WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE CELEBRATES FAMILY RELAXED PERFORMANCE OF ALADDIN!

04 Jan 2023

Published in: Member News

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Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is celebrating Relaxed Performance success!

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Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has been hosting Relaxed Performances for nine years which have been hugely successful in helping those on the Autism Spectrum and/or with additional needs access theatre.

A Relaxed Performance is specifically designed and adapted for people who find regular performance settings difficult. If you or someone you know are on the Autism Spectrum, has additional or complex needs and/or find sitting in a busy, socially restrained environment difficult and distressing, then a relaxed performance may be of benefit to you.

Until now, Relaxed Performances at the Grand Theatre have been successful in allowing school and community groups to come together on a Thursday morning but this year, Wolverhampton Grand was able to host a second Relaxed Performance during the pantomime run, on a Saturday, enabling families to enjoy the magic of pantomime together.

Outreach Manager for Access & Inclusion at the Grand Theatre Remy Lloyd said; “we had such a wonderful time opening the doors to families who got to experience the magic of the Grand Theatre for the first time. Our Relaxed Performances have always been extremely popular and hugely beneficial to the many schools and community groups who come but now an additional weekend relaxed performance meant that families could come together. To see audiences enjoying theatre that they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do without this provision is priceless.”

Audience feedback was extremely positive:

“ I just wanted to say thank you so much for putting on the Relaxed Performance of Aladdin yesterday. It was so nice to be able to go and do something altogether as a family without worrying in case my daughter (who is autistic) got upset. Even better, she absolutely loved it! She loved all the songs, she loved the slapstick, she was thrilled at the elephant in stage and found the mummies hilarious. Her favourite character was Dame Dot Twankey - every time Ian came on stage, her face lit up and she was giggling already. It isn't always easy for any child to sit still for 2 and a half hours, but particularly for a cold with special needs. We had brought sandwiches and got some popcorn to keep her going, but at no point did my daughter get up from her seat or want to leave, so that's a huge achievement. Thanks again, and we look forward to bringing her back for Snow White next year!” – H Mcintosh

“ Well, what a fantastic time we had at this mornings Panto! We all really enjoyed the show and it was so lovely when Rebecca got over excited and vocal that we weren’t on edge ! I spoke to people that I knew and a few I didn’t, who were over the moon to be given this chance for their young people to enjoy theatre in their unique ways and express their feelings in an understanding environment. I saw children who were in awe of the performance and some who were standing and jumping with excitement. One family said their local theatre never did any relaxed performances and were amazed you were offering several! Congratulations for all your hard work making this a reality for us! The cast were fantastic and please convey our sincere thanks for such a wonderful morning, we really appreciate it." - Lindsey 

“I just wanted to say that we had an absolutely fantastic time at the theatre to watch the pantomime and both my boys loved it. It was the first time they had ever been. It was well thought out and you provided brilliant facilities.”

Relaxed Performances continue in the new year with the Grand Theatre’s first full musical Relaxed Performance of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL at 11am on Wednesday 28 June. This Relaxed Performance can be booked online here. Wolverhampton Grand’s first Relaxed Performance of a drama will be the National Theatre production of THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE on Thursday 28 September at 2:30pm. This Relaxed Performance can booked online here.

A Relaxed Performance takes away some of the stresses of the theatre experience by keeping the house lights on and operating an open doors policy, allowing free access in and out of the auditorium during the performance. Additionally, sound levels are monitored and kept at a lower level and all special effects, like smoke and pyrotechnics are removed entirely. A Quiet Room and a Sensory Room are set up within the theatre should anyone need some time away from the theatre environment. The performance is streamed onto a screen in the Sensory Room so those who find the experience in the auditorium too uncomfortable don’t have to miss out on the show. The Quiet Room does not have any visual or audio streams but is open to anyone who needs to take a few minutes out. Information packs are also sent out prior to the performance with additional details about the show. This may help you or your group familiarise yourself with our theatre and the things you may encounter during your visit.

There will be Relaxed Performances of next year’s pantomime SNOW WHITE on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 December 2023 and a final remaining Relaxed Performance of this season’s ALADDIN on Thursday 5 January 2023.