Located in Shaftesbury Avenue, the Shaftesbury Theatre opened in 1911 as the New Prince’s Theatre but changed its name to Shaftesbury Theatre, a name first belonging to a theatre down the avenue, in 1963. Originally intended to be the home of popular melodramas, the theatre has been host to a wide range of productions over its lifetime including Shakespeare, farce, ballet, opera and musicals.

What are the best seats at the Shaftesbury Theatre?

The theatre's auditorium is set over three levels consisting of the Stalls, Royal Circle and Grand Circle. Sightlines from the majority of seats in the auditorium offer a near perfect view due to the theatres’ lack of pillars. The Stalls is a large, wide seating section divided by a central aisle, although due to the depth of the stalls there can sometimes be a feeling of disconnection from the stage at the rear of this section. The Stalls do have adequate legroom throughout however. The wide and steep Royal Circle on the first floor, divided into two sections separated by a central aisle, with its steep rake offers a clear view from every row. The Grand Circle sitting high above the Stalls on the upper floor of the theatre is split into three sections with the view from the first few rows providing good value for money. The Grand Circle does have a safety bar running along the front of this section which could impair the view of children or smaller adults.

Shaftesbury Theatre seating plan