David’s theatre round up

One of my continuing passions is going to the theatre and London is certainly blessed with a great variety of venues. As a visually impaired person, going to the theatre is made easy and straightforward with all the special facilities for disabled patrons. Most London theatres have wheelchair space provision, loop systems and special performances which are either signed or audio described. Ask the various box offices for details and don’t forget to enquire about concessionary prices. You can usually save up to 50% on 2 good seats. Every little helps! I receive a regular mailing from Vocaleyes, an organisation which makes arrangements with arts providers to enable disabled people to go to shows at reasonable prices. The package usually includes a touch tour of the stage and set beforehand, a companion if necessary and recordedprogramme notes plus directions to the theatre. From theatres tucked away in North London, such as Sadlers Wells, there is also a bus link to various main line terminals at a very reasonable fares after the show. Recently I have been to performances at Drury Lane (The Producers), The National (The UN Inspector), Donmar (Mary Stuart) and operas at Covent Garden and the Coliseum. These theatres have special pricing structures, talking notes and headset facilities as well as wheelchair access. For film buffs, movie audio description is now available in many cinemas throughout the UK. The RNIB produces weekly email listings, which give full details of what's on. Concessions are available at concert halls and galleries in London and the rest of the country and many football clubs also have concessionary pricing for disabled people. So don’t just stay at home, enjoy yourselves!
David Merkel