Upper Circle at St Martin's Theatre

The top level, 28 steps up from the foyer. Its eight rows, A to H, are split into two blocks by one aisle down the middle, and the middle of every row is seats 9 to 11, which makes it easy to aim for. This is the cheapest way into the theatre, and for the most part it's a better seat than the price suggests.

Who the Upper Circle suits

Anyone who wants the whole play for the lowest price and doesn't mind the climb. The stage is fully visible from almost every seat, and the sound is good right to the back. The thing to weigh up here is legroom, not the view.

Where we'd put you

Row E is the one we'd book. It costs less than rows A to D, the seats are a little wider, and the view is no worse.

Rows G and H cost the least of any seats in the theatre, and the rail is well below your eyeline from up here, so nothing crosses the view. Row H also has a bit more legroom than its neighbours: the budget answer if you're tall.

Anywhere in rows D to H, aisle seats 9 and 10 are worth asking for.

What to avoid

Row A. From here, the safety rail along the front of the level is roughly level with the stage floor, so it crosses the bottom of your view. When the actors are further back you won't notice it; when someone comes right down to the front, you will. It's a rail, not a pillar, so after a few minutes you tend to notice it less. Row B is only marginally affected, and from row C back the rail isn't in your eyeline at all.

Rows C and D have a different problem. They sit only slightly above row A, so now and then a tall person in row A cuts off the front edge of the stage. Row E, further back, is the better buy.

Legroom in the Upper Circle

Legroom is the real weakness up here, and row A is the tightest. Anyone taller than 5ft 8 will feel cramped in most of rows B to D too, though seats 1, 2, 19 and 20 at the ends of those rows are a little roomier.

Row E is also where the seat backs drop. In front of it, the tall, fully backed seats are comfortable for you and cost the person behind some knee space. From E back you trade a little support for a little more space, and the occasional knock from behind.

Steps

It's the longest climb in the building: 28 steps up from the foyer, and no lift. Once you're there the rake is steep, and so are the steps down to the rows. Handrails run the whole way.

Drinks and toilets

The Upper Circle has its own bar and toilets, so there's no trip downstairs at the interval, but the toilets are small and the queue builds quickly. The ceiling fan is off while the play is running, coming on only before the show and at the interval, so it warms up during each act. Dress in layers.