When I went: 8 September 2017

Shows seen there: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 ¾

Size: Small / medium

Typical price: Fairly cheap – tickets up to around £50 in stalls

Special points: In-house restaurant and café and bar

Where to eat beforehand: Rabot 1745

Comments:

The Menier has a reputation for hosting early versions of shows that may already have toured or are testing the waters before trying to get transferred to the West End. It has a restaurant in the same venue (you actually walk through the restaurant to get to the theatre) and a bar and café for use before and after shows.

The theatre itself is pretty small, so getting tickets to popular shows can be difficult (if a show sells out the Menier fairly easily it may then have a basis to get transferred to a larger West End theatre). The seats consist of long benches so if you’re next to someone who likes to move around during the performance it can be a little annoying … also, there aren’t enough exits so you can get stuck behind slow-moving crowds at the end for what feels like forever (if you’re impatient like me). However, the atmosphere at the Menier is one of fun and creativity and the audiences tend to be enthusiastic and keen theatre-goers.