London Theatre Help!

[LollipopViolet]

Thanks to a very generous friend, I'm heading to London tomorrow to see a couple of shows - they had tickets booked for 3 but the third person has had to cancel, so rather than let the tickets go to waste, I've been invited.

We're going to see the Horrible Histories prom at the Royal Albert Hall in the afternoon, and then the Wizard of Oz in the evening.

I have sensory issues around sudden loud noises, but with earplugs/ear defenders can usually manage.

People of Mumsnet, are there any moments in these shows I may struggle with? I am a LOT less anxious if I know what's coming and when to expect it.

Please help, I want to enjoy the day, not be riddled with anxiety. Friends are aware of these issues, and both of them are very, very supportive.

Hi OP The Wizard of Oz starts with a really loud bang that makes the audience jump and has loud bangs throughout usually relating to the Wicked Witch's spells. I would reach out to both theatres. They often have guides explaining what to expect in the show to help make them more accessible. Hope you have a great time.

Thank you - I'm currently trying to find ANYTHING online in terms of a guide but I'm really struggling.

I had a feeling this would be the case, so earplugs and ear defenders at the ready. I've done Disney on Ice in row 2, I can do this (especially with amazing supportive friends!).

This is the relaxed guide for when The Wizard of Oz was at Curve. There have been some changes to the show since the move to the Palladium but this will give you an idea - curve-theatre.s3.amazonaws.com/wordpress/uploads/2022/12/Curve-The-Wizard-of-Oz-Relaxed-Performance-Pack.pdf

If you call the theatres tomorrow they might be able to email you similar.

That guide is really useful. I may try and give the venues a ring tomorrow on the journey down, hopefully they can advise. Disney on Ice were brilliant when I emailed and asked them, and because I knew where things were coming, I was able to sit through the whole show and didn't have to leave. Also did Dancing on Ice tour and was OK with their stuff with earplugs, so I am hoping for an enjoyable experience.

I'm back home after an utterly fabulous day!

The Proms was absolutely fine and handled that without any earplugs etc.

The Wizard of Oz, we spoke to a staff member who gave me what they call a "trigger sheet" - similar to the guide posted above but much more concise (although they said they had a more detailed one if needed). This, plus my earplugs and ear defenders doubled up, meant I was able to sit through the whole show, with very limited anxiety. Utterly fabulous.

The staff said any LW Theatres venue will have these, and said that if someone contacts them by email in advance, these things can be emailed out.

Good times with good people :)

I’m so glad you had a great time!!!

I'm so glad and thank you for posting, I knew about relaxed performances but not about all the other assistance, I have a family member who could benefit from all this.

I'm not going to post a picture here due to spoilers, but if anyone is thinking of booking to see the show and would find it useful, I'm sure I can find a way of sending it to them.