A Relaxed Performance- Review written by Sarah Holley

We took our 7 year old autistic son and his 4 year old sister to see the relaxed performance of Tabby McTat in Birmingham Town Hall and we were very impressed. Our son struggles in theatre settings as he finds sitting for periods of time difficult and he also has sensitivities around lighting and sound. The staff at the town hall were very accommodating explaining to myself and my partner that the lighting would dim but would not be turned off completely, that the sound would be quieter and that they would leave the doors open through the performance and we could come and go as we needed. This made us feel very relaxed knowing that if our son needed to leave the hall then we could do this with no issue. Before the performance began a gentleman came on stage and explained that in one of the bars they had provided a quiet space with dimmed lights, beanbags and colouring for children if they needed a break. We thought this was fantastic and very well thought out as not only did we have the option of leaving the hall if needed, we knew there was a quiet space to take our son to calm and regulate should he need it. They also provided extra space in the aisle and the children were able to move around freely, dance, stim and do what they needed to feel relaxed and comfortable.

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We all thoroughly enjoyed this experience as we knew our sons needs were catered for and this meant we could all enjoy a family show together. The staff and venue highly impressed us with what they offered the families attending and I would definitely attend a relaxed performance there again.

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Next Relaxed performance coming up is We're Going on a Bear Hunt January 5th 2020.  For more details follow the link. 

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Disclaimer: We received 4 tickets from Birmingham Town Hall in return for a review . All content, opinions and views remain my own.