5
video review with transcript
Transcript:
I visited Leeds Playhouse at the end of July 2025 and I was really impressed by their access both in terms of their facilities but also their performances. I was out and about that day in my electric wheelchair, so I came from the city centre and you have to cross quite a big road to get to the playhouse, but there are lights, a pedestrian crossing and tactile markings as well.
If you are coming specifically for the Playhouse, it is quite close to the bus station and there are bus stops on Eastgate and New York Street and also some paid parking in multi-storeys like Victoria or the Markets. The upper entrance to the Playhouse via Mabgate or St. Cecilia Street also has a couple of blue badge bays.
If you are coming from the city center, you will immediately see the beautiful vibrant facade. From that side where it says Entrance, you'll be entering into the Front Room Cafe.
There are large sliding doors and you go through a little foyer and then you enter into the cafe where there is a variety of seating options. There are tables with movable chairs, there is some bar stool height seating as well as booth seating and there is even a grab rail next to the booth to help you transfer or to help steady yourself when you get up or sit down. There are also some armchairs and I generally found the space to be nice and cozy, but also bright and spacious and generally very welcoming, which was helped by the friendly staff as well.
The counter is nice and low and there is overhead signage for the drinks menu. I chatted to the staff about more accessible menu options and they said unfortunately at this time they did not have a large print menu, but they would look into it and also that they are happy to read out anything for people, although they also acknowledged that that was not ideal. They also told me that they had taught themselves some signs in BSL as they have a group of d/Deaf and hard of hearing people that comes in regularly.
Going around the counter to the left you can find an accessible toilet. The door is not automatic and it opens to the outside. The photo I have included here is from one of the bathrooms on a different floor, but the setup is basically the same.
You can take a lift up from the Front Room Cafe to the other levels of the Playhouse, but let us head back outside for now and I will show you how to get up to the main entrance.
Do not be put off by the many stairs that will be more obvious as you look to the left of the playhouse where there is a lovely little green space that takes you up to the main entrance, the stairs all have railings, but if you need step-free access, stick to the left of that little park and you will find ramps winding their way through it.
It is sometimes not obvious where they continue, but I promise I made it up there without any steps. And if you want a wee rest or simply enjoy the nice green space and do not bring your own seating with you just by default like I do, then there are some nice wooden benches with and without backrests and with armrests as well.
With the Playhouse on your right as you go up, the first entrance you will come across is to the Terrace Bar and that is also the level of the Box Office. The Terrace Bar has some seating with movable chairs, but the counter is very tall.
As you go past it, you will find the counter for the box office to your left. The staff there were a bit surprised to see me on an early afternoon in the middle of the week, but they were happy to chat to me about access and their facilities and also told me that they have a dedicated staff member for access and who also organizes events specifically for people with disabilities.
So I had a look around and also met with Natalie who then told me all about the different types of access performances that they have. If you want to find out more about the types of performances that are available, their website is a great resource. You can find it at leedsplayhouse.org.uk and they tell you all about the different types of performances, but also what events are on and how you can book them.
The box office itself has a nice low counter that was easy to access with my wheelchair and they also have a hearing loop.
At the very top of the slope is Playhouse Square where there is some disabled parking and where you will find the main entrance with automatic sliding double doors. As you head in, there is a little foyer with some maps and a list of what you will find on which level, which are unfortunately a little bit small, but if you head to your left, you will find some bench seating and also the lift taking you up to the level of the box office and the Terrace Bar.
The lift has raised buttons, no Braille, a hearing loop as well as a mirror and a grab rail on the side. The doors open to one side on the Playhouse Square main entrance level and to the other side on floor one and two. So despite the lift being not very large, you can enter and leave frontways.
If you come from the main entrance and go up and down to the theater's box office or toilets, all the different levels can be a little bit confusing and there are lifts on both the front and the back of the building taking you to different levels. But if you take the lift from the main entrance, you can also go up to floor two, where you will find the entry to the theater, same as on floor one, but also Changing Places toilets as well as other disabled toilets.
The door to the changing places toilet is on your left as you exit the lift. It is a large door that is not automatic and opens to the outside right with a lever handle. When you go in, you will see that there is a toilet and an adult-sized changing bench on wheels at the back wall, along with a ceiling track hoist. And to your left there is a height adjustable sink. There are also privacy screens on wheels as well as several red emergency cords and a colostomy shelf.
This Changing Places bathroom does not have a shower, but I was delighted to hear that it was open to the public during the playhouse's opening hours and there's no RADAR key necessary to access it.
Heading down to your right when exiting the lift takes you past a mix of seating of cushioned benches and movable chairs, some with tables, and you will pass an accessible toilet on your left before reaching the bar. The bar is quite high but has a lowered section on the right side. Opposite the bar is a large space with tables and even a piano.
The seating continues behind a divider as you go ahead and you will find another lift on your left that you can take you down all the way to the Front Room Cafe, down to the box office level where you will find a wheelchair accessible play area right outside the lift and also up to the third floor.
When you exit the lift there, go down the corridor to your right to find a good sized accessible bathroom as well as a quiet space with blankets, comfy seating and prayer mats which has a power assisted door that you can open with the button to the right of the door.
And somehow I have gotten this far without talking about the essential part: the performance spaces. This is the view from the Courtyard balcony, accessed from level one, where all the seats are removable for wheelchair users. They are also great seats for people who do not want to sit in the crowd. There are also some seats at the side and the back of the lower level that can be moved and reserved for people with access needs.
This is the Quarry, the larger theater, that has this balcony space accessed from level one specifically for wheelchair use users and their carers. The seats can also be taken out of the first row on the stage level to make space for wheelchairs and in that case you would enter through a passageway on level zero.
