A musical about a British treasure, composed by a top British pop star, performed in an iconic location, aimed at children and families - what could possibly go wrong! Let me show you!
BOOKING
The Savoy Theatre is a member of the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG). ATG has one of the most accessible booking systems online, making booking quick and straightforward.
Customers with access requirements can sign up for the ATG Access Scheme. You can apply by completing a form online, or by downloading it from the website, and posting it back to ATG. You can also call the Accessibility Assistance line. Either way, you’ll be asked to answer some questions about your requirements and be required to send some documents as proof. A Nimbus card is accepted.
You can select options such as wheelchair spaces, step-free access, hearing assistance and guide dogs. You also tick whether or not you require a companion to attend the events with you.
Once your account is set up, when you log in to ATG to book a performance, you’ll see options that meet your requirements, which aren’t visible to general ticket buyers. The system lets you book tickets at your convenience without making a phone call or waiting in an online queue. General event tickets may be available on Ticketmaster and other online ticket vendors, but accessible ticket allocations are only available directly from ATG.
Across this grand theatre, there are only 2 step-free seats! Yes, 2! I’ll provide more information on the specific seating later, but I’m sharing the number now to prepare you for the likelihood that there won’t be availability for the dates you want if you require step-free seating. It's also worth noting that if your party has two wheelchairs and you require companions with you, the companions won’t be seated near you!
If you can manage a few steps, you will need to select a seating option that suits your abilities. The Access Bay in the Dress Circle is step-free from the Carting Lane accessible entrance. For seating options with the fewest steps, you need to consider Dress Circle, rows D (6), E (4), F (2), G (3), H (5) and J (7) – the number in brackets is the number of steps from the accessible entrance to the row. If you enter via the main foyer, you will add an extra 33 steps to reach the Dress Circle.
The building does not have a lift.
Rows H-M of the Dress Circle are recommended as the best seats for captioned performances.
For visitors with visual impairments, the front of the stalls offers the best viewing experience.
The venue offers the Mobile Connect app for sound enhancement. Anyone using this system will be able to hear a live feed of the performance on stage (with Audio Description for Audio Described performances) through their headset or, if they wear digital hearing aids, from wherever they are sitting in the auditorium when connected to the app.
There is no step-free access to any lounges, bars, or upgrade locations.
The booking process for Access Scheme members is straightforward.
When you visit the website for the ATG venue you want to visit, you’ll see a list of upcoming events. Scroll through the list to find the performance you’re looking for.
When you click the ‘More Info’ button, a page opens showing the performance dates, who’s performing, a brief synopsis, and a link to view the full trailer.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click ‘Buy Tickets’. You’ll now be asked to log in to your account.
The next page opens with a calendar. It clearly shows the performance times, the number of performances scheduled that day, and a traffic-light system to indicate ticket availability. Click the day you want, then click ‘Choose Seats’ to open the seating plan. There are only accessible seating options in the stalls.
The access seats are grey dots at the top of the screen with a white wheelchair logo. If you zoom in on the map, you can see the available seats. The next page offers some upgrades and drink packages.
The bottom of the page confirms your seat selection, shows that your access membership benefits have been applied, and shows your order total.
When you click to continue, the countdown timer appears, giving you 9 minutes to complete the transaction.
The checkout process is straightforward. You can download the ATG Tickets app to download your tickets, but they will also be emailed to you at the email address registered on your account and in the ‘My Account’ section of the ATG website.
And that’s it - tickets booked! The eTickets have a QR code that must be scanned at the door. There is also the option to add your tickets to the digital wallet on your mobile device.
LOCATION & GETTING THERE
The Savoy is adjoining the famous Savoy Hotel on the Strand in London. Just a few minutes' walk from Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross railway station and the River Thames, it’s a busy part of London with good transport connections, depending on how you travel.
Charing Cross railway station is completely step-free, offering train services across the south-east of England.
The nearest accessible TFL Underground stations are Blackfriars (20-minute walk) or Westminster (17-minute walk). There are buses running from both of these stations with stops just outside The Savoy.
Embankment Pier is 5-minutes’ walk away and offers UBER Boat Thames Clipper services from Westminster to Barking Riverside. All boats and most piers on the network are wheelchair-accessible.
