New Theatre — Attraction in Great Britain

The show I was to see should have been at the Key theatre but due to structural issues with the building the show was transferred to The New Theatre. As usual the host were amazing, there were enough front of house staff to make sure that any question asked was effectively answered, bar staff where efficient and friendly, the foyer is not the largest space so we were directed upstairs to have our drinks in comfort, a tannoy informed us of how long before the show started and seats becoming available. The amenities were spaces but got crowded at the end of the show as customers were requiring the toilet before they left. Parking is not brilliant but this is not the theatre fault more poor planning and poor administration by the local council for parking across the whole of Peterborough. The seats in the auditorium are spacious and well upholstered making them very comfortable much better than most theatres I've been to, 2 hours passed without any discomfort or the associated leg pain that comes from hard slender seats. The New Theatre has more seats than the Key so there were many empty seats on the sides of the auditorium and we could have spread out but I think most would have still sat in their alloted seats because it gave such a great view. Although the stage area and the auditorium are large spaces it still felt intimate and during the audience participation points we were easily part of the act rather than distanced from it. I first went to this theatre when it was an Odean cinema for the Saturday kids club nearly 60 years ago and been when it was changed to a three screen cinema and then to a well appointed theatre, I've watched plays, musicals, comedians, and fascinating scholars on that stage and I have never been disappointed (seeing Ken Dodd has to be my highlight) and will continue to visit...

Went to the New Theatre to see Tim Peake (the Astronaut). The building is well maintained, and well-kempt, the bar was a little small, but generally adequate. The theatre space itself is very well maintained and really good visibility all round. The acoustics and audio were pretty much perfect. It wasn't overpowering at the front or weak at the back and there was no audio distortion.

There are no pillars to get in your way and there is a little tiny ice cream fridge in the front right hand corner to buy little ice cream cups which is a good classical, nostalgic touch in the absence of an ice cream tub seller.

Because of the location of the theatre, it isn't any decent parking. It's either on street, a car park 5 minutes away, get public transport, cycle or come on foot. Most of the parking gets full and it can take a long time to exit the car parks even though they are very small because of how they exit onto a busy road even at that time of night. The stairs at the front can also be quite difficult if it wasn't for the lift. The theatre has definitely catered for people with accessibility needs, as the front of the theatre does have spaces for wheelchair use. However, those with hearing impairments are not provided with a translator fluent in British Sign Language by the theatre. It's usually the acts themselves that are usually responsible for providing it. Which can mean it's a bit hidden miss. Otherwise, a good...

We've been to a couple of performances here in the last month or so. Our personal preference is to sit around the middle of the 4th or 5th rows from the stage. The view of the whole stage is very good but I understand that most if not all areas have good views. There is a bar in the entrance foyer and the prices are very reasonable. They serve soft drinks including coffee and hot chocolate as well as alcoholic drinks and snacks. There is also a large area upstairs with bar which we've yet to use. We are looking forward to our next visit in December to the pantomime The Wizard of Oz. The whole family from Granddaughter to Grandparents thoroughly enjoyed the pantomime. Granddaughter hid on the floor when the large water pistols appeared and informed us that we were going to get sprayed, she was right. I think Katya as Glinda was definitely a bonus for the gentlemen. The whole cast was great and got people joining in with all the "IT'S BEHIND YOU etc. I agree that more support from the people of Peterborough and surrounding areas is needed and will help the theatre to continue to put on great shows and performances. The cost is much less expensive than going to London. Give this very good venue a chance. Staff are always on...