Transcript:
I visited Leeds Playhouse at the end of July 2025 and I was really impressed by their access both in terms of their facilities but also their performances. I was out and about that day in my electric wheelchair, so I came from the city centre and you have to cross quite a big road to get to the playhouse, but there are lights, a pedestrian crossing and tactile markings as well.
If you are coming specifically for the Playhouse, it is quite close to the bus station and there are bus stops on Eastgate and New York Street and also some paid parking in multi-storeys like Victoria or the Markets. The upper entrance to the Playhouse via Mabgate or St. Cecilia Street also has a couple of blue badge bays.
If you are coming from the city center, you will immediately see the beautiful vibrant facade. From that side where it says Entrance, you'll be entering into the Front Room Cafe.
There are large sliding doors and you go through a little foyer and then you enter into the cafe where there is a variety of seating options. There are tables with movable chairs, there is some bar stool height seating as well as booth seating and there is even a grab rail next to the booth to help you transfer or to help steady yourself when you get up or sit down. There are also some armchairs and I generally found the space to be nice and cozy, but also bright and spacious and generally very welcoming, which was helped by the friendly staff as well.
The counter is nice and low and there is overhead signage for the drinks menu. I chatted to the staff about more accessible menu options and they said unfortunately at this time they did not have a large print menu, but they would look into it and also that they are happy to read out anything for people, although they also acknowledged that that was not ideal. They also told me that they had taught themselves some signs in BSL as they have a group of d/Deaf and hard of hearing people that comes in regularly.
Going around the counter to the left you can find an accessible toilet. The door is not automatic and it opens to the outside. The photo I have included here is from one of the bathrooms on a different floor, but the setup is basically the same.
You can take a lift up from the Front Room Cafe to the other levels of the Playhouse, but let us head back outside for now and I will show you how to get up to the main entrance.
Do not be put off by the many stairs that will be more obvious as you look to the left of the playhouse where there is a lovely little green space that takes you up to the main entrance, the stairs all have railings, but if you need step-free access, stick to the left of that little park and you will find ramps winding their way through it.
It is sometimes not obvious where they continue, but I promise I made it up there without any steps. And if you want a wee rest or simply enjoy the nice green space and do not bring your own seating with you just by default like I do, then there are some nice wooden benches with and without backrests and with armrests as well.
With the Playhouse on your right as you go up, the first entrance you will come across is to the Terrace Bar and that is also the level of the Box Office. The Terrace Bar has some seating with movable chairs, but the counter is very tall.
As you go past it, you will find the counter for the box office to your left. The staff there were a bit surprised to see me on an early afternoon in the middle of the week, but they were happy to chat to me about access and their facilities and also told me that they have a dedicated staff member for access and who also organizes events specifically for people with disabilities.
So I had a look around and also met with Natalie who then told me all about the different types of access performances that they have. If you want to find out more about the types of performances that are available, their website is a great resource. You can find it at leedsplayhouse.org.uk and they tell you all about the different types of performances, but also what events are on and how you can book them.
The box office itself has a nice low counter that was easy to access with my wheelchair and they also have a hearing loop.
At the very top of the slope is Playhouse Square where there is some disabled parking and where you will find the main entrance with automatic sliding double doors. As you head in, there is a little foyer with some maps and a list of what you will find on which level, which are unfortunately a little bit small, but if you head to your left, you will find some bench seating and also the lift taking you up to the level of the box office and the Terrace Bar.
The lift has raised buttons, no Braille, a hearing loop as well as a mirror and a grab rail on the side. The doors open to one side on the Playhouse Square main entrance level and to the other side on floor one and two. So despite the lift being not very large, you can enter and leave frontways.
If you come from the main entrance and go up and down to the theater's box office or toilets, all the different levels can be a little bit confusing and there are lifts on both the front and the back of the building taking you to different levels. But if you take the lift from the main entrance, you can also go up to floor two, where you will find the entry to the theater, same as on floor one, but also Changing Places toilets as well as other disabled toilets.
The door to the changing places toilet is on your left as you exit the lift. It is a large door that is not automatic and opens to the outside right with a lever handle. When you go in, you will see that there is a toilet and an adult-sized changing bench on wheels at the back wall, along with a ceiling track hoist. And to your left there is a height adjustable sink. There are also privacy screens on wheels as well as several red emergency cords and a colostomy shelf.
This Changing Places bathroom does not have a shower, but I was delighted to hear that it was open to the public during the playhouse's opening hours and there's no RADAR key necessary to access it.
Heading down to your right when exiting the lift takes you past a mix of seating of cushioned benches and movable chairs, some with tables, and you will pass an accessible toilet on your left before reaching the bar. The bar is quite high but has a lowered section on the right side. Opposite the bar is a large space with tables and even a piano.
The seating continues behind a divider as you go ahead and you will find another lift on your left that you can take you down all the way to the Front Room Cafe, down to the box office level where you will find a wheelchair accessible play area right outside the lift and also up to the third floor.
When you exit the lift there, go down the corridor to your right to find a good sized accessible bathroom as well as a quiet space with blankets, comfy seating and prayer mats which has a power assisted door that you can open with the button to the right of the door.
And somehow I have gotten this far without talking about the essential part: the performance spaces. This is the view from the Courtyard balcony, accessed from level one, where all the seats are removable for wheelchair users. They are also great seats for people who do not want to sit in the crowd. There are also some seats at the side and the back of the lower level that can be moved and reserved for people with access needs.
This is the Quarry, the larger theater, that has this balcony space accessed from level one specifically for wheelchair use users and their carers. The seats can also be taken out of the first row on the stage level to make space for wheelchairs and in that case you would enter through a passageway on level zero.
