Wycombe Swan

Wycombe Swan is High Wycombe's main theatre, standing on St Mary Street in the centre of town in Buckinghamshire. Opened in 1992 and run by Trafalgar Theatres, it seats 1,076 and sits within a wider complex that also takes in the Old Town Hall and the Oak Room, both of which can be hired for events. The programme is deliberately broad: touring musicals and plays, stand-up comedy, tribute and concert nights, family shows, dance and creative learning workshops. It is around five minutes on foot from High Wycombe railway station, with a large council car park alongside.

Wycombe Swan opened in November 1992, built by Wycombe District Council as a civic theatre for High Wycombe. The design came from the Buckinghamshire County Architects, with Paul Markcrow as architect, and the building was conceived as a complex rather than a single auditorium, bringing the main theatre together with the Town Hall and the Oak Room on one site off St Mary Street.

That multi-space approach has shaped the venue ever since. The main house seats 1,076, while the Town Hall and Oak Room have carried everything from smaller performances to hires and community events, giving the Swan a range that a single-auditorium theatre could not match.

The theatre was refurbished in the summer of 2010. Management has changed hands over the years, with HQ Theatres running the venue before it passed to Trafalgar Entertainment, and it operates today under Trafalgar Theatres.

Alongside the professional programme, the Swan has built a long-running relationship with young performers in the area through the Wycombe Swan Youth Project, formerly known as the Wycombe Swan Youth Theatre. Open to those aged from 10 to 19, it runs workshops and performance-based activities through the year and stages its own annual production.

Wycombe Swan aims to make every visit workable, and the team will talk through arrangements in advance. The access line is 0343 310 0060.

• Wheelchair spaces: up to 8 wheelchair users can be accommodated in the stalls of the main auditorium, and up to 5 in the Town Hall.
• Lifts: there is lift access to all levels of the Wycombe Swan, the Town Hall and the Oak Room.
• Parking: free Blue Badge spaces in the adjacent car park, with level access through to the Ticket Office, the Town Hall and the Oak Room.
• Toilets: accessible toilets on the Stalls and Circle levels. A unisex accessible toilet is on the Stalls level of the theatre and in the Town Hall, and on the first floor outside the Oak Room.
• Access tickets: customers claiming deaf or disability-related concessions complete a short form to join the access list. Those unable to use the upper levels can buy Stalls seats at the lowest available price, up to 2 per customer per event. A free companion ticket is available at all performances where the customer cannot attend unaccompanied.
• Hearing support: the auditorium has a wireless Sennheiser infra-red system, with receivers and headphones, headsets or stethosets collected from the Box Office at the main entrance.
• Signed performances: sign-language interpreted performances are arranged for some of the biggest shows of the year.
• Visually impaired visitors: pre-performance touch tours of the stage set can be arranged for individuals or groups by contacting the Ticket Office.
• Working dogs: guide, hearing and other working dogs are welcome throughout the theatre. Let the Ticket Office know in advance so suitable seating can be arranged.
• Viewing room: a two-seat viewing room at the back of the auditorium on the Stalls level is available for anyone who needs a break from the auditorium without missing the show. Speak to the Duty Manager on arrival.

Additional security checks are carried out at the venue, so it is worth arriving earlier than usual.