If you are planning to visit and have any questions regarding your access requirements, please get in touch with our Box Office on 020 8237 1010, where we can ensure that you receive guidance on our venue facilities and are able to book the best seats for your requirements. Alternatively, you can email us at [javascript protected email address].
Where available, any access booking is eligible for our concessionary rate – this applies to the access patron only. All other members of the party are expected to pay full price, excluding any carers or personal assistants (see below).
There are several eligible categories for this, including, but not limited to: wheelchair/power chair users, those with mobility impairments, those with vision impairments, those with hearing impairments (including D/deaf people or those who use British Sign Language), people with learning disabilities or mental health conditions, and people with chronic health conditions and other non-visible disabilities.
Please get in touch if you have any specific enquiries about this.
Riverside Studios offers personal assistant tickets at no extra cost to people who would not otherwise be able to attend without a carer or personal assistant (one per access patron). This is an evidence-based system.
Companions or Personal Assistants are expected to help with wayfinding, assisting the customer into and out of the venue and auditorium, buying and carrying food and drink, and undertaking all access requirements of the person they are assisting. They are not expected to leave the customer alone for long periods of time, be unable to meet the customer’s access requirements, or be inebriated at the event.
We have dedicated access seating for each performance, held off-sale to the general public. These are usually at the front of the auditorium, or near an aisle or exit, for easy entry/exit from the auditorium. These can only be booked by calling our Box Office team directly on 0208 237 1010, or by emailing [javascript protected email address] .
As a receiving house, we have little creative control over the provision of access performances for our theatre productions. Where productions choose to run access performances (e.g. captioned/audio-described/BSL-interpreted/relaxed performances), these will be clearly signposted on our website.
We have a power-assisted front door with a push-button opener. All our spaces are accessible at Ground Floor level by ramp or lift access
There are accessible toilets on all floors. All bathrooms have level entry and include ambulant-disabled cubicles and a gender-neutral wheelchair-accessible WC.
The locks can be opened from outside in an emergency, and each accessible bathroom has a red emergency cord. If pulled, this will trigger an alarm which will then be investigated by a member of our Front of House team.
All our spaces are accessible and step-free at entry level, including our theatres, our television studio, our rehearsal spaces, our café, and our Bar and Kitchen. The cinema is on basement level, and is accessible via the lift.
There is adequate space within each performance space to accommodate storage of mobility aids for easy access, including wheelchairs and walkers. Our Front of House team can advise you on storing these items safely for the duration of the performance.
Riverside Studios welcomes assistance dogs, including guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired, medical assistance dogs, and emotional support dogs. Dogs must be professionally trained to behave appropriately within the performance space, and must remain on a leash at all times, wearing a harness/jacket that clearly demarcates them as an assistance animal. Dogs can either accompany you to your seat, or venue staff can look after your dog at the Box Office for the duration of the performance.
Support animals may be admitted by mutual agreement. Out of consideration for other patrons, we ask that patrons make contact with our box office at least 48 hours in advance of visiting our venue so that appropriate consideration can be given.
In the cinema we use T-induction loops. We use Dolby Fidelio in our cinema screens, a wireless audio system that delivers both hearing-impaired and visually-impaired narration. Please ask at Reception and we will assist.
We are also equipped with a digital audio description system which operates for applicable films – these are demarcated on our website with the AD symbol. Audio description is available for most films, and headsets are available upon request from our projectionist in the cinema foyer.
OCTOBER 2024 update: please note that we are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our induction loop system in our theatre spaces. Please speak to a member of our Box Office team so that we can best support you throughout the booking process, and during your visit.
We have little influence in the running of live events (including our theatre productions) when it comes to sound levels, including amplifying sound for hearing-impaired patrons. Artists generally travel with their own sound and lighting systems and their engineers control them throughout the event.
Please also be aware that some shows may contain strobe lighting or smoke effects. Signage will be on the screens outside each performance space, on our website, and available upon enquiry at the Box Office. For those with sensitivity to light/sound, we may be able to offer a crib sheet with information on strobe effects/haze/loud noises, but this depends on the specific production.
We appreciate that sometimes people need a break to enjoy a show and having the option of a quiet space can be hugely beneficial to someone with autism, learning disabilities, anxiety or those who experience sensory overload.
Riverside Studios is a busy venue; however, some areas are quieter than others on show nights. If you are feeling uncomfortable or would like to be shown to a quiet space, please ask a member of staff who will be happy to assist you.
If you need early access into the performance space before the advertised door opening times, we will do all we possibly can to help and will arrange for seating to be made available if required. We are not able to guarantee early admission to the auditorium itself, as this is at the discretion of our productions and will vary for each individual show.
For shows likely to cause discomfort, trigger/content warnings are available on the screens outside each performance space, on our website, and available upon enquiry at the Box Office. Please contact us if you require additional support or advice about our venue layout.
Some of our productions have a strict no re-admission policy due to their particular staging – in some cases, it may not be safe for patrons to re-enter if they leave, or may have to wait until a suitable point to re-enter. However, we appreciate the need to keep our performances accessible for those with particular access needs.
Please let our Box Office team know in advance if this applies to you – we can talk to the Production team on a case-by-case basis and ensure that you are still able to enjoy the performance, in a way that keeps both you, and the performers on stage, safe!
Trained First Aiders are present for all events. Please let us know prior to your visit if you have a pre-existing medical condition that may require additional support or medical attention during your visit.
In the event of an emergency there will be both an audible alarm in all areas, flashing lights in the main auditorium and strobe lights in the accessible toilets. The Front of House Team will ensure the safe exit of all people from the building – they will be wearing high-visibility jackets in each performance space.
In an emergency, the lifts will not be in operation – we have designated refuge points within the building for the safe evacuation of our access patrons, as well as evacuation chairs in each stairwell. Should you require these in an emergency, staff will direct you to these locations, and will offer further instruction.
We welcome feedback on how we can improve our level of accessibility for all visitors. Please email [javascript protected email address] if you have any comments or questions, and we will do our best to assist you.
