Theatre royal Haymarket

The current Theatre Royal Haymarket was designed by John Potter in 1720 and redesigned by John Nash and re-opened in 1821. It is the third oldest playhouse still in use in London and it is located close to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. It has a capacity of 823 and it has been owned and operated by Access Entertainment since 2018.

BOOKING

LOCATION

Now Showing

ACCESS

SEAT

Coming Soon

Previous shows

booking

Booking was made via the dedicated access ticket phone line 020 7930 8800 or via email customerservices@trh.co.uk . There is not an online booking facility for wheelchair spaces. Tickets may need to be collected from the box office which is fine with a companion but the box office is inaccessible to wheelchairs so if you are accessing the theatre alone you would have to request assistance. Alternatively they have recently begin to email tickets however on occasion you need to request this service.

There is no free essential carer ticket however the total ticket costs are better than half price.

The theatre requires verification of eligibility ideally in the form of a Nimbus card. They can link to a Nimbus account so for easiest access you should register for a Nimbus card if you haven't already. All Nimbus application information can be found here .

Once you have a Nimbus card you can register with Theatre Royal Haymarket and link your card, then any future access purchases will automatically highlight your access needs.

If you are eligible the access ticket and carer ticket are half price.

location

Haymarket, London SW1Y 4HT

Google Maps link here

Great Location minutes from Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square.

Lots of accessible restaurants with pre theatre menus although booking in advance is recommended as it gets very busy.

Visit TFL (Transport for London) to plan your journey and make sure to check the wheelchair accessible filter. Click here for the link or download TFL GO app

Accessibility

Access Overview

Access to the theatre is via a side door. You are not able to access the lobby due to steps, previously you needed to collect access tickets from the box office (vis steps!) but thankfully they are now delivered electronically. From the side entrance it is level access via a corridor to the back of the stalls.

The bar is located quite a distance from the stalls. and there is currently no option to order at the seat or have drinks delivered.

Access Host

The access host was good. They met us at the front door and escorted us into the stalls. The chairs has been removed and a levelling wedge placed before our arrival.

They checked on us in the interval and at the end of the show they escorted us out.

Toilet Facilities

The toilets were located on the other side of the theatre to our seats but we accessed them at the interval of the show.

The toilet was a large size but is accessed via a narrow corridor which can fit a power chair face on but required careful manoeuvring. Once inside it was large enough for my Quickie 100R to turn around in and to transfer from a side on position.

Seat & View

There are two non transferrable wheelchair spaces in the stalls. We sat in X3 and X4. If you wish to transfer you can do so into any stalls aisle seat.

The wheelchair space (X4) is on the back row of the stalls so you do not obstruct anyones view. However the top of the stage is cut off from this seat and due to the slope there is the option of a levelling wedge to keep the wheelchair level. If you are in a higher power chair you view is good. In a lower manual chair your view may be obstructed by the people seated in front.

The companion seat is not the best. Due to the shallow rake my companion was almost constantly moving in an attempt to find a gap through the heads of the family in front who kept moving and talking. As she is shorter being on the back row is more problematic for her.

I was not aware of any other seats where I can remain in my wheelchair so this is the only option for her unless I transfer

Click here to view seat plan