While the Harold Pinter Theatre housed 1186 seats when it first opened, the current version of the theatre only holds 796 seats with four sections namely, stalls, dress circle, royal circle and balcony. Let's look at each section in detail to give you a better idea of what the theatre is structured like.
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Navigating the Harold Pinter Theatre seating plan
Harold Pinter Theatre | Recommended seats
• Value for money seats
Seats near the support pillars; seats in the royal circle and balcony (last preferred choice)
• Best views of the stage
Stalls - Middle rows
Dress Circle - Middle seats in second row
• Sufficient legroom
Stalls - Row A
Dress Circle - Boxes C & D
Royal Circle - Aisle seats
Stalls
The stalls make for the biggest seating section in the theatre, housing a total of 416 seats. There are no aisles separating the seats in this section, forming one single block of seats. There are two support pillars in row B, J and M and seats around these rows offer restricted views of the stage. The stalls section doesn't feature much of a rake, causing obstructions for audience members seated in the rear rows. This is especially true if a tall person sits in front of you. The overhang for the dress circle section is at the end of row B and partially obstructs the view. In general, avoid the seats located at the end of the rows since they don't offer the best view.
There are 20 rows in the stalls section, labelled from A to U. The seats in the rows are numbered in the range of 1 to 22 moving from right to left.
Dress circle
The first of the three elevated sections in the theatre, the dress circle is great for patrons who enjoy an elevated view of the stage. Unlike the stalls which feature a singular block of seats, the seats in the dress circle are divided into three subsections. Since the seating area is shallow, there's decent rake in the first five rows of the dress circle. While the overhang for the royal circle doesn't have much of an impact on the view, the support pillars in row C do affect the view offered. It goes without saying that you should avoid any seat directly behind the support pillars since the view is severely restricted. Also try and avoid seats in the rear end of the rows since they offer somewhat of a side view.
There are 109 seats in the dress circle spread across five rows, A to E. Seats in these rows are numbered in the range of 1 to 21 moving right to left.
Royal circle
Housing a total of 126 seats, the royal circle isn't all that royal when it comes to the view offered. In fact, the royal circle is considered the most restricted section both in terms of the view offered and the seats themselves. The safety rails and general shape of the seats are the reasons why you would be better off without booking a seat in this section. The deep curve that this section features creates restrictions for the five seats at the end of each row. There are two thin pillars in front of the first two rows which does affect the view. There are six rows in the royal circle section from A to F. These seats are numbered in the range of 1 to 24 moving right to left.
Balcony
The final section of the Harold Pinter Theatre is the balcony. While there are no support pillars in this section, the safety rails present after every row do affect the view. Also, seats in this section are quite cramped and uncomfortable. If possible, avoid the corner seats in this section because they offer a side view of the stage and don't make for a pleasant viewing experience. If you have no other option but to pick a seat in the balcony, opt for the middle seats in the front row.
An important suggestion is, you should opt for seats in the middle of the stalls section. Usually the first few rows of the stalls would be recommended but given the greater-than-usual height of the stage, you would be better off with a seat in one of the central rows. The view from here is direct and clean, without any obstructions and the sound is also great. You can also opt for a middle seat in the second row of the dress circle for a premium view of the stage from a high vantage point.
Which seats offer the best value for money?
Wish to have the best possible West End experience without spending upwards of £100 per ticket? There's an easy way to do just that! We're, of course, talking about value-for-money seats. These seats, by their very definition, offer you a decent view of the stage without costing as much as a premium seat. Since there are many support pillars in the theatre, seats close to these pillars are often sold at discounted rates. There's an inherent risk involved with opting for seats marked as having a restricted view and if you wish to avoid that, seats in the royal circle and the balcony are also great. Both these sections are quite distant from the stage which makes them cheaper than stalls seats and the view offered is workable.
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Frequently asked questions about the Harold Pinter Theatre
