Access and Facilities at the Lyttelton Theatre

The Stalls are the step-free level here. The Circle is not, and the lift that serves it is narrow.

Access seats are booked directly with the theatre's own access team, who hold them and know the building.

Which level to book

• Stalls. Four wheelchair spaces sit at the back of the Stalls in row V, with level access from the ground-floor foyer through doors on either side of the auditorium. There is also lift access to this level from the car park. Every other row in the Stalls is down 15 steps to row A, with a step between each row from E back.
• Circle. Either 22 stairs or a lift 80cm wide, and then five more steps down from the foyer, with two steps up to row A or 25 steps to row J. Handrails run down both aisles.

The 80cm lift is the thing to check before booking the Circle. It is narrower than the lifts elsewhere in the building, and a larger wheelchair or a mobility scooter may not fit. There is no step-free route to a Circle seat in any case, because the five steps come after the lift.

Wheelchair spaces

The four spaces are at the back of the Stalls in row V, and there are companion seats beside them. The view from the back of this level is a long way from the stage and the Circle sits above it, so if you are able to transfer it is worth asking about an aisle seat further forward. The middle of the level, around rows G to L, is the part with nothing overhead and a clear view.

The accessible toilet at Stalls level is to the right.

Hearing and assisted performances

There is a hearing loop in the Lyttelton, and infra-red headsets can be collected in the building.

Audio described, captioned, BSL interpreted and relaxed performances are scheduled per production rather than per auditorium, so the dates sit on the page for the show you are booking. For a captioned performance, the seats with the clearest view of the caption unit are identified nearer the date and held for members of the theatre's access scheme.

Planning the visit

Arrival here is 30 minutes for everyone, and it is worth more than that if moving around the building unhurried would help. The Box Office on the ground floor opens 90 minutes before the performance, and the Circle bar opens an hour before.

The building is cashless throughout, including the bars, so bring a card.

There is one cloakroom for the whole building, on the ground floor opposite the main lifts and beside the bookshop. It costs £1.50 an item, and access equipment and medical supplies are free.

Step-free routes into the building itself, the Blue Badge bays and the car park lift belong to the National Theatre as a whole, and the guide to the building has them.