Access Information

There is level access, through two sets of automatic sliding doors, from the street to the Ground Floor. This will bring you straight into our café/bar area.

There is a lift at the front of the foyer, to the left of the main doors, which takes you to the First Floor allowing you to access the Rayne Theatre via the Yellow entrance to the Gallery Left and the Corporate Box.

For performances in the Studio Theatre the lift is located at the far end of the café/bar area, through a door on the left.

From the Ground Floor you can directly access the Box Office, café/bar, the Rayne Theatre (including all wheelchair spaces), male and female toilets and the gender-neutral/accessible toilet.

We have can accommodate up to eight wheelchair spaces (depending on configuration) in the Rayne Theatre and two in our Studio Theatre.

Most seats in the Rayne Theatre are tiered so if you need step-free access do make sure you book a seat in our accessible spaces.

All accessible seats are at the front of the auditorium.

Excluding the Christmas show - Rows A and B have step-free access and therefore are suitable for anyone who cannot manage stairs.

For the Christmas show - Row W seats have step-free access. These seats can be booked by wheelchair users or anyone who needs step-free access.

For customers who have joined our Access Scheme to book online, wheelchair spaces are identified with the universal wheelchair symbol and essential companion seats are identified with a star. If you have not joined our Access Scheme please call the Box Office to book accessible seats.

Seating in the Studio Theatre is unreserved. There are two wheelchair spaces in front of the seating banks. There are three rows of seats, the front row are on floor level and therefore are suitable for anyone who cannot manage stairs. If you need front row seats please notify the Duty Manager when you arrive at the theatre.

There is one accessible toilet in the café/bar area on the Ground Floor. This toilet also has a baby changing unit.

There is one accessible toilet on the First Floor for the Rayne Theatre. This can be reached via the lift next to the main entrance. When exiting the lift on the first floor the toilet is immediately on your left.

There is one accessible toilet on the First Floor for the Studio Theatre. This can be reached via the lift at the far end of the café/bar. When exiting the lift on the first floor turn left and the toilet is immediately on your left.

All accessible toilets are fitted with emergency pull cords which are linked to the Box Office and our Building Supervisors.

There is a changing places toilet which has specialist facilities for severely disabled people and extra room for carers. There is a hoist and an adult size changing bed. This is located in our dressing room corridor through a coded security door from the café/bar. If you need to use this toilet please ask Box Office or a member of Front of House staff you let you through the coded door.

When visiting Chickenshed, guide or assistance dogs are welcome in the theatre and performance spaces, or can be left with our Front of House staff. Please advise the Box Office of your requirements in advance so we can seat you in the best available seats and make appropriate arrangements for your visit.

Audio Described performances are designed to improve the experience of visually impaired and blind audience members. We provide live Audio Description on selected performances.

As well as listening to the dialogue on stage, the audience member can listen, via a headset, to audio description which provides information about the visual elements of a show. Audio description is delivered live, in between dialogue. The Box Office provides infra-red headsets, upon request.

Touch Tours are available 60 mins prior to the audio described show and last approx. 30 mins. Touch Tours allow blind and visually impaired audience members the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the set, costumes and props, ahead of the show. Places must be booked in advance with the Box Office.

There will be audio introduction notes available prior to all audio described performances. These can be found on the show webpage or on our Soundcloud account, when available.

Audio introduction notes will help set the scene for anyone who is blind or visually impaired and describes the staging, set design, characters and costumes, ahead of the show.

Our infra-red hearing systems can be used to amplify and adjust the volume of the show, for anyone who is hard of hearing.

The receiver is worn, like a stethoscope, in the ears with the Sennheiser logo facing away from your body. The volume can be adjusted by the wearer.

The receiver is worn around the neck, like a necklace, with the Sennheiser logo facing away from your body. The volume can be adjusted by the wearer. The receiver can be used with most T-Loop compatible hearing aids or with in-ear earphones/over-head headphones that have a standard aux connection if you would like to provide your own. Alternatively, we have a small number of in-ear earphones available if you forget yours.

If you would like to use one of our infra-red hearing systems you can reserve your hearing system by contacting the Box Office in advance of the show.

BSL interpreted performances enable Deaf BSL users to understand the performance through the signs of an interpreter.

Integrated BSL - We have developed the use of integrated sign language for many years. We have integrated BSL in every performance of our Christmas show. Performances with integrated BSL interpretation involve the interpreters being part of the action onstage.

For BSL interpreted performances that do not have integrated BSL, the signer will be in a static position throughout the performance.
For performances with allocated seating, the seats with the best view of the signer will be marked on the seating plan.

Captioned performances are where subtitles are displayed for visitors who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing and who don’t use BSL.

The best seats for viewing the captions in the Rayne Theatre are marked on the seating plan. These are usually on the right side of the auditorium in rows C-F.