Accessible Britain

091 Royal Shakespeare Company, Warwickshire
Address: The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6BB Web: www.rsc.
org.uk Email: access@rsc.org.uk Tel: 0844 8001114; access booking line 01789 403436 Hours & Dates:
check website for performance dates and times; 4 tours daily Entry: varies depending on performance
and seat; tours [D]£4 [C]£4 [A]£6.50 [under 18s]£4 [Con]£4; tower lift £2 per person. Group rates available.
One of the world’s best-known theatre ensembles, the Royal Shakespeare Company
is based throughout the year in Stratford-upon-Avon, where it performs plays by the
bard himself, William Shakespeare, alongside the work of his contemporaries, as well
as putting on pieces by new playwrights.
Following a major transformation project, the venue now includes the 1000-seat Royal
Shakespeare Theatre, as well as the smaller, more intimate 400-seat Swan Theatre. The
theatres both have thrust stage auditoria which provide the best possible setting in which
to experience live theatre, as the stages project out into the audience making for a vastly
more intimate relationship between the actors and audience. There are plenty of other
ways to enjoy the theatre, too: you can follow a guided theatre tour; visit the free exhibitions;
pick up a self-guided Family Trail; or take a lift up to the top of the 105-foot-high
viewing tower, for panoramic views over Shakespeare’s home town.
As you’d expect, access facilities at the new venue are excellent. There are seven,
council owned, disabled parking bays on Waterside, in front of the main theatre, and
ten on Chapel Lane, opposite the Swan Theatre, with additional spaces on nearby
Southern Lane. Visitors with sensory disabilities are well catered for: signage is clear;
there are audio described performances with touch tours and captioned performances
on every RSC production; large print and Braille cast lists are available. Assistance
dogs can be brought inside, and are welcome in the auditorium or can be left with friendly
theatre staff. There are also loop systems in the auditoria and other public areas. There
Ideas aa Theatre
Dundee Rep Theatre (Dundee DD1 1PB; www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk;
www.scottishdancetheatre.com) Scotland’s last remaining repertory theatre is widely
believed to produce some of the finest work in Scotland. Access is generally good,
but arrive early to guarantee a parking spot.
National Theatre (London SE1 9PX; www.nationaltheatre.org.uk) With a full-time
access manager and free underground parking for Blue Badge holders, the National
must rank as one of the most accessible venues in London.
Royal Exchange Theatre (Manchester M2 7DH; www.royalexchange.co.uk) Despite
being one of the most unusual theatre spaces in the country, the futuristic, steel-andglass
structure of the Royal Exchange Theatre has wheelchair spaces offering excellent,
unimpeded views of the action, plus a lift providing level access to all floors.
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds (Suffolk IP33 1QR; www.theatreroyal.org) Although
wheelchair access to some parts of the theatre is not possible, staff are helpful and
knowledgeable about access needs and three or four performances per season are
captioned, signed or BSL-interpreted.
THE WEST MIDLANDS AND WEST COUNTRY
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