House Guidance

Leeds Playhouse is a public space and we strive to maintain equality, diversity, access and inclusion across all that we do. We are fiercely committed to engaging in meaningful ways with local communities and to being an anti-racist organisation. We were the first theatre in the UK to initiate Relaxed Performances. We were also the first in the world to have Dementia Friendly performances. We’re celebrating the 10^th anniversary of being the world’s first Theatre of Sanctuary; a place of safety, hospitality and support for refugees and people seeking asylum. As a Theatre of Sanctuary everyone is welcome here; you don’t need to be seeing a show, and you don’t need to spend money. You are welcome to sit, rest, use our Wi-Fi and bathrooms, or spend time in our Multi-Faith and Reflection Space. A key aim of our recent building redevelopment was to make our theatre much more accessible for all.

We are committed to being a safe space for all who use the Playhouse – artists, audiences, staff, participants, someone who pops in for a cup of tea, to use our facilities or just have a sit down. Our expectations are that anyone using the building shares these values and has mutual respect for others.

We operate a zero-tolerance policy towards racism and all forms of discrimination and promote allyship.

Our building is a shared space for collective enjoyment. Please respect those around you by:

• Maintaining a reasonable level of noise. Some parts of the building are better suited at certain points in the day than others for group conversations or activities. You may be invited to move to a different area of the Playhouse if the volume or content of your conversation disturbs those around you.
• Avoiding language that offends others. Please be aware of other people around you.
• Respect the facilities and building.
• Moving outside the building to vape or smoke.
• Understanding that illegal drug taking and violence will not be tolerated.
• Not bringing your own alcohol. Our alcohol license allows drinks to be served by us, but to keep everyone safe it says you can’t bring your own. Bringing your own food and non-alcoholic drinks is fine. Please consume these in our non-food service areas when the bar, restaurant and café are open.

We want you to enjoy the show, and we know that strict expectations of total silence and stillness can sometimes stand in the way of that. Theatre is here to move us, so here at Leeds Playhouse you’re allowed to make that heard: cheering, gasping, enjoying the music, and otherwise showing your appreciation are all encouraged.

However, we also know that watching a performance together is an act of collective care, so please remember to always be considerate of both the performers and the people around you.

If behaviours are obstructing the performance, detracting from performers’ work, or creating an unsafe environment for anyone, we will ask you to stop. We also offer relaxed performance dates with an even less formal environment.

Film, photography and mobile devices

Once the show begins, we want you to escape from the real world for a while. Switch devices to silent, turn off bright screens, sit back, and enjoy the show.

We’re happy for you to film and take photos of the theatre stage and front of house before and after the show once the performers have left the stage, and would love for you to spread the word about your experience. However, using your phone during the performance itself can be a big distraction for others – and can be problematic for the performers. If you are messaging or taking photos during the performance, our staff may ask you to stop, unless the audience are invited to do so by the performers. Please let us know if you are using devices for access reasons.

Food and drink

Eating noisy food is best saved until you get home. If you are bringing food and drink into the theatre then please be mindful of the people around you and make sure it won’t be a big distraction to them. Our café, bar and restaurant are usually open pre-show.

Please also be aware that some people may need to eat and drink regularly for medical reasons.

Latecomers 

If you miss the start of the show, we may ask you to wait a few minutes until there’s a good point for you to go in – we don’t want to try and seat you when the theatre is in complete darkness or at a moment that will disturb the show for performers and the rest of the audience. Please be respectful of the team asking you to wait. They are doing this to ensure everyone’s safety and they will seat you at the earliest opportunity.

Leaving and returning during the show

Some people might have access needs that we cannot see. For this reason, audience members should feel free to leave the auditorium at any time during a show. Our team is around to direct you to the nearest facilities, and we’ll let you back into the show as soon as we can. If you are seated in the auditorium and a fellow spectator needs to get past, please be kind and let them through.

Leeds Playhouse and its team are here to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience at the Playhouse. We need you to help us in realising and maintaining this.

If you experience or witness any form of racism, discrimination or anti-social behaviour within our building, we want to know and will do all we can to deal with it and prevent it from happening again. We want the Playhouse to be genuinely safe and welcoming for everyone but we know that doesn’t always happen. If you do have a negative experience, please inform the Duty Manager and report it to us immediately and it will be treated with sensitivity and seriousness. We also have an online form, complaints process and feedback cards around the building for reporting issues. We are grateful to every person who lets us know how we can do better.

If you have feedback on this document, please contact info@leedsplayhouse.org.uk

Thank you