre's own access plan, but it's the same level. It's the value level of the theatre.

Where we'd put you

The front rows, in the centre. The central seats see the whole stage, and the front rows are widely rated the best value in the building. Seats 13 to 19 in row A have a great view, if you can live with the legroom, and the central seats in row C, 8 to 23, are good value too.

The sides at the front are worth having if they're priced well below the central seats, as long as you avoid the last two seats at each end of rows A to C. For comfort at a low price, J1 and J2 are the pick.

What to avoid

• The slip benches in the front corners, seats AA1 to AA4 and AA27 to AA30. They're low curved benches, and how much of the stage you see from them, somewhere between 10 and 20%, comes down to how far you lean.
• The last two seats at each end of rows A to C. They're the cheapest on the level for a reason: the curve of the Grand Circle hides a lot of the stage.
• This level, if heights bother you. You look down on the stage from high up.

Legroom in the Grand Circle

Tight in almost every seat. Above about 5ft 6 you'll feel it in most rows, and the slip benches and row A are the tightest. J1 and J2 have the most legroom, and an aisle seat at the end of a row lets you stretch one leg.

Steps

It's 39 steps up from the foyer, there's no lift, and the level itself is steep, so allow a little time to get to your seat.

Drinks and toilets

There's a bar and toilets on the Grand Circle itself, so you won't need to go back down the stairs at the interval.