Wilton's Music Hall

What it’s like

A Victorian music hall in the East End where kids over one watch proper theatre and music, with history tours thrown in.

This is a working theatre first, not a soft play with a bit of history bolted on. Anyone over one year old needs their own ticket for the auditorium, babes in arms go free, and every under-16 has to stay with an adult throughout. Worth checking what a show's actually like before you commit a toddler to it, since not everything on will suit little ones.

Beyond the shows themselves, there are history tours, which feels like the better bet if you've got a curious seven or eight-year-old who'd rather poke round an old building than sit still for an hour. The place itself is part of the appeal, all faded Victorian grandeur, and kids do notice that kind of thing even if they can't say why.

Food-wise, The Gatherers do a pre-show pizza menu, and they ask you to arrive at least half an hour early if you want to eat before curtain up. Kids are fine in the bars too, as long as an adult's with them, though obviously the booze itself is strictly over-18s.

The building's the catch if you've got a buggy. There's no cloakroom and space is tight, so they'd rather you left the pushchair at home; they might store a collapsed one at the Box Office but can't promise it, and none go into the auditorium regardless. Parking on the surrounding streets is limited and permit-controlled, though there's a public car park nearby on Mansell Street and Shorter Street. Ground floor and the auditorium itself are wheelchair accessible, with spaces in Row N of the stalls, but there are 19 stairs up to the first floor and more beyond that, so some of the building simply is not reachable without climbing.

Facilities

Need to know

Best for

Ages 1 and up, though check each show suits little ones

Parking

Very limited street parking with permit scheme in some streets

Food

Pre-show menu with pizzas provided by The Gatherers

Pushchairs

May be collapsed and stored at Box Office if space available but not guaranteed

Wheelchairs

Ground floor and auditorium wheelchair accessible

• Under-16s must have an adult with them in the auditorium throughout the show.
• Parking nearby is tight and permit-controlled; there's a public car park on the corner of Mansell Street and Shorter Street.
• Lift access to the AALP Studio on the second floor is limited.
• History tours are a good alternative if a show doesn't suit the age of your kids.

Plan your visit

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