Hull New Theatre — Attraction in Great Britain

I've been to this theatre a few times over the last few years before being in a wheelchair and enjoyed it. Sitting both in the balcony and in the stalls, I think it's small enough for everywhere to have a good view.

Recently attended a performance of Swan Lake here this week, for the first time with mobility needs. The venue is entirely wheelchair accessible, apart from the drop curb being a bit high outside (not the theatres fault, just for awareness). Staff were friendly and helped us know where to go.

However, when I transferred from my wheelchair to my seat, there was no one to tell us where to put my chair, so we folded it to the side. When staff came to let us know it couldn't be left there and they would take it out to store it, and that they would bring it back at the end of the show, that was absolutely no problem and standard procedure since it couldn't stay in the aisle.

My wheelchair was not brought back for the intermission but luckily I didn't need it as I didn't need the loo - but just for awareness, it has been brought back to me or at least offered by staff when I have been to other shows. The slight actual problem I had is that at the end of the show, it was not brought back. My friend and I waited as everyone else left and my friend asked two separate members of staff for my wheelchair, who went looking for it. Literally every other audience member and nearly every member of the orchestra had left by the time they brought it to me. The lady who brought it (who was very friendly and lovely and this is nothing against her) said "I hope this one is yours because it's the only one left!" And I thought, yeah I hope so too (it was mine). Once we had the chair, staff helped us to exit the theatre (opening doors, warning about curbs etc). But really, the wheelchair should have been brought down while the performers were taking their bows, so it was waiting when needed (and this is how other theatres have done it in my experience).

This wasn't a major problem for me, but could have been for others with accessibility needs. I will be attending this theatre again definitely, but just wanted to leave a review for awareness and in hopes that the theatre will have a better procedure for this in the future.

The performance itself...

The New Theatre is a great place and I’ve seen some amazing shows there. I shouldn't let one bad apple ruin it, but it did for me on Monday 29th January at the Swan Lake ballet. I'd gone to the bar (top one, stage right) for a drink at the interval and queued like a good boy for 5 minutes. As I reached the front I leaned over the bar to look in the fridges, one of the two girls working asked who was next and the lady behind me started ordering 'excuse me' I said politely , 'but I was next'. The short member of staff turned to me and bellowed in the thickest Hull accent 'WEL AH DIN'T NO DID AY!?' She begrudgingly poured my can of beer and then acrimoniously left it behind the bar whilst she proceeded to serve the people behind me. Eventually the taller girl brought me my drink. The whole experience left me so perturbed, it spoilt the second half of the show. How on Earth could someone so childish, grumpy and bitter be serving behind a bar? Who decided she was fit for front of house? Did she even get any training?

The poor girl will have a miserable life if this is how she continues. There is simply no excuse to talk to family, friends, partners or members of the public like this. Come on New Theatre, you are supposed to be creating a positive experience, a night out, an event-horah! And that should definitely extend to your...

Really cramped after expensive makeover. Toilet facilities are a lot better (if still insufficient - the corridor gets blocked by queues of both genders) and the new entrance area is nice.

Very disappointed by the auditorium. It looks like they crammed as many seats in as possible to maximise profit. There's no middle aisle, no room to move any more.

The auditorium looks amazing on photos but is awful in reality. Seating is so tight that with someone either side, I spent a performance trying to keep my arms in front of me and not knowing what to do with my legs, leading to a degree of discomfort. No-one buys expensive show tickets just to spend the performance in pain resulting from poor seating, and I'll definitely think twice before coming here again.

Update November 2022: having now tried the most expensive seats in the middle of the stalls, these are a bit wider, i.e. there's less elbow jostling with seat neighbours. Unfortunately even these seats are nevertheless uncomfortable, the seating height is too low and it seems impossible to avoid back pain.

In the meantime, we've been to Leeds to see shows which were also on in Hull, just to avoid the discomfort, and caught a few great shows at Hull Truck, where the seats are nowhere near as...