Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
Booking
Booking was made via the access booking line. I did have to attempt to call several times and then email as the phone was not answered. I had chosen to call on teh day where a new show was launched via Nimax theatres! The access team were incredibly apologetic and we booked tickets easily.
You get half price tickets but have to book for both shows. Also you need to confirm your attendance to get the tickets emailed across
Total cost for both shows:
Access Ticket: £55
Essential Carer Ticket: £55
Theatre Location
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Located at the junction of Shaftsbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road it is very easy to locate.
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We found food options to plentiful however advanced research and booking would be advised as there are a lot of non accessible restaurants too. However it is only a 5-10 minute walk to Soho, Leicester Square and China Town.
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Theatre Access
Access to the theatre is via side door. We made our way known to staff at the front door who escorted us around to the side door. We were met by the access host who placed a small ramp to allow us access to the theatre. This is a larger theatre so we got there early to avoid the crowds.
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At the end of the show teh access host was on hand to place the ramp for our exit.
For the second performance you need to inform staff at the front of the theatre of your return.
Access Host
The access host service was good. They showed us to our seat and helped us exit. They used a radar key to access the toilets and were helpful whenever asked.
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However there was no contact with anyone during the interval and no one checked if we were ok or needed additional support which happens at other theatres but this could be due to the size of the theatre comparable to other ones we have visited.
Seat and Staging
We sat in Q27 and Q28.
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The wheelchair space (Q28) was good. It was located at the end of the row and there was a column behind which meant that the chair was not blocking anyones view.
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I did have to move forwards and backwards in order to allow other patrons into their seats in our row and behind. Also where the seat had been removed there were two raised wooden planks which my wheels got caught on a few times
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The main concern with the seat was the slope. unlike other theatres the wheelchair space is on a gradient which is fairly steep. This is great for companions but it did pull on my legs after a while. At Royal Theatre Haymarket I was given a wedge to level the space and this would have been helpful here as well.
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The staging of the show was great, I could see the whole stage and all teh magic. There was only a tiny bit of the show which was not visible due to the overhang ob the stage.
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Toilets
I accessed the disabled toilets several times during our visit. It was located off the stalls by the accessible entrance. The access host had a radar key and opened it for me on each occasion.
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It was a very good size and had space for turning and a side transfer although it was a little tired and basic in decoration it was perfectly functional.
I visited in April 2024 and all views expressed above are my personal opinion.
It was my first visit to the Palace Theatre