Let’s check out the access at Norwich Theatre Royal!
I used to come to Norwich Theatre Royal quite a lot when I was a drama student at the University of East Anglia so I already knew that it was pretty accessible but this was my first time visiting as a wheelchair user and it was actually even more accessible than I remembered. The foyer, bar areas and toilets all have level access and it was super easy getting to our seats. We were sat at the front of the circle but this did mean we had a restricted view. If you were seeing a singer or a stand up act this seat would be great but for a play, musical or pantomime I’d recommend booking the wheelchair space in the stalls. We saw Murder on the Orient Express which was a fab show with a great cast with just the right balance of mystery and comedy and it’s touring until May 2025 so make sure you catch it. The accessible toilets were fab and we love a venue that knows the red cord needs to be hanging to the floor! Although they don’t have a changing places facility in house they do recommend some very close by on their website. It was also fab that they had some free from snacks, I enjoyed some popcorn, I know it’s not proper theatre etiquette to have popcorn but I was starving and I ate it all in the interval so I wasn’t disturbing anyone.
The theatre offers performances with audio description, captions and BSL interpreters along with some touch tours and relaxed performances and you can find full details of all of them on their website. They also offer familiarisation visits for those who would benefit getting to know the theatre without any crowds. Another great feature is that on the website they list seat dimensions if you require a wider seat or need more legroom.
Overall it’s one of the most accessible theatres I have been to with lots of different access options available so I highly recommend a visit.
