FAQ - Disability access

• What facilities are there for disabled people at the theatre?

  We will do everything we can to provide access for you at the RSC.

  Improving visibility
  For people with either a visual or hearing impairment, there are four seats available for every performance in the front row of the stalls in both the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan. Please ask our Box Office staff about the availability of these seats when booking your ticket. Find out more information for people with visual impairments.

  Theatre access
  There is lift access to all levels of both the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre. There are also wheelchair spaces on all levels of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and on the ground floor of the Swan Theatre. Adapted toilets are available on all levels of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and on the ground floor and first gallery level of the Swan Theatre. Find out more information about access.

  Hearing impaired customers
  Both auditoria, the Box Office, cloakroom and shop counters are fitted with a loop system which provides a louder and better quality sound directly through your hearing aid. You can also borrow headsets which amplify the sound of the performance free of charge from the cloakroom. Find out more information about hearing aids, induction loop and our audio enhancement system.

• Is there parking for disabled people available?

  There are 17 dedicated blue badge spaces on roads near to the theatre . There are seven on Waterside directly outside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and ten on Chapel Lane, which is the road opposite the Swan Theatre. The current ten parking spaces at The Courtyard Theatre are also still available. All these spaces are available on a first come first served basis.

• Can I book online using the discount for disabled people?

  To use your discount online we ask you complete a form, setting out your ticket requirements. You can find a link to this form - labelled 'disability access booking form' - in the bottom left of the page for selecting seats once you have selected the play you'd like to see and the date you'd like to see it on. We aim to turn around your request in six working hours. We're sorry but you can't use your discount directly via the main online booking system at the moment.

• Is the discount for disabled people available at all performances?

  Yes, there are no restrictions on when you can use the discount.

• Do you offer captioning and audio description at all performances?

  Unfortunately as both types of performance are delivered live, at the moment resources don't allow us to offer this service at every performance.

• When are the captioned and audio described performances?

  There is a list of all upcoming captioned performances available here and all upcoming audio described performances here. For more information about the assisted performance of the production you're coming to see please go to your chosen performance in What's On and Buy Tickets and follow the link to Access performance 

• Can I bring my assistance dog to the theatre?

  Yes of course, we are happy to accommodate all assistance dogs. You can either take them into the theatre or they can be looked after by our staff. Please tell the box office when you book your ticket if you want to bring your dog with you.