Stalls at St Martin's Theatre

The Stalls are 29 steps down from the foyer and put you closest to the stage. The rows run from A at the front to O at the back, skipping I, with an extra short row, FF, between F and G.

Rows A to F have no aisles, so you reach your seat from the far ends of the row. Behind row F, the cross-aisle that once ran the whole width now stops short of the middle, where row FF sits, so the open floor is at the two sides only. From row G back there are two aisles and three blocks of seats.

Who the Stalls suit

Most people. For this play and this building, the Stalls are the level we recommend, and they hold the best row in the theatre. If 29 steps down is too many, the Dress Circle is the level to book instead.

Where we'd put you

The sides of row G, seats 1 to 5 and 18 to 22. They sit behind what's left of the cross-aisle with nothing in front of them at all, which is legroom you won't get anywhere else in the Stalls, and you can leave at the interval without asking a row to stand.

For the view alone, the middle of rows D to H. The centre of row G is part of it, but it doesn't get the extra legroom, because row FF is directly in front.

Row FF is a short row in the centre, sitting where the walkway used to be. The view is just as good as from the centre of rows F and G, and the only thing it lacks is the extra floor space.

For less money, the middle of rows H to L. They sit just behind the strongest rows and cost less, for a view that has barely changed. In a theatre this size, the back of the Stalls is still close to the stage.

What to avoid

Nothing here is a bad seat in the way a seat behind a pillar is. The weakest are the seats at either end of rows A to F, which sit close in and look at the stage from a sharper angle.

From about row J back, the Dress Circle overhead hides the very top of the set. For The Mousetrap, nothing happens up there, so it costs you nothing.

Legroom in the Stalls

Fine in every row for all but the tallest, and if you're tall, book the sides of row G. In rows A to F, remember there's no aisle, so the middle of the row means squeezing past everyone at the interval.

Steps

The Stalls are below street level. Once you've climbed the three shallow steps from the street into the foyer, it's 29 steps down, with no lift, though there are handrails and the step edges are marked.

Drinks and toilets

The Stalls have their own bar and their own toilets, but the toilets are small, so expect a queue at the interval. Order your interval drinks at the bar when you arrive and they'll be waiting for you. The bar is cashless, so bring a card.