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Original poster

Old Vic toilets change

32 replies

savehannah · 13/10/2026 14:40

I went to the Old Vic theatre last night and was pleased to see they have changed the signage on their toilets to mens, womens and then two separate unisex/accessible individual rooms with washing facilities and proper doors.

Last time I went there were very unclear signs with pictures, and words saying stuff like 4 stalls, 5 urinals. And in the women's toilets, some confused and embarrassed men who hadn't realised they were the women's toilets.

Hope the same is happening elsewhere and other venues are realising their attempts at right-on 'inclusivity' are a mistake and nearly everyone wants/needs/legally requires single sex toilets.

OP posts:
IsadoraQuagmire · 15/10/2026 12:47

Well that's good news about the Old and Young Vic as I've been refusing to go there for several years due to this. I complain every time I go to either Southwark Playhouse (which is a LOT) as they always ask for feedback afterwards. It's definitely worse at Borough, more men in the ladies. And as for the Elephant 😱🤬

Shortshriftandlethal · 15/10/2026 14:45

It is not too painful to provide appropriate facilities, is it? Makes you wonder why they didn't do this in the first place.

BeSpoonyTurtle · 16/10/2026 10:39

savehannah · 13/10/2026 14:40

I went to the Old Vic theatre last night and was pleased to see they have changed the signage on their toilets to mens, womens and then two separate unisex/accessible individual rooms with washing facilities and proper doors.

Last time I went there were very unclear signs with pictures, and words saying stuff like 4 stalls, 5 urinals. And in the women's toilets, some confused and embarrassed men who hadn't realised they were the women's toilets.

Hope the same is happening elsewhere and other venues are realising their attempts at right-on 'inclusivity' are a mistake and nearly everyone wants/needs/legally requires single sex toilets.

Great news, thanks for sharing.

Original poster
savehannah · 16/10/2026 19:02

MirandainSouthwark · 15/10/2026 10:41

I was there that night! (I had gone to the loo at the pub before, as the Old Vic's toilet setup is so infuriating). What did you think of the show?
My husband and I HATED it! So much! I love Les Mis, but found ZERO charm, zero good lyrics, zero good tunes, and not a great production. I am currently plagued with some earworm of the Luison song (the annoying puppet!).
My husband said, "At least there wasn't an interval," but I pointed out that with an interval, we could have left even earlier! Such an annoying show (for us). I thought I would love it, but... am feeling really angry about it. Some songs seemed like trying to copy Les Mis songs, but without emotion, decent lyrics and interesting/likable characters. ?

Show quote history

@MirandainSouthwark I didn't hate it but it wasn't my favourite, I didn't really get the story or the characters (didn't really like any of them). The music was fine in a Les Mis style but not memorable.

OP posts:
tesseractor · 16/10/2026 21:23

I was at the National Gallery last week and refused to use the mixed toilets - which were clearly converted from separate men’s and women’s toilets as described above, with 2 completely separate rooms with fully enclosed cubicles, floor to ceiling doors etc. I wasn’t happy to be waiting in a queue with just men behind a closed door, with those cubicles. And I wasn’t the only woman walking away from them. There are then toilets that are labelled as single sex. The womens are separate cubicles behind a closed door off the corridor, The cubicles are completely enclosed, floor to ceiling doors, with wash basins etc in each cubicle. There was general moaning in the queue that it took a lot longer - and one woman came in wanting only to wash her hands and was very confused. It was also noticeable that the individual cubicles smelt while the central corridor which the cubicles are off didn’t - presumably as it was being ventilated as people opened the main door to enter.

I may have ranted at them a bit in the survey they sent me - since it was about the Renoir exhibition I doubt it will even get to relevant people but I thought it worth saying that they had clearly spent a lot of money on refurbishment and it was a shame they’d ended up with facilities that were less safe and less hygienic.

Wishesandhorses · Yesterday 18:01

This will be the practical issue in trying to make single sex the 'other', small additional provision. The sheer number of women needing to use them. And interesting even under the pressure applied to use the mixed sex, women were preferring to queue and use less pleasant facilities.

I suspect too a lot of passionate be kinding women in the moment will quietly head into the single sex, and rely on it there as a fall back should their initial attempt to be kind mean entering a space with a man they're afraid of.

WallaceinAnderland · Yesterday 18:02

See how easy it is.

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