Hyde Festival Theatre

What it’s like

A proper local stage for pantomime and family shows, with relaxed and BSL performances built into the run.

This is a community theatre putting on pantomime and family productions, and it's clearly set up to think about who's in the audience rather than just who's on stage. There are relaxed performances for anyone who finds a traditional show a bit much, sensory sensitivities and all, and BSL performances too, so it's not an afterthought bolted on for one night only.

Seating-wise, every seat gets a view, though the site is honest that the centre block, seats 8 to 19, is the best of the bunch if you can get it. If your child needs a breather mid-show, the upstairs bar doubles as a break-out space you can use during the performance itself, which is a nice bit of thinking for anyone who's ever had to do the walk of shame up the aisle with a wriggling four-year-old.

Access has a real catch though. The upstairs bar isn't wheelchair accessible, though staff will help, and some performances are upstairs with stairs only and no lift. The theatre can take up to 4 manual wheelchairs and 2 electric ones per show, and there's an accessible restroom with no stairs at the back of the main auditorium.

Getting there by car is the other faff. There's no dedicated car park, just limited short-stay spaces nearby that aren't monitored after 5pm, so an evening show means either gambling on those or using the ASDA car park up to 3 hours. If you can walk, Hyde Central station and the bus station are both about five minutes away, which is probably the easier bet for an evening performance.

Facilities

Need to know

Parking

Limited short-stay spaces around theatre (1 hour, not monitored after 5pm)

Wheelchairs

Theatre can accommodate up to 4 manual wheelchairs and maximum 2 electric wheelchairs per performance

Getting there by bus or train

Hyde Central station 5-7 minute walk

• Centre block seats 8 to 19 give the best view if you have a choice
• The upstairs bar can be used as a quiet break-out space during the show, not just before or after
• Nearest stations are Flowery Field, Godley or Newton if Hyde Central doesn't work, but they're 20-30 minutes on foot
• Ticketing questions go through whichever society is putting the show on, not the theatre direct

Plan your visit

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