Accessibility & Inclusion

Wheelchairs

Riverside offers level access and space for wheelchairs in all three theatres.

Please contact us by calling our Box Office to discuss the availability of accessible theatre seats and to book.

Courtesy Wheelchairs

A courtesy wheelchair (standard manual wheelchair) is available for loan, if required. Please see our Front of House staff to secure a courtesy wheelchair.

Companion Card

We accept Companion Cards for all ticketed events. A Companion Card allows the cardholder to book a free ticket for the companion who will assist them during their visit. Companion Card tickets do not cover additional items such as meals, VIP packages or Meet & Greets.

Please contact our Box Office to book. You will also need to have the card with you on the day of the event.

Find out more about the Companion Card program

Parking

We offers very limited, pre-booked parking for patrons with a current accessible parking permit, also known as a NSW Mobility Parking Scheme permit for $8.

Entry to parking is via the Corner of Market & Marsden Street. To make a booking, please contact our Box Office on 02 8839 3399 . Your permit number and expiry date must be provided during the booking process.

Assistance Animals

Guide dogs or service animals trained to assist people with disability are welcome inside all areas of Riverside Theatres.

To ensure appropriate seating is allocated please discuss with us your requirements and whether an assistance animal will be in attendance at the time of booking.

Accessible toilets

Accessible toilet facilities are located at either end of the Riverside Theatres foyer.

Auslan Interpretation

Some productions are selected to be interpreted using Australian Sign Language (Auslan). This provides an opportunity for patrons who are Deaf to access the show. The aural cues that are essential to the storytelling and the theatrical experience are translated into sign language.

Auslan interpreters are discreetly positioned for comfortable viewing by Deaf patrons.

Open Captions

Patrons with hearing impairments can access select live performances and cinema sessions through captioning. Open Captions are visual text displayed on screens during the performance, enabling patrons to read what is being said. Caption text is prepared from the script of the performance by highly trained staff. Where open captioning is provided, it is visible from almost all seats in our venues. Please contact our Box Office if you would like further information.

Surtitles & Subtitles

In films that contain Subtitles film, the dialogue is presented in writing, often as an English translation.

Please note, subtitles only appear in the feature, not the trailers.

Hearing Assistance

Riverside has an FM transmitter-receiver hearing system in all three theatres to assist patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Patrons can choose from a single ear earpiece, a neck loop for telecoil-equipped hearing aids and cochlear implants or the patron’s own headphones, to amplify the sound from the stage. This system is adaptable for people with all types of hearing loss.

To access this free service, please pre-book the hearing system with our Box Office and your receiver and earpiece or loop will be waiting for you to collect from our Box Office prior to your performance at Riverside.

Audio Description

Select performances and cinema screenings are audio described for the benefit of blind or low vision patrons by providing a narration that provides detailed information and descriptions of the visual elements of a performance. This includes actions, expressions, gestures, sequences, costumes, and scenery. AD is relayed via a free headset and receiver linked to the FM radio system.

Descriptive Pre-Show Notes

Descriptive Pre-show Notes are prepared by an audio describer and made available to patrons to screen/read to download or request prior to attending the show. These notes provide a description of scenery, costumes, props and some context for the play, are part of the audio description experience.

For select productions, Riverside is trialling Descriptive Pre-show Notes Only to select, low action shows to provide greater access opportunities. These notes are designed to enhance the experience of a production in lieu of a full audio description.

Tactile (sensory) Tours

Tactile tours are an access initiative for people blind or low vision attending a show with audio description.

Tours tend to be held ninety minutes prior to show start and run for 20-30 minutes and introduces participants to the stage space and some of the physical elements of the set, props and costumes in the show.

Tours are strictly limited in size and often take place onstage.

All tours require bookings through our Box Office and will not run if there are no bookings 72 hours prior.

Relaxed Performances

Select performances throughout the year are provided as relaxed performances. These are sensory friendly performances where the perceived ‘rules’ of theatre are modified to allow patrons with Autism and other specific needs to enjoy the performance in a welcoming environment.

Modifications will differ depending on the show, but can include:

• The house lights being dimmed, but not turned all the way down;
• The understanding that patrons may come and go from the theatre as needed;
• Elements of the show that might include loud noises or sudden bright lights being toned down or removed.

Along with these performances, Riverside offers social stories. These are easy to read, visual stories that explain and prepare patrons for the social situation of coming to the theatre and seeing a show.