Palace Theatre, Manchester

A question about : Palace Theatre, Manchester

Hello

I am going to treat my daughter to see The Phantom of the Opera. We have wanted to go for ages but can't afford the trip to London and accommodation etc so I am soooo excited they are touring.

I've never been to the Palace and have no idea where the best seats are. There are seats still available in the stalls but to the side and I wondered if anyone here knows where to avoid?

Your help is much appreciated )

Best answers:

• there's a seating plan here;
  https://www.ents24.com/web/seatingplan.html?venueid=5021
  I've been to the Palace twice (once in the stalls and once in the circle) and both times I've been disappointed with the seats - they all seem to have very limited legroom, which make them very uncomfortable after a while unless you are very petite. And because each tier overhangs the next quite steeply, a lot of the seats from about half way back have quite a restricted view if anything is taking place above the stage level.
  Sorry to sound negative - we may have just been unlucky. I can't remember exactly where we sitting but I think it would have been about J31/J32 in both cases - stalls and circle - and I know that when we were in the circle (to see Monkey - Journey to the West) some of the people behind us walked out because the could see so little.
  The Premier Inn in Portland Street is close by if you are looking for reasonable accomodation close by.
• I'm looking to go and see the Lion King and the seats do seem puzzling, unless you're prepared to pay mega bucks! Anyone any thoughts on seats A31&32 in the stalls?
• I took my class to see Horrible Histories at the Palace last year, and we sat in the stalls, row Q 31+ (far right on seating plan). There were no problems with the views for me or any of the kids, and I had no problem with leg room despite being 5' 10" and having long legs.
  I've also been to the Palace a number of times when I was younger to see pantos and have never had any problems with views.
  For the Phantom you are best sitting in seats in the central blocks of the theatre if possible, as there are a number of scenes where the action takes place to the far left or right of the stage, which can't be seen if you sit to the far right or left of the theatre. This is a problem I've had when I went down to London to see Phantom, but it is literally sitting in the last five or six seats of each row.
  Hope that helps
• Phantom is amazing, you'll have a great time regardless of seat!
• The Ј75 "premium" seats are based on the view, not better legroom.
  Contact the theatre and explain you have medical/access problems and they may help if extra legroom seats are available
• They would still assist in selecting a suitable seat (many ambulant theatre goers need extra legroom when they have pots etc.
  There are seats with space in front, but you would be better getting the theatre's advice rather than spending Ј75 to discover the seat is no better than a cheaper one as far as legroom is concerned.
• Ziggy Stardust & Quentin, thank you for your info and help. Will try and be quick off the mark and book at the end of the month, Ј75 is pretty steep for me even though it is a fantastic show.
  I don't think I'd get any extra value from purchasing an ATG card - although we visit the theatre quite often its not usually in one of their theatres (normally Sheffield or Nottingham).
  The seats either side of the premium seats normally have a pretty good view - I assume they are the outer side of the 2 aisles. Will look and see what selection there is in the circle.
  Thanks again
• I went to see Oliver! on Saturday night which was fantastic and I highly recommend it. We were sat in B35 & B36 in the stalls. The view was brilliant, the seats were comfy and there was quite a lot of leg room. I can't wait for Phantom to start and Blood Brothers in June at the Opera House is well worth watching.
• Just to say, that anyone wanting to see Lion King at The Palace. Don't hang around booking tickets. I struggled getting decent seats, Tickets had only been on sale a week and there wasn't much choice left. I had to get premium seats. very steep prices. I recieved my tickets today. I've seen it 3 times already. It's a magical production. I'm in row D of the stalls, seats 25 & 26. I did alot of reseach before booking and it seems row D 27 & 28 has a pillar in front. I think others must have also read this, as when I was looking at the seating plan when booking my seats, those 2 seats were still available on many dates that I tried. I'm hoping there won't be any neck straining where we are sat, as my sister has a neck problem. If anyone has any info on these seats, I would appreciate your opinion.
• Ok . Sorry. New to all this. But thanks for putting me straight.
• I don't recall seeing any pillars at the Palace before and certainly not in the middle block of the stalls near the front so I wouldn't worry about that blocking your view. Plus I'd be a quite surprised if they have sold these as premium seats with an obstructed view. If you still have any doubts I'm sure the ticket office will be able to help to put your mind at rest.
  Have the tickets for the Manchester show been sent out then? I've not received mine yet - plenty of time to go though!