General Access Information
Visiting Bristol Old Vic
General Access
Our main entrance is at street level of King Street and fully wheelchair accessible with automatic doors to facilitate comfortable access. Our Foyer, Kitchen + Bar and Box Office are all fully wheelchair accessible. Our Foyer lift enables customers full access to all public areas of our building. Please find the full list of spaces accessible via lift below.
There are three disabled parking bays opposite the One Stop on Queen Charlotte Street. Blue Badge Holders park for free.
Please note that King Street is cobbled and unfortunately it is not possible to drive directly up to the doors of the venue. Please leave sufficient time when planning your visit to us.
Tickets can be booked in person at the Box Office, online, by phone, or by email. Please visit the Booking Information page to find out more. People requiring an essential companion are eligible for a 50% Access Discount for you and an essential companion. If you are booking online, once you are registered on our access scheme the discount will apply at the final basket.
The Theatre
There are two allocated wheelchair spaces in the Dress Circle of the Theatre. The Dress Circle is accessed from the Foyer via lift and there are accessible toilet facilities and step-free access to seats on this level. There is also access to the seating on the Foyer dais, perfect for interval drinks.
Please note that only the Dress Circle in the Theatre has step-free access to seats. All other levels (Pit, Upper Circle and Gallery) have steps in their seating areas. See Seating Plans for more information including step counts.
If you need additional information on navigating the building please email access@bristololdvic.org.uk.
Seat Access Information
If you are worried that a seat isn’t wide enough, you require more space or you wish to talk through the different seating options in order to know where is best for you to sit in the theatre, please contact the Box Office. With some of the seating options we might be able to hold off the adjacent seats in order to provide more room so do check with Box Office and our team will be happy to assist.
The dimensions of the main seats in the Pit and Centre Dress Circle are: Width – 41cm, Length – 42 cm, Height – 48cm. These have arm rests which cannot be removed (Images A and A1 in the ‘See Your Seats’ section below).
The dimensions of the Dress Circle, majority seats in the Upper Circle, and all Gallery seats are: Width – 48cm, Length – 35cm, Height – 54cm. These do not have arm rests. The seats are close together, almost in a bench style but are individual seats (Image B).
There are a few smaller seats in the Pit, Dress Circle and Upper Circle (these are flagged as smaller seats when booking online). Their dimensions are: Width – 38cm, Length – 35cm, Height – 40cm. These do not have arm rests and are individual seats, but are situated quite close together (Images C and C1).
Six seats in the Upper Circle are bench seating. This is one long bench, with the seat numbers printed on the back rest. There are no arm rests. There are three sections marked out for each cushion, but there are no individual seat markings (Image D).
When booking online, restricted leg room is marked as ‘information’ on any seats with very limited leg room. The front row of each level has less leg room than other rows due to a wall in front of the row. H1 and J1 in the Pit have the most leg room as there are no seats in front of them.
The Weston Studio
There are allocated wheelchair spaces in The Weston Studio on the Balcony level. The Weston Studio is a more flexible space so we can accommodate multiple wheelchair users.
Washroom Facilities
After listening to audience feedback, we have recently made some significant changes to the layout of the Level -1 gender-neutral toilets which we hope will make the washroom facilities more comfortable for everyone.
- We have accessible toilets on Levels -1, 0 and 1, accessible via the foyer lift.
- Our toilets on Level -1 are all now gender-neutral. Customers are welcome to use whichever washroom they prefer, regardless of gender identity. Those who prefer to use gendered toilets can do so in the washrooms that bear gendered symbols only (found on Level 1).
- We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable using the toilet facilities at Bristol Old Vic. This is why we have signposted the washrooms as simply and clearly as possible. Our policy is to allow all customers to use whichever facility they wish, whilst asking that everyone respect each other, and behave appropriately around other users.
- Staff will only intervene in washroom use if they are made aware of inappropriate behaviour, which will not be tolerated.
- You can download our full inclusive toilet policy here.
