At a glance -
Access: ⭐⭐⭐
Booking: ⭐⭐⭐
Experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Transport/nearby facilities: ⭐⭐⭐
More in depth -
Access:
Mixed review - temporary ramp needed for entrance to the theatre, platform lift to access seating
Good view from accessible seating.
Booking:
Booking seats was a little uncertain, my naivety played a part
Accessible tickets can be booked via ATG’s Access Membership Scheme* (noted after my visit)
Experience:
Service from staff was amazing and they were extremely understanding and considerate
Show was amazing and I would highly recommend!
Transport/nearby facilities:
Nearest station is Victoria, both tube and train which is partially accessible (haven’t visited)
hub by Premier Inn at Westminster (where I stopped) is about a 15 minute walk away, all flat
Step free, Westminster Tube Station (where I travelled from) is about 20 minutes away, all flat
As a long time fan of Wicked, this is one of the shows I have wanted to see for many years, if only just to see Defying Gravity performed live on stage! Which certainly did not disappoint.
A little naivety on my part with booking tickets, as it was one of the first theatre shows I had booked when specifically requiring wheelchair access, so I visited the website as usual and booked what I thought was accessible seating, on arrival it quickly became apparent that it wasn't (more to come).
This theatre trip was combined with a longer weekend of activities, so my accommodation was the Westminster hub by Premier Inn (I shall do another review on this). I travelled from my home train station of Wakefield Westgate to Kings Cross, using Passenger Assist for the access ramps and booking the accessible seat on the train. I then travelled via tube to Westminster, which is fully step-free, going on the Victoria Line to Green Park and then on the Jubilee Line to Westminster, the hotel was then a short distance from the station.
On the day of the theatre visit, it was a 15 minute walk from the hotel to the Victoria Apollo theatre, with flat surfaces and plenty of crossing places, there’s also plenty of options to eat on the way, we stopped off at McDonald’s for a quick meal.
Upon arrival at the theatre it became obvious I had not booked fully accessible seats, after enquiring with a member of staff they kindly assisted. A temporary ramp was placed on the steps at the entrance, for access to the Dress Circle seats, this was fairly easy to use and my scooter had no real issue, once inside you enter the foyer which was extremely busy, with people entering the building, milling about going to bar, merchandise stall and toilets. The member of staff assisting us was really helpful, explaining that there was a platform lift to our seats, unfortunately my scooter wasn’t permitted on this lift (something which I think will be addressed on a future visit), at this point in time walking short distances wasn’t an issue for me, so we discussed and agreed to place my scooter safely out of the way and use the platform lift by standing on it, after a snails pace journey upwards we were on the correct level of seating, however being pointed in the direction of the seats it was obvious they were not accessible given that they were down a flight of stairs (the labels on the booking website were not clear), again the member of staff couldn’t have been more supportive and immediately enquired about the nearest accessible seats, which luckily for us were free so we were able to relocate. Meaning sitting on the front row of the dress circle, with the safety barrier in front - this didn’t cause an issue. We were allowed to remain in these seats for the whole show, which I am extremely grateful for. The member of staff even came to us at the interval to ask if we needed anything, as I hadn’t booked the accessible seats I wasn’t expecting this level of service, but I am grateful for. At the end of the show I completed the process in reverse, they assisted me back down the platform lift, to the scooter and outside using the temporary ramps again.
At which point taking the return journey back to the hotel, high on the excitement of seeing Wicked for the first time, and revelling in the fact that Defying Gravity did in-fact meet all of my expectations!
My main takeaway - as this was my first theatre trip where I needed accessible seating (since then my mobility has decreased even more so I’ve become a pro at my accessibility needs) it was a steep learning curve into booking access seating and even more specifically, wheelchair accessible seating. It is a minefield booking access tickets given the different groups who own the various theatres, and this will be a further review as it deserves dealing into in much more detail.
However thanks to the theatre staff, my experience was thoroughly enjoyable and I wouldn’t hesitate to return!