By far the easiest way to get to the Savoy Theatre is by iconic red London bus! With multiple bus stops within a 5-minute walk of the theatre, there are bus routes along the Strand to many areas of London
Q Park partners with ATG customers to offer a 15% discount on pre-booked parking for your visit. It’s easy to book in advance online, with the nearest car parks about a 6-minute walk away.
Being in London, the area is always busy!
GETTING IN
This listed building, opened in 1881, became famous as the world’s first public building to be lit by incandescent electric lights. The auditorium sustained major fire damage in 1990 but reopened in 1993.
With its steep history, the theatre is constrained by planning laws and listing building guidance and has therefore been unable to adapt the building to improve access beyond the required elements. This means that the theatre has no lift and a single step-free entrance.
The main entrance to the Savoy Theatre is in Savoy Court, off the Strand, in front of the entrance to the Savoy Hotel. In front of the doors, red ropes mark the queue, and staff at the door scan your ticket as you enter.
If you are able to use stairs, proceed through the foyer to the main staircase. From here, you will go down 32 steps to the dress circle or 75 steps down to the stalls.
If you require a step-free entrance, you must enter the building from Carting Lane. Between the Strand and the step-free entrance, Carting Lane has a flight of stone steps – 17, I think. To avoid these steps, you need to approach the door from the bottom of Carting Lane.
If you are arriving at the door from Victoria Embankment, make your way up to the step-free door, then ask your carer or companion to make yourselves known at the stage door so someone can let you in. The Stage Door has 6 steps up, so depending on who you are with or if you are on your own, this option is not possible.
The second option is to arrive at the main entrance in Savoy Court on the Strand, where your tickets will be scanned, and a member of staff will escort you to the step-free entrance. Be aware – this can take around 10 minutes, depending on your ability, and escorting staff will not be able to assist with pushing or manoeuvring wheelchairs. There is a gradient on Savoy Street, which will be difficult for some to manage, and you will pass through the wheelie bins, which isn’t glamorous!
When using this entrance, you need to arrive at the theatre no earlier than half an hour before showtime, as the doors lead straight into the auditorium and you are unable to enter before the general theatre doors open.
From this door, you literally wheel from one side of the Dress Circle to the other and into the accessible area!
Using the step-free entrance means you will not enter the main foyer and will therefore miss the display of information about the performance, cast and allergy awareness.
FACILITIES
Facilities within the theatre are very limited, as you are unable to access any other areas step-free.
The door near the accessible area leads to a refreshment bar, which is accessed by steps, and there is an accessible toilet that doesn’t require a radar key. As it’s close to the auditorium and with the regular toilets up a number of steps, the accessible toilet is a quick and easy option for people who don’t really need to use it! The passageway to the toilet is fairly narrow and does get crowded at times.
The toilet door opens inwards, and it isn’t particularly big, so it will be a little tricky for larger chairs to manoeuvre inside. There are the standard grab rails and a red emergency cord. This is the only accessible toilet in the theatre.
As with most ATG venues, the theatre has an In-Seat Drinks service. You will receive an email link with your tickets, or you can use the ATG app to pre-order before the show or during the interval. You can order at any time on the day of the show and redeem it when you’re ready. You can also scan a QR within the venue or visit the ATG venue website. You will be asked to confirm that you’re at the correct venue, the correct performance, your location within the venue, and your seat number. You can then view all of the available refreshments. Once your order is placed, a member of staff will bring your order to your seat in a Paddington-branded paper bag.
If you have a companion, they can go to the bars or purchase merchandise, but if you require step-free access, you’re restricted. There are bars and kiosks on all levels of the theatre, and a cloakroom, where you can store larger items.
If you want to buy any Paddington merchandise, there is a shop at the entrance of Savoy Court, just off the Strand. The entrance to the shop is step-free. It’s only a small shop with merchandise around the walls and a merchandise stand in the middle of the floor. The pathway around the shop is fairly narrow, but you can get around. Most items on sale, as well as the counter, are at a reachable level.
As you are not entering the venue via the main entrance and foyer, you miss all the signage for the performance, such as running times and the cast list. We made a point of looking through the window to see what we were missing. One point that concerned me was that the foyer had clear signage stating the venue is a nut-free zone. Had we just followed the access staff into the venue via the step-free entrance and not looked through the foyer window (being nosey, really!), we wouldn’t have seen the signage!