Access Facilities
- Book Access tickets online: We're delighted that we are now working with Nimbus Disability, to make ticketing and access to Bristol Old Vic inclusive for customers with accessibility requirements. This means that from August 2024, our access customers will require either an Access Card or a free Bristol Old Vic Digital Access Pass number. To find out more and to secure the full range of Access discounts you are entitled to, click here for the guide to registering for online Access tickets.
- A sound enhancement system through use of a headset or individual loop is available for all performances. These are available from the Box Office on arrival to the Theatre.
- Guide, hearing or other working dogs are welcome. Please notify Box Office at time of booking.
- People with disabilities requiring an essential companion are eligible for a 50% Access Discount for you and an essential companion.
- There is a Resting Space located on The Balcony and is open for all and created with disabled artist Raquel Meseguer Zafe.
Lift Access
All publicly available areas of Bristol Old Vic are accessible via our Foyer lift which goes to all levels:
- Level 4: Equiano Studio
- Level 3: Theatre (Gallery), Noises Off, Rehearsal Rooms
- Level 2: Theatre (Upper Circle)
- Level 1: Coopers’ Hall, The Foyle Room, Coopers’ Bar, Accessible Toilet Facilities
- Level 0: Theatre (Dress Circle), Accessible Toilet Facilities
- Level G: Foyer, The Weston Studio (Balcony), Box Office, 1766 Bar & Kitchen, Main Entrance
- Level -1: Theatre (Pit), The Weston Studio (Floor), Kiosk, Public Lockers, Accessible Toilet Facilities
Access Performances
Audio Described
Audio Described (AD) performances provide theatre experiences for partially sighted or visually impaired audiences. Audience members listen to a live narrator who details what is happening on stage, through a set of headphones. Free touch tours of the set and stage are offered before the show – when booking, please let us know if you would like to attend. Audio notes are available for download on each show page and will be posted or emailed to audience members prior to the performance to ensure a full sensory experience.
Signed
A signed performance features a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter who interprets the shows for deaf audiences.
Captioned
Captioned (CAP) performances convert live spoken word into text that appears on a screen for D/deaf or hard of hearing audiences. The actors’ words appear on a screen at the same time as they are spoken or sung on stage.
Creative Captioned Performance
Creative Captioned performances convert live spoken word into text that appears on a screen for D/deaf or hard of hearing audiences. However, rather than standard captioning, the text is considered as part of the set design, and may be animated and move across the screen, or appear in different colours or fonts.
Creative Captioning also typically appears as a projection at the back of the stage, rather than on separate screens. The captions are embedded within the production and mean the performance is accessible to d/Deaf audiences, but can also be enjoyed by hearing audiences.
Artistic Captioning
Artistic Captioning performances convert live spoken word that appears on a screen. The captions play an artistic role within the production and are considered as part of the set design, and can be enjoyed by D/deaf audiences as well as hearing audiences. It is not guaranteed that every line in the script will be readable/visible for d/Deaf audiences.
Relaxed
Specifically set-up to be sensitive to, and accepting of, audience members who may benefit from a more relaxed environment – including (but not limited to) those with autistic spectrum conditions, anyone with sensory and communication disorders, and learning disabled people.
This means we welcome a more relaxed approach inside the theatre and in the front of house areas to allow everyone to enjoy the show in their own way, whether that includes the need to move in and out of the auditorium during the performance, make involuntary noises, or take a bit more time to adjust to surroundings. Babes in arms are welcome for these performances (not walking or requiring their own seat).
For Relaxed Performances, we can provide a tailored visual story.
We also reduce the sound levels and reduce any flashing lights or loud bangs/noises that would normally happen throughout the performance. The house lights are kept on at a reduced level and we have a dedicated quiet room available for anyone that needs to take a break from the theatre environment.
If you need any further assistance, for example if a visit to the Theatre in advance of the show would help with being able to come and watch the performance, then either contact the Box Office on 0117 987 7877 (1pm to 6pm Mon to Sat) or email access@bristololdvic.org.uk and we will try and help you in any way we can.
Please download our general guide for more information.