The Playhouse - New Wheelchair Lift

Wheel-ly Good News for Playhouse Patrons

Weston-super-Mare’s top theatre The Playhouse has a brand new platform lift to ensure its less able patrons can access its auditorium and be entertained.

For the past few weeks, many of the disabled patrons who regularly visit The Playhouse Theatre, located in the resort’s High Street near to Grove Park, have been unable to get to the stalls level, following the breakdown of its former lift.

The new platform lift, which has a platform to transport wheelchair bound patrons and a pull down seat to allow less able members of the public to be carried from the foyer to the stalls level and back again, means the theatre can, once again, be accessed by a wide range of people for whom stairs are a problem.

Councillor with responsibility for The Playhouse, Cllr Ian Peddlesden explained: “After 10 years of almost daily service, our last platform lift broke down and needed to be replaced. Following a tendering process Cotswold Lifts were awarded the contract and have just completed fitting the new lift in to the Playhouse.

“North Somerset Council has worked very hard to limit the amount of time we've been without the lift. These are specialist products and usually the lead time from placing an order to installation can be 8-10 weeks. The teams responsible have managed to reduce this to around 2-3 weeks, and I would particularly like to thank Cotswold Lifts Ltd, as well as staff at the Playhouse and in property and asset management for their support on this project.”

The Playhouse General Manager Peter Undery added: “The platform lift is an important element of our theatre as it allows wheelchair users as well as other less mobile patrons to access the stalls and enjoy shows in the same way that other patrons can ".

“We have really missed the lift over the past few weeks and are delighted that we have been able to organise a brand new lift so quickly. It clearly demonstrates North Somerset Council's commitment to providing access and opportunity for all, and is recognition of the value that the theatre has within the community.

“On behalf of our staff and volunteers, I would like to thank all our patrons for their patience and understanding during the past few weeks. We wrote to those who had booked wheelchair spaces advising them that the lift was out of action, and now we will be letting them know that normal service has been resumed.

“With a very busy Late Spring Season just starting which include sell-out shows with Jo Brand, Harry Hill, Ken Dodd and Lee Evans, the lift will certainly be fully utilized in the coming weeks.”

The Playhouse Theatre has four wheelchair spaces at the rear of its stalls, allowing wheelchair-bound patrons some of the best views in the theatre. These spaces are used at the majority of the theatre's performances, and the Playhouse has been widely praised by disability groups and forums.

In addition to the platform lift, The Playhouse Theatre also has a dedicated disabled toilet and a reduced box office window to aid wheelchair-bound patrons. Other facilities available include an infra-red system for the hard of hearing, where patrons book a receiver to help enhance the sound, and both signed and audio-described performances of the Playhouse annual pantomime, which this year is the high flying adventure story, Peter Pan.

For full details of The Playhouse Theatre’s Late Spring Season shows and to book your tickets, contact the Box Office on 01934 64 55 44 or visit our Events Pages