The Atkinson

My name is Matthew, I am disabled and I use an electric wheelchair. For my birthday in October a friend gave me tickets to see the Wizard of Oz pantomime at the Atkinson Centre. I went with my Dad and a friend. Dad and I are regular theatre goers and would normally be looking forward to the evening but this time we were super excited because it was our first outing since the Coronavirus pandemic started earlier this year in March. We were also very apprehensive as social distancing measures were still in place. We didn’t know what to expect and wondered how safe we would be. From the beginning the staff at the Atkinson reassured us. We pre ordered our drinks crisps etc. for the interval from the box office and were given information on the time we were to arrive and what to expect. On the night we arrived at the time stated. Staff took our temperatures, ticked our names off the list and showed us to our seats. The theatre was socially distanced full about 100 seats. The performance was really great. My favourite characters were the lion, the tin man and the scarecrow. Everyone seemed to rise to the occasion trying to make up for the reduced audience. At the interval our pre ordered drinks were a little mixed up but the staff were on to it right away and got it sorted. Everything was conducted in a safe and friendly way. Seats not in use were clearly indicated and directions easy to follow. At the end we were the last to leave. Everyone went out in sections directed by the house manager. It was a happy crowd leaving the theatre, everyone enjoyed the show and the staff thanked us all for going. We had a really great and safe time and felt full of Christmas cheer and ready to enjoy our small family Christmas.