Plan your visit for Schools and Colleges

Before you arrive for your visit to the Civic Theatre, please take the time to read the following information. The Arts team are available to provide support and information before during and after your visit.

Contact Kate Gascoigne, Arts Development Officer on 01325 348844 for more information.

Preparing for your visit

  • Your party will be members of a general theatre audience as we do not offer dedicated school performances.
  • Group discounts are available on many of our performances, and we regularly offer further discounts for schools. For every 10 tickets booked, you will receive 1 free. For more information visit our Group Discounts pages.
  • Please check your tickets carefully to ensure they are for the correct performance and the appropriate number have been allocated.
  • We do not have a dedicated space within the theatre where pupils can eat a packed lunch, or where bags and coats can be stored.
  • Ice creams are available to pre-order for group bookings, up to 48 hours before your visit. For more information, contact the Assistant Catering Manager on 01325 387737.
  • Please take the time to review the Group Organiser Pack. This contains information on coach parking and risk assessment.

Guide to attending a theatre performance

  • It is important that you allow plenty of time for your arrival at the theatre. We recommend that you arrive 30 minutes before the start of the performance to ensure that all members of your party have time to find their seats and use the facilities.
  • Upon entering the theatre, one of our ushers will assist you with finding your seats. Please be aware that seating a large party can be disruptive, particularly when the theatre is busy, and if you arrive late we cannot guarantee you will be admitted until a suitable break in the performance. To avoid this, if you think you will be delayed, please contact us as soon as possible on 01325 486555.
  • Mobile phones, cameras, mp3 players and other electronic devices should not be brought to the theatre. However, if anyone in your party has such an item in their possession, it is essential that it is switched off before they enter the theatre.
  • Please ensure that staff members or other responsible adults are seated at regular intervals throughout your group.
  • We advise all group organisers to brief any young people in their party about appropriate behaviour before they arrive at the theatre. Talking, calling out and laughing can often disrupt a performance for both the actors and other audience members, unless it is appropriate to the production you are attending. For example, students attending a drama would not be encouraged to interact with the performers in the same way those attending a pantomime would.
  • Remind your students that once the performance starts they should not leave their seats unless absolutely necessary. Eating and drinking is also not encouraged, there is plenty of time during the interval for this.
  • Audience members should not do anything to disrupt the view or comfort of another patron, such as leaving bags or coats in the aisle, kicking seats or putting feet up on chairs.
  • Please do not leave rubbish in the theatre, bins are provided.

We reserve the right to ask any members of our audience to leave if their behaviour disrupts the performance or is deemed otherwise inappropriate.