The Marlowe
Access

Access

We want The Marlowe to be enjoyed by everyone in our community. We have a range of accessible facilities and performances, but if there is anything else we can do to improve your visit, please get in touch.

Wheelchair access

12 permanent wheelchair positions are available over all three levels in The Theatre and six wheelchair spaces in The Studio.

We have accessible toilets on every floor within reach of The Theatre and The Studio.

The Marlowe Theatre seating plan
Download the seating plan (pdf 0.6mb)

Lift access to every floor

We have convenient lift access to every floor of our theatre.

For your safety, we cannot allow the transfer of wheelchair users into theatre seats.

If you have any additional access needs, including assistance with evacuation, please contact our Box Office.

Infrared hearing support system

We use an infrared system in The Theatre for deaf and hard of hearing customers. Sennheiser medallions are available for use with a hearing aid; for those who do not wear a hearing aid, Sennheiser headsets are available.

Please ask our Box Office staff for advice on the best seating for these systems. We also offer a hearing loop for customers with a hearing aid in The Theatre and The Studio. You can collect medallions/headsets from Box Office; our staff will be happy to give you advice on how to operate these.

Assistance dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome in the building, The Theatre and The Studio. Let us know in advance if you need a dog-sitter and we will arrange this.

Blue Badge holders, parking & drop-off

Canterbury City Council has installed bollards on The Friars, on the approach to the theatre, to improve security in the city centre. This means that there is no automatic vehicle access to our theatre for customers.

If you are a Blue Badge holder who cannot use nearby car parks and you need access to our site, you need to contact our Box Office team at least one day in advance of your booking on 01227 787787 by emailing boxoffice@marlowetheatre.com.

Whilst there is no parking available on-site, we offer a limited number of parking spaces for customers who are Blue Badge holders. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

There is a drop-off point available with step-free access to the main foyer. Please arrange the use of this in advance by contacting our Box Office. There are then nearby car parks you can use, such as Orange Street Disabled Car Park. You can find out more about Blue Badge parking in Canterbury.

Please note that access is not possible unless permission has been sought in advance. Blue Badge parking spaces on site and permission to drop-off is limited and cannot always be guaranteed, so we would encourage you to use local car parks wherever possible.

We have some limited spaces for mobility scooter parking.

Our accessible performances

Audio Described Performances

A live commentary provided via personal headsets for blind or partially-sighted customers. AD performances will often be preceded by a touch tour (usually on stage).

Captioned Performances

Text is displayed on a screen. The text includes the words spoken by the performers as well as character names and sound effects.

British Sign-Language Interpreted Performances

An interpreter stands on or aside the stage and interprets the spoken word and sound effects of the performance for Deaf customers who use BSL.

Relaxed Performances

Ideal for anyone who prefers a more relaxed environment, including those on the autistic spectrum, with helpful changes made to the show and auditorium.

Chilled Performances

A more casual theatre-going experience. It is okay to walk in and out of the auditorium and rules on noise are more relaxed. They do not include any changes to the show.

Our accessible shows

Shrek The Musical

"Families like ours are usually swimming against the tide. Today we were the tide."

Anna-Marie Caggiano