The venue offers the Mobile Connect app for sound enhancement for customers with a hearing impairment. Anyone using this system will be able to hear a live feed of the performance on stage (with Audio Description for Audio Described performances) through their headset or, if they wear digital hearing aids, from wherever they are sitting in the auditorium when connected to the app. A link on the venue’s website gives details on how to download the app to your own device prior to arrival. It is recommended that you use wired headphones for the best connection, and also use a power bank to recharge your device during the performance.
There are limited numbers of captioned and BSL performances - details of dates can be found on the website.
Guide dogs are welcome in the theatre. They can stay with you during the performance; however, you must inform the Box Office so that an aisle seat can be booked. Alternatively, a member of staff will care for your dog during the performance.
There are several relaxed performances at the theatre.
The theatre offers a Visual Story - a document with photographs and details about your journey through the theatre so you can be prepared for your visit and know what to expect.
By visiting the ‘What’s On’ page and selecting your access requirement, you can view the dates of access performances in the theatre
Other than that, there aren’t any available facilities for customers who require a step-free route.
SEATING
The venue has a capacity of 1300, over 3 levels – stalls, Dress Circle and Grand Circle.
Unfortunately, across this grand theatre, only 2 seats are step-free! Yes, 2!
The accessible area is near the door leading to the snack bar and toilets, at the opposite side of the auditorium to the step-free entrance. A pathway leads from this door all the way across the Dress Circle, providing access to all rows of seating.
The accessible area consists of a round table and 2 chairs, which can be removed if you wish to stay in your chair. The design of the chairs would make it extremely difficult for some wheelchair users to transfer into them, but if you can stand, you’ll be fine. As the furniture isn’t fixed to the floor, you can move it to best accommodate your needs, which is good. The area is spacious, so it can accommodate larger chairs, even though these aren’t accepted at the time of booking. If two wheelchair users have booked to sit together, there is plenty of room for both chairs.
The right-hand side of the area is against a wall with 2 fire extinguishers. The front and left side of the area have a metal railing and a decorative metal edging at your feet to prevent anything from being knocked or kicked off the edge. On the other side of the left-hand railing are the stairs leading down to the rows of seating, with rows D-F at the opposite side. Below the front of the accessible area are some additional steps and a pathway leading down to rows A-C. As the accessible area takes up the space of 3 rows of seating, you are high above rows A-C, so your view is unobstructed.
With the accessible area being so close to the door, we did find at times we had people standing around behind us. It seemed a convenient place for people to stop and check their tickets for seat numbers. It was only an issue if I needed to turn my chair around and get out to the toilet, but some people might find it uncomfortable having people surrounding you from behind.
The area feels spacious and airy. You are only just underneath the front edge of the Grand Circle, so you don’t feel trapped.
The view of the stage is very good.
Behind the accessible area, beyond the main pathway through, there is a railing in front of the seats in rows G-N, which are raised up by several steps. A little further along, there are steps leading up to access seating rows G-O.
The fixed seating in the theatre consists of upholstered, padded, folded seats with fixed armrests. There is reasonable leg spacing between the rows. The seat numbers are clearly marked on the front edge of the seat.
GETTING BACK OUT
At the end of the show, you'll leave the theatre the same way you came in. Although the step-free entrance is open to everyone as an exit, the majority of the audience head towards the stairs they came in and/or the toilets. It’s much easier to wait for the initial rush to die down before you make your way back across the Dress Circle rather than try to move against the tide.
Once you’re back onto Carting Lane, you can make your way back to wherever you need to.
If you are heading back up to the Strand, be prepared for a bit of an uphill trek.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Lovely old theatre. Facilities and access are basic, but having an in-seat drink service is good.
Having a step-free entrance is great, it’s just a shame you literally come in the back door and miss the experience of entering via the main entrance.
Disappointing that there are only 2 step-free seats. With such a popular composer (Tom Fletcher), a popular character and a family-orientated activity, access requirements will be high. With a maximum of 2 wheelchair users at any one performance, only a very small number of people who require step-free seating will be able to attend the show. I can understand the planning restrictions on the building, but was this really the correct venue choice for Paddington? Personally, I don’t think so!
