We offer five main types of access performance at the Marlowe. Follow the links below to find out more about each type of performance and see what’s coming up next:

Audio-described performances
British Sign Language (BSL) performances
Captioned performances
Chilled performances
Relaxed performances

The Marlowe’s Access Scheme is designed to give equity to disabled audience members and those with access requirements when booking tickets and visiting our theatres. Read all about it on our dedicated Access Scheme page, and sign up today.

We’re happy to offer an additional discounted ticket at our access rates to those with the +1 symbol. Prices and discounts vary – for details, contact our Box Office.

We present BSL (British Sign Language) and/or captioned performances for many shows at the Marlowe.

BSL performances feature BSL interpretation, either from the side of the stage (BSL interpretation) or integrated into the performance (BSL integration). For more details and to book tickets, visit this page.

Captioned performances feature subtitles on large screens, usually either side of the stage. For more details and to book tickets, visit this page.

A limited number of the best seats for BSL and captioned performances are bookable with the Audible Information symbol. BSL performance seats are indicated by a hearing aid symbol, while captioned performance seats are indicated by an ‘OC’ symbol. If these seats are not available when you book, or if you’d simply prefer to sit elsewhere, rest assured that you’ll still receive any relevant discounts.

Our Main House and Studio theatres are also both equipped with Sennheiser Tourguide 2020-D hearing loop systems, with personal induction loops and headphones available. For more details, visit this page.

We can often provide flyers and other written materials as BSL-interpreted videos. If you’d like to receive materials in these or other formats, please get in touch.

Many of our shows include audio-described (AD) performances, with live commentary provided to audience members via personal headsets. Some AD performances also include a pre-show touch tour, where you can immerse yourself in the show by touching parts of the set, props and costumes. For more details and to book tickets, visit this page.

Guide and assistance dogs are welcome at the Marlowe – scroll down for details.

We can often provide flyers, programmes and other written materials in large-print, Braille and/or audio-file formats. If you’d like to receive materials in these or other formats, please get in touch.

There is no dedicated parking at the Marlowe Theatre. There are eight council-operated Blue Badge spaces in front of the theatre, but they can’t be reserved and are available only on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend making alternative travel and parking arrangements where possible – the Canterbury City Council website has details of car parks in the city centre.

The council has installed bollards on The Friars, the approach road to the theatre. If you are a Blue Badge holder who needs access to the theatre and cannot use a nearby car park, contact the Box Office on 01227 787787 at least 48 hours in advance to provide your vehicle’s registration number. Please also contact the Box Office to arrange access to our drop-off point offering step-free access to our main foyer.

We’d be happy to welcome you for a pre-show familiarisation visit so you feel comfortable and know what to expect from our spaces.

To arrange a familiarisation visit, please contact our Box Office on 01227 787787 or boxoffice@marlowetheatre.com.

We’re delighted to welcome guide dogs and assistance dogs to the Marlowe, including our Main House and Studio theatres. We can also offer a dog-sitting service at Stage Door during performances – if you’d like to book, please contact us at least one week in advance.

There may be long queues outside the theatre for busy shows and performances that necessitate bag checks. We recommend either arriving more than 30 minutes before the scheduled start time, or waiting until the queue has quietened down.

There is limited seating in the Stalls foyer, but you may find more seating in the Crown Bar and Barrett’s Bar on the Circle and Upper Circle levels respectively. You are welcome to use these areas even if your seats are on a different level.

We’re happy to arrange early access to our theatres where possible – simply contact the Box Office in advance or speak to a member of staff when you arrive. Where possible, you’ll be able to take your seats around 30 minutes before the show, at which point the doors will then be opened to the rest of the audience.

There may be long queues outside the theatre for busy shows and performances that necessitate bag checks. We recommend either arriving more than 30 minutes before the scheduled start time, or waiting until the queue has quietened down.

You can borrow wheelchairs and ear defenders for the duration of your visit. Speak to a member of our Front of House team when you arrive – or, if you have any special requests, contact our Box Office on 01227 787787 or boxoffice@marlowetheatre.com.

There are accessible toilets on every floor, close to the Main House and Studio. There are toilets on either side of the auditorium, so we recommend booking aisle seats closest to the auditorium doors.

To help you plan your visit, here are some approximate walking distances.

Entrance

For Door 1: Use the glass doors on the left, closest to the Blue Badge parking spaces.
For all other tickets: Use the glass doors on the right (opposite the Box Office) for the shortest route.

Ground floor (main entrance)

Willet Bar: 5 steps
Box Office: 15 steps
Lift: 20 steps
Door 1: 45 steps
Door 2: 35 steps

Circle level (from lift)

Crown Bar: 15 steps
Door 3: 50 steps
Door 4: 30 steps
Door 5: 75 steps (includes stairs)
Door 6: 20 steps (includes stairs)

Upper circle level (from lift)

Barretts Bar: 15 steps
Door 7: 50 steps
Door 8: 20 steps
Door 9: 75 steps (includes stairs)
Door 10: 50 steps (includes stairs)

Our main entrance is entirely step-free via the sloped forecourt at the front of the building.

There is lift access to all three floors, and there are bars and accessible toilets on every level. Please let us know if you are unable to use the stairs so we can arrange a plan for you in the event of an evacuation.

There are up to 10 wheelchair positions available over all three levels of the Main House, and up to six wheelchair spaces in the Studio. In addition, the following areas of the Main House are completely step-free:

Stalls
M1 to M29

Circle
G1 to G22

Upper Circle
E1 to E5
E28 to E32
F6 to F28

The Studio (on the first floor) is a more flexible performance space, and the layout varies by event. For advice on the seating layout for a particular show, see the relevant show page or contact our Box Office on 01227 787787 or boxoffice@marlowetheatre.com.

The seats in our Main House are 43cm deep and between 42cm and 46cm wide. All seats in the Studio are 41cm deep and 42cm wide.

There are accessible toilets on every floor, close to the Main House and Studio. There are toilets on either side of the auditorium, so we recommend booking aisle seats closest to the auditorium doors.

If you need urgent access to a toilet, please speak to a member of our Front of House team – they’ll be happy to help.