Visiting

Access Information

Accessible Performances
Access Ticket Bookings
New Wolsey Theatre Venue Information
New Wolsey Studio Venue Information
Access Mailing List
Contact the Access Officer

Accessible Performances
The New Wolsey Theatre offers a range of services for deaf and disabled patrons including captioned and audio described performances.

We aim to make our venues and our programme as accessible as possible to the broadest audiences. To increase the number and type of assisted performances on offer we are participating in a project called See a Voice.

 See A Voice

See a Voice is working to develop and broaden the programme of arts and cultural events made available to deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, blind and partially sighted audiences across England. The project is helping to facilitate the programming and promotion of good quality captioned and audio described performances. The New Wolsey Theatre is working alongside Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds and Mercury Theatre, Colchester as the See a Voice hub of East Anglia. The New Wolsey Theatre produces a seasonal publication entitled Access-ability Express which runs alongside the main Season Brochure to provide more detail about the accessible performances available.

The New Wolsey programmes Audio Described, British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreted, and Captioned performances throughout the season. Look out for the relevant logos!

Audio Described performance

Audio Description for blind or partially sighted people:
Theatre can be made accessible and enjoyable to someone with a visual impairment through live audio description. Audio Description in theatre is a live verbal commentary providing information on the visual elements of a production as it unfolds. From sets, props and costumes, to actors' facial expressions and movements across the stage, the description is delivered during the quieter moments of a performance. It gives only essential information that a visually impaired person might miss. Sometimes a Touch Tour of the set may be available before the performance starts.

Audio Description headsets are available from the Box Office for a returnable deposit of £10.00 and you can download instructions in advance by going to Downloads at the top of this page.

British Sign Language 
BSL (British Signed Language) for Deaf people:
BSL performances are aimed at people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Trained describers, usually situated to the side of the stage, interpret the script, using British Sign Language, at the same time as it is being performed.

See A Voice Captioned performance 
Captioned for Deaf, Deafened and Hard of Hearing people:
If you sometimes find theatre difficult to follow, then captioning could help. You can sit with your friends and family and follow all the action as the words and sound effects appear on a captioned unit. Captioning is similar to television subtitling and gives Deaf, Deafened and Hard of Hearing people access to live performances. Captioning converts the spoken word into text, which is displayed on a caption unit situated on or next to the stage. As well as dialogue, the captions also include the name of the character who is speaking or singing and descriptions of any sound effects.

Scheduled Accessible Performances

Booking Tickets
The auditorium is accessible from the street without encountering any steps. Row C is accessible from the Ground Floor Foyer without using steps, and Row K also, via the passenger lift to the Bar area on the first floor.

There are four wheelchair spaces available in the auditorium - two accessible from the ground floor foyer, and two from the Bar area on the first floor.

Assistance dogs are welcome in the auditorium, or alternatively the staff are happy to dog-sit.

If you'd like to borrow a wheelchair for access into your seat in the theatre, please contact the Box Office in advance of your visit. 

Seating Plans

To ensure the best choice of seats, we advise you to book in advance and we can send out tickets prior to the performance (at a charge of 50p). Please mention when booking if you have any access requirements i.e. if you require an aisle seat, a seat near the front, are attending an accessible performance, or any other requirements.

You can contact us through the following methods:
Phone:   01473 295900
Fax:  01473 295910
Email:  
Website: Please fill in our Accessible Booking Form on the show page and the Box Office will contact you.

Please note, strobe lighting, smoke effects and gunshots are sometimes used in productions. Details are available from the Box Office after the first preview performance.

Concession:
£4.00 off for disabled patrons. Excludes lowest price band.
Companions accompanying a disabled patron to facilitate their visit will be offered a complimentary ticket.

New Wolsey Theatre, Civic Drive, IP1 2AS

The auditorium is accessible from the street without encountering any steps. Row C is accessible from the Ground Floor Foyer without using steps, and Row K also, via the passenger lift to the Bar area on the first floor.

There are four wheelchair spaces available in the auditorium - two accessible from the ground floor foyer, and two from the Bar area on the first floor.

Assistance dogs are welcome in the auditorium, or alternatively the staff are happy to dog-sit.

If you'd like to borrow a wheelchair for access into your seat in the theatre, please contact the Box Office in advance of your visit. 

Car Parking

The New Wolsey Theatre's best access into the building is to park in the Pay and Display Car Park accessible from Black Horse Lane, then left and drive to end of Chapman Lane. The theatre is then accessible via a ramp towards to corner of the car park.

The Venue:

There is one accessible toilet on the ground floor foyer near the Café Bar, and one in the Bar area on the first floor.

The Box Office is located as you enter the main entrance of the building. It has a low level service counter, and an induction hearing loop system which requires hearings aid to be turned to T.

The Café Bar is on the ground floor with a low level counter, without conquering any steps.

The Kiosk is on the first floor area and is accessible by using the Front of House passenger lift, without conquering any steps, and has a low level service counter.

The Bar is on the first floor area and is accessible by using the Front of House passenger lift, without conquering any steps. It has a standard height counter - ordering interval drinks at the bar pre-show can eliminate the need for queuing in the interval.

Infra-Red Hearing Enhancement System:
There is an Infra Red Hearing System in the auditorium for patrons who need hearing enhancement. The head sets are available from the Box Office for a returnable deposit of £10.00 and you can download instructions in advance by going to Downloads at the top of this page.

New Wolsey Studio, St. Georges Street, IP1 3NF

The Studio is accessible from the street without encountering any steps at all.
The auditorium is on the first floor and there is a passenger lift available. Once on the first floor Row A is accessible without encountering any steps.

There is one wheelchair space available in auditorium.

Assistance Dogs are welcome in the auditorium, or alternatively the staff are happy to dog-sit.

To ensure the best choice of seats, we advise you to book in advance and we can send out tickets prior to the performance (at a charge of 50p). Please mention when booking if you have any access requirements i.e. if you require an aisle seat, a seat near the front, are attending an accessible performance, or any other requirements.

How to get to the Studio

The studio is accessible from the street without encountering any steps at all.
The auditorium is on the first floor and there is a passenger lift available. Once on the first floor Row A is accessible without encountering any steps.

There is one wheelchair space available in auditorium.

Assistance Dogs are welcome in the auditorium, or alternatively the staff are happy to dog-sit.

There is one accessible toilet on the ground floor foyer near the Bar.

The Box office is located to the right as you enter through the main entrance of the building and it has a low level service counter.

The Bar is located in the ground floor foyer. It has a standard height counter - ordering interval drinks at the bar pre-show can eliminate the need for queuing in the interval.

Car Parking

The New Wolsey Theatre recommends that patrons park at the Car Park situated near the main house accessible from Black Horse Lane, then left and drive to end of St Matthews Service Road - and the Studio is a three to four minutes walk from there via Lady Lane. You can drop off outside the New Wolsey Studio on St Georges Street, but there is very limited parking due to residential permits.

Mailing List:
If you wish to join our Access Mailing list and receive Access-ability Express, a seasonal publication which brings you details of Accessible Performances at the New Wolsey Theatre please contact the Box Office or download a copy of the current edition at the top of this page.

Access Contact
If you have any access enquiries, please don't hesitate to contact our Access Officer, Kelly Kirkbride: / Tel: 01473